* My mom sent me a link to this SJ-R story last week and I’m just now getting around to posting it…

The [American Political Items Collectors] national convention – a once-every-two-years event – will be in Springfield for the first time July 18-22 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The non-profit membership organization is dedicated to promoting the collection, preservation and study of materials relating to political campaigns and the presidency – though the buttons, banners and bandanas can also come from races for governor or other offices.

The convention will include more than 225 dealer tables of political and historical items being bought and sold.

Part of the show – from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 21 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 22 – will be free of charge and open to the public. On that weekend, members of the public will also be able to get free appraisals of their political items and can have them auctioned at one of several sessions during the day for a commission fee.

* You can’t see it very well in the pic below, but Mayor Richard J. Daley signed this 1975 campaign poster and it’s one of my favorite pieces in my own personal collection…

I used to have a “Honkies for Harold” button, but I somehow lost it. One day, I’ll replace it.

* And this poster was, um, obtained from the Illinois GOP’s state fair tent many moons ago…

I shoulda got Rod to sign that before he went away. Oh, well. He may be out soon. One never knows.

We had an “official” Question of the Day about memorabilia years ago, but maybe you’d like to refresh our memories about your own favorite items.

       

30 Comments - Al - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:20 am: I have a Kucinich for President shirt. I wear it every two or three years and it always gets a good laugh. - Saluki - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:25 am: My Scott Lee Cohen yard sign is my favorite. - Stones - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:35 am: LeRoy Van Duyne produced some interesting campaign buttons back in the late ‘70’s. “Re-Elect VD - he’s Contagious!” were a popular item. I think he handed most of them out on the House floor. - DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:36 am: I still wear my Free Blago Shirt, always a favorite. And I still like my Beatles For President poster. We have done worse - Stones - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:38 am: I also had a pretty cool yellow tee shirt with “No Lights” in big red letters that were circulating when the Cubs were in the midst of legislating lights at Wrigley. Should have kept it but instead gave it to my daughter. - JoanP - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:42 am: I’ve got a “Convict No. 9653 for President” button. (That would be Eugene Debs.) Wish I still had my mom’s “All the Way with Adlai” “flicker” button. From the other side, I’ve got a Dinner with Ike 1960 “Peace and Prosperity” medallion (my late husband’s mother was active in GOP politics in her state). - RNUG - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:43 am: Words won’t do it justice. But I have Paul Powell sign from a State building warning employees against taking bribes. If I wanted to drop my anomity, I could post a link. Maybe instead I’ll email a photo to Rich and see if he’ll post it. - Fax Machine - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:53 am: I still have the John Fritchey ketchup on his hot dog mailer from 2009 - Smitty Irving - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:53 am: Have a 2010 Democratic Lt. Gov. primary yard sign for “Hollywood” Hendon (Sangamon County version). - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 12:05 pm: ===see if he’ll post it=== - Arsenal - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 12:09 pm: Don’t have anything really fun myself, but if you’re interested, Prairie Archives in Springfield always seems to find some pretty cool old signs/posters. - WhoKnew - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 12:11 pm: I trade my “Alan Keyes for Senate” for a “Jack Ryan for Governor” button!! /s - Ok - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 12:29 pm: Based on the punctuation in that poster, I can understand the confusion… “It is unlawful for any person to offer any gratuity.” Instead… “Tip or Bribe to any employee.” As well as: “It is unlawful for any employee to accept a gratuity.” Instead, the recourse is again to instead accept: “Tip or Bribe.” Clearly, our problems have stemmed from the fact that a publicly-posted notice from the Secretary of State instructed visitors and employees that gratuities were unlawful, and bribes were the correct course of action. - Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 12:42 pm: Still have these bumper stickers: Republicans for Poshard Schmidt Happens - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 12:52 pm: From a subscriber… Ouch. - SOIL M - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 12:53 pm: RNUG has the winning treasure - BlueDogDem - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 1:07 pm: I have a program from the 68 DNC in Chicago. Some autographs you wouldn’t believe. I keep it in my safety deposit box. - BlueDogDem - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 1:10 pm: See I told y’all I used to be a partisan kook. - d.p.gumby - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 1:12 pm: My “Mondale and Vdolyak” button was a hot property years ago. - Stuntman Bob's Brother - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 1:17 pm: The Daley poster should be accompanied by the newspaper headline stating his 1968 orders to CPD to “shoot to maim” looters, and “shoot to kill” arsonists. I wonder how The Boss would have handled the Dan Ryan march. How times have changed in 50 years, eh? - Retired SURS Employee - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 2:07 pm: A campaign button from the 1964 Presidential campaign that reads: “Bury AuH20″ - 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 2:45 pm: I have a Jimmy Carter for President T-shirt I need to get out of the door and wear. On a related note, a teenage son and I toured the William Henry Harrison home in Vincennes, Indiana over the weekend. He was the first territorial governor there and it was built as a home, an office and a potential fortress. The tour guide reported that his 1840 presidential campaign was one of the first to use campaign memorabilia and they had some examples. Also she reported that it was a 1840 campaign item where the term “keep the ball rolling” was coined. They had a giant papier mache-type ball with pictures and slogans on it that they rolled from campaign stop to campaign stop all the way from the Midwest to Maryland. Professor Google will not confirm this phrase origin but it was definitely interesting! - RNUG - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 2:50 pm: Thank you Rich - RNUG - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 2:57 pm: -OK-, your interpretation is funny. It’s hard to see in the angle of the photo, but there are little hooks on the bottom so they are commas, not periods. - Leatherneck - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 3:18 pm: - RNUG - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 11:43 am: Words won’t do it justice. But I have Paul Powell sign from a State building warning employees against taking bribes. If I wanted to drop my anomity, I could post a link. Maybe instead I’ll email a photo to Rich and see if he’ll post it. ———— It’s unfortunate those signs were long gone by January 1991, they would have still been in good shape and maybe still somewhat effective. There’s still some old “No Smoking” signs in some older state buildings dating back to the early ’70s, if not earlier. - VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 3:31 pm: I was wondering why there were so many old Chevy Astros and rusted out Carollas at the Golden Corral today. I though the racing pidgeon conventioneers were in town. - Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 4:03 pm: well, not a campaign item, but i have a paper voting box. still bemoan the loss of the button store on Wells near Ohio. old days. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 5:42 pm: Anorher item I have is a non-partisan T-shirt that reads “Don’t blame me, I voted for the other guy” - RNUG - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 5:47 pm: == It’s unfortunate those signs were long gone by January 1991 == I can’t take the responsibility for “liberating” this sign. I actually purchased it a few years back at an antique store in Bloomington. - Stuntman Bob's Brother - Wednesday, Jul 11, 18 @ 7:08 pm: ==There’s still some old “No Smoking” signs in some older state buildings dating back to the early ’70s, if not earlier.== My workplace still has some “No Smoking” signs up as well (not a state government building). Then again, I know of at least one “Health Regulations Prohibit Eating in Restrooms” sign, and I’m pretty sure there’s at least one “Fallout Shelter” sign still up, but you’ve gotta look for it. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.