Political memorabilia is a huge market for history buffs. Artifacts such as vintage campaign posters, advertisements and political badges can all fetch a pretty penny amongst avid collectors. One of the most popular pieces of political advertising is political buttons. These types of pin-back graphics let citizens display their support for — or disapproval of — specific candidates or movements. How do you determine the value of a political button? Where can you sell them? And what have some rare buttons fetched in the past?
What Is a Political Button?
Political buttons are pieces of campaign memorabilia. These small metal disks traditionally framed a portrait of presidential candidates, though they went on to feature text, graphics and slogans as well. These buttons were meant to allow citizens to proudly show their support for their chosen candidate and express their opinions on other political issues.
Buttons might display a person’s ideal presidential elect, express dismay about an opposing candidate or broadcast their thoughts on major political issues. The pin-back design of these buttons made it so that people could wear them on their clothing, which was useful for neighborhood canvassing and political gatherings. While political buttons are not quite as popular in today’s elections, older ones can prove valuable for collectors.
What Makes Political Buttons Valuable?
While they are not hallmarks of modern elections, political buttons continue to remain a highly sought-after piece of history among some collectors. These buttons are preservable items showing political shifts throughout the years. They chart a timeline of U.S. democracy and provide a window into the campaigns of the past. As such, political buttons can be priceless to those who collect political artifacts. But just how valuable is a political button?
It varies dramatically. A button is made more valuable due to its rarity. Some political buttons, specifically those that are mass-produced or from very recent elections, will not turn as much of a profit. However, buttons that are harder to come by can be worth more to collectors.
For example, Ferrotype/tintype buttons — the earliest types of campaign buttons ever printed — can turn up $1,000, while mass-produced celluloid buttons can be found for under $20. Political buttons that are relative to large historical events also collect more money. For example, a button from the McKinley-Roosevelt or Kennedy-Humphrey campaigns is worth more due to their assassinations.
How Do You Determine a Button’s Value?
Above all else, scarcity is the largest factor in a button’s value. In order to truly measure a button’s price, you’ll need to figure out how many were produced and if there is a large number of them on today’s market. While the values of some rarer buttons are available online, you may not be able to tell their origins just from looking at the artifact. In this case, you’ll want to consult a collector or expert to help you figure out how rare your buttons are and help you adequately price them.
Another factor that determines a button’s value is its age. Vintage buttons tend to be more valuable than newer buttons. Buttons printed after the mid-20th century tend to have limited value, especially non-specific campaign buttons.
There’s also the issue of reproduced buttons—those that are meant to look like vintage buttons but are actually new prints. Reproductions are worth very little, though they can sometimes be hard to tell from originals, so you’ll want to consult an expert for help determining if your buttons are originals.
One last thing you’ll need to consider is the condition. Some political buttons may have been well-preserved, yet others may suffer from rust, water stains, fading or scratches. Early litho political buttons — a type of button printed on sheet metal — are also more prone to getting scratched up than those with a protective coating. All this said, any button that has been taken care of will have a greater value than those with significant damage.
Best Places to Sell Buttons
There are many avenues for selling political buttons. Virtual auction sites, like eBay, allow you to sell your political buttons without much hassle. Some sites, such as PresidentialElection.com, Loriferber.com and CampaignButtons.com, exist solely to buy and sell campaign artifacts. Since political buttons are considered vintage collectibles, selling to reputable political artifact dealers may help you get paid for their authentic value. However, knowing the value of your button and selling it directly to a collector may bring in a greater profit.
If you think you have a valuable or rare button on your hands, consider contacting physical or virtual auction houses. It’s helpful to reach out to those that focus specifically on vintage or historically relevant goods. Many of these auction houses will be able to assess the value of your buttons and provide a free or low-cost estimate for what it might collect in an auction.
Costly & Rare Political Buttons
While the prices of political buttons can vary widely based on their age and condition, there are some buttons that are valuable without condition. The most expensive political button ever sold at auction was a General George Washington button that went for $225,000 in 2018. This button fetched a high profit because it was produced during the earliest presidential election. It was also a vintage tintype rather than a mass-produced, plastic-coated button.
Today, the most valuable and sought-after political button in the U.S. may be the button that was produced for the 1920 election of James Cox and Franklin Roosevelt. These buttons were created at a time when the Democratic Party had little money to put towards their campaign. Due to the extremely limited production of these types of buttons, these can go for $40,000 to $75,000 in an auction. It’s estimated that the actual value of these buttons — of which there are approximately a dozen in the world — may exceed $100,000 in their original form. In closing, political buttons with rare histories can see a significant profit. Even those that have been mass-produced can turn up money, especially if sold in large quantities. If you have buttons to sell, assessing their value (rarity, age and condition) can help you find the right venue to get your items into the hands of collectors.
