Political memorabilia is “small works of art,” as is American history – Las Vegas Sun

In her hometown of Peoria, Illinois, 9-year-old Carrie Demont walked past a vendor selling President Lyndon B. Johnson and Barry Goldwater buttons from a cart on a street corner.

Demon said he did a double review because he found the buttons so beautiful. The artistry and historical value attracted him, sparking an interest that has continued for more than 40 years.

Today, his home in Las Vegas looks like a museum with hundreds of exhibits from various stages in political history. They range from a “Fremont and Dayton” campaign flag made in 1856 in support of the first Republican presidential candidate, John S. Fremont, to a glass frame filled with “Nickey Haley for President” signs.

Demont hopes to inspire other enthusiasts by bringing the community of political collectors and their memorabilia to Las Vegas through the inaugural Las Vegas Show.

“For most of us it’s kind of a combination of collecting, not just history and things that are historically significant that really define our country, but these are little pieces of art that we can display and enjoy just as we would enjoy a painting by one of your favorite artists,” said Demont, Pacific Regional President of American Political Collectors.

Demont, who moved with his wife to Las Vegas from the Minneapolis area more than five years ago, also runs the North Star branch of the American Political Collectors (APIC) and started a regional political show in Des Moines, Iowa.

Recognized as an expert in political memorabilia, Demont’s specialty is in 18th and 19th century items. His interest in collecting began at an early age with green plastic soldiers. This turned into collecting baseball cards, comic books, coins and commemorative US stamps.

Demont recalled going to the bank to get “hundreds and hundreds” of rolls of coins to sift through for rare pennies.

Even as a child walking through antique shows in Peoria with his mother, Demont was drawn to the tables filled with historic political buttons, stamps, coins, weapons and other items.

For more than 200 years, political campaigns have used merchandise to promote themselves, according to Cornell University, which has a collection of donated political memorabilia.

Everything from buttons to banners to snuff boxes was designed to sway voters, ultimately creating a market of collectors whose mission is to collect rare political memorabilia.

Demont said these items sell for as little as 5 to thousands, depending on their rarity. Sometimes items associated with candidates who failed to secure significant political roles—lost to the history books—can fetch more than their successful competitors on the memorabilia market.

These political figures, many with less merchandise than their opponents, can create a lot of excitement among collectors.

“I love the thrill of searching for items,” writes Carrie Jung, former president of APIC, based in Sacramento, California. “I’m very proud of the collection I’ve put together. Also, as a person of color, my collecting interests reflect the diversity of our great country. It was a fun trip.”

Jung’s interest in political items began in 1964, when he encountered a Johnson political button for the first time in his life at the Kern County Fair in Bakersfield, California, when he was 10 years old.

He paid 25 cents for it, saying that “that blinker button was the best 25 cents I ever dropped at the county fair” and that “even at that young age in 1964, I loved the history and the artifacts that determine’.

Now Jung’s home is filled with hundreds of objects. He rose to head APIC at the national level in 2020 before stepping down from the role earlier this year.

Jung and Demont compared the search for political memorabilia—especially rare posters, buttons, or other items—to hunting.

Traditionally, collectors of political items attend trade conventions, antique shows, and other industry events to sell or acquire memorabilia. They can also find things – some of which people don’t even realize have huge political significance – in heritage shops among other vintage goods.

E-commerce company eBay has also become a huge marketplace for people to find materials, Demont said. He typically spends 30 to 60 minutes a day looking for what could be his next purchase.

APIC hosts live events across the country, including a national convention where members can meet. Demont said one of his favorite parts of the show is reuniting with old friends and finding new ones, all with a shared interest in political artifacts.

Now, Demont is looking to expand the political collecting community in Las Vegas and wants to launch a new antiques show he’s calling the Inaugural Las Vegas Show. He thinks this show could be three times the size of the previous Western Regional Show in Reno because of Las Vegas’ convenient location and other tourist offerings.

The inaugural Las Vegas show is set for 9am to 5pm on January 25 on the Gold Coast. For $5, the public can view a collection of historical memorabilia and possibly make free items of their own, appraised by experts like Demont.

“There are so many people who have small collections or large collections from their fathers or mothers or grandparents and they don’t know what to do with these things, (but) they would like to find a home if they’re not going to keep them and pass them on to their children and grandchildren. That’s why the show is important to the entire Las Vegas metro area,” Demont said. “We’re trying to grow the hobby; we’re trying to get the word out so we can have more collectors and more friends.”

Those who believe they have historical political items and would like them appraised can contact Demont at [email protected] or 763-439-0957.

[email protected] / 702-948-7854 / @gracedarocha