Political memorabilia valued by many collectors

Politics and political campaigns are featured in almost every newspaper and on many Web sites and blogs, and collectors are looking at the new memorabilia that can be part of a collection.

The official pins sold or given away by the party, not the souvenir pins sold by merchants, are the ones that gain in collector value. Signs, T-shirts, pencils, jewelry, mugs, hats, dishes, paperweights and other memorabilia should also be official.

Some collectibles are new: TV and radio commercials, songs and viral videos (amateur Internet videos) can now be collected and stored electronically.

Some types of political memorabilia have almost disappeared. Past campaigns featured soap babies, cigarette packs, ceramic figurines, bandannas, knives, watch fobs, wristwatches and even packing boxes that held lettuce. Some of the items that are rare today were throwaway items. Even candy and gum wrappers were made to tout the virtues of a candidate. A few, like the "gold bug" pin, promoted a party view more than a candidate.

Save the interesting political items you see. Usually the material from primaries is of little interest later, but this year the historic candidacies of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton created a "crossover" appeal for collectors. That means three groups will be searching for these. They'll be wanted by collectors of black memorabilia, women's rights materials and political items.

Queries from readers

Q: I have a quilt made in north Georgia in the 1940s. It is called "Grandma's Flower Garden." The white top is covered with patches made of 19 small hexagons that form a large hexagon. One yellow hexagon is in the center, six solid-colored hexagons surround it, and 12 printed hexagons surround that. It is 76 inches by 70 inches. The condition is excellent and it is unwashed.

A: Your quilt pattern is one of the oldest and most popular. The "Grandmother's Flower Garden" pattern was used before 1800 in England, but it was called "Hexagon Mosaic." In the 1920s and '30s, the pattern came back into style and was available from most of the companies that offered patterns for sale. Because it is a common pattern, it is not hard to find. Price is determined by the quality of the quilting, the blending of the colors, the way the border is made (scallops are better than straight), the size of the pieces forming the pattern and the size of the quilt. Yours is worth about $200 to $400.

Current prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

--Vargas Girls playing cards, 1953, Creative Playing Card Co., 52 cards in pack, $90.

--King Little Ideal doll, Gulliver's Travels, wood, jointed, composition, Paramount, 1939, 12 inches, $710.

--Victorian davenport desk, mahogany and rosewood, pieced gallery, leather-covered slant lid, pen drawer, side doors, 19th century, 4 inches by 25 inches by 24 inches, $1,035.

Ralph and Terry Kovel answer as many questions as possible through the column. Return of photos is not guaranteed. Personal answers are not available. Write to The Kovels, The Post and Courier, c/o King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Cowles Syndicate/King Features.