Will Barack Obama Memorabilia Be A Great Investment?

Millions of Americans enjoyed watching the inauguration of Barack Obama on television. Millions more saved copies of their local newspaper on inauguration day hoping to one day making a killing selling the collectibles for a small fortune.

They’ll be waiting a long time.

The value of political memorabilia is tied more to the scarcity of the item than to the popularity of a President. Considering today’s daily newspapers often have circulations averaging well over half a million copies scarcity is certainly not an attribute that will drive values up on these items in the years to come.

Does that mean collectors and enthusiasts should toss out their inaugural souvenirs? Absolutely not. Perhaps most important, is that collectors should buy what they like and appreciate and not necessarily count on the item increasing in value in the years to come.

If you’re intent on saving items from the campaign or inauguration of President Obama, consider these few simple rules to help increase the chances that your items will appreciate in value.

1. The more exclusive or unique the item the greater the chances that it will increase in value. For instance, tickets to select inaugural VIP events will generally appreciate faster than tickets available to the general public.
2. Condition is always important to collectors. Keep your items away from sunlight and in a cool and dry place.
3. As gruesome as it might sound, dead presidents are worth more than live presidents. The interest in presidential collectibles typically increases right after the death of a President. So expect to keep your items for many years before you consider selling them.
4. “Official” items tend to be worth more than unofficial items. For instance, official inaugural medals and invitations almost always have a higher value than unofficial items.
5. Avoid the euphoria immediately after events like inaugurations. A week after the inauguration collectors were purchasing copies of the New York Times and Los Angeles Times for $95 or more. Four weeks later the same papers were being sold for under $5.

1. Collecting political memorabilia can be both enjoyable and profitable for those who select wisely and have the patience to wait for the collectibles to “mature” with age.   

Visit www.loriferber.com for informatoin on Barack Obama campaign and inauguration memorabilia. As experienced and knowledgeable dealers in political memorabilia, Lori and Steve Ferber have been providing helping collectors acquire and preserve unique and interesting political memorabilia items for over 35 years.