APIC National Convention 2018

Black and white photograph of Abraham Lincoln encircled by white and blue text.

The American Political Items Collectors is a non-profit organization that promotes the collection and preservation of political artifacts. Since 1945, APIC members have collected political memorabilia including buttons, postcards, pennants, autographs, and more. Presidential campaigns often get the most attention, but as APIC member Bob Atwater notes, “we like presidential items, but a lot of collectors also collect local items… to us, each of these pieces is a piece of history.” In addition to promoting political history via their members, APIC partners with museums, archives, and presidential homes across the country to educate the public on the topic of political history.

In 2018, APIC held its 16th bi-annual convention in Springfield Illinois. At the convention, members of APIC gathered to display and share their collections with the public for free. Members also sell, trade, and appraise political artifacts with the public during conventions.