The American Political Items Collectors is a non-profit membership organization, dedicated to promoting the collection, preservation and study of materials relating to political campaigns and the presidency. Founded in 1945, the APIC serves a growing hobby. Our membership includes collectors and enthusiasts from all walks of life and every occupation such as educators, students, archivists, historians, elected officials including members of Congress, political junkies, political animals, campaign staffers, journalists from print, broadcast and cable, museum curators and even a couple of past Presidents!
The APIC cooperates with the Smithsonian, presidential libraries, homes, birthplaces and museums, national and local media as well as colleges and universities to facilitate the understanding of American politics using the artifacts of political campaigns.
Although the campaign button is the most recognized and widely collected of all campaign objects, our members actively hunt for vintage political ribbons, ferrotypes, glassware, china, autographs, books, textiles, ephemera, posters, medals, tokens, postcards, pennants, license plates, sheet music, and photography. Campaign artifacts range from matchbooks to street banners and everything in between!