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From Ronald Reagan buttons to JFK pins, serious election collectors probably have them in their collection. Yesterday's election, though, is getting a lot of people who aren't serious collectors wanting a piece of history.
Barack Obama has inspired millions of people to vote for him. Now, his popularity is inspiring lots of people to try and make a little money off him.
Obama pins are going for about $5 on eBay, and it seems like there is no shortage of people wanting Obama memorabilia.
"I think it's just wonderful," Salt Lake City resident Sandra Wilkins said.
Wilkins could easily be talking about all the fresh snow on her front yard, but in this case, forget the snow. She's talking about, and worried about, her Barack Obama signs.
"I was thinking this morning, ‘I better run outside and get my signs or someone is going to have them,'" Wilkins said.
Political signs have been stolen in her Salt Lake City neighborhood before, but most of the time it's just political maneuvering. Now, it might be for history's sake.
"Well, it's historic, and those will be valuable in years to come," she said.
It seems anything with Barack Obama on it, especially anything having to do with the 2008 election, is hot.
Last night at the Utah Democratic Party Election Night headquarters, bumper stickers, pins, and buttons for sale sold out.
"[They're] incredibly popular. We've gone through 10,000 buttons or more," said Craig Axford, of the Utah Democratic Party.
At Utah's Democratic Party headquarters today, the bucket that had Obama memorabilia for sale is now empty. "I've never seen anything like it," said Utah party chair Wayne Holland.
In fact, just this morning, Democratic headquarters was getting a bunch of phone calls from people wanting Barack Obama merchandise.
"I'm not surprised. We've produced, here at the state party, 10,000 lawn signs in the past two and a half months," Axford said.
Now, only three of those lawn signs are left.
Wilkins says it's not just because people think they'll be worth money one day; it's because one day, it might remind some people of a time when things started feeling right. "It's kind of a magical moment in the history of this country," she said.
No more lawn signs will be printed, which is why Wilkins is taking them inside. But the Utah Democratic Party told me if the demand keeps coming, they can make more buttons and pins.
It just seems like a lot of people want something to remember this election.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
