Collections of political items on display at Cudahy Library

CUDAHY -- For a few hours on Sunday, October 14th, a conference room at the Cudahy Family Library became a mini museum, as some of Wisconsin's biggest collectors of political items put their goods on display.

Symbols and slogans that speak of the United States' political history were on display for all to see at Cudahy's Library Sunday.

"You get spoiled when you can go back into a time machine and look at the memorabilia that was used 25, 50, 100, 150 years ago - just amazing that you can find it outside of a museum," collector Pat Kehoe said.

One of the items featured within the display was a pin from the Abraham Lincoln campaign -- dating back 150 years!

"You're the keeper of the history and you're trying to get as much as you can from that current election to add to your collection and eventually, pass it down to the next generation," Kehoe said.

Twice a year, collectors from southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois come together to showcase their beloved items. Many say when there's an election looming, their shows are even more popular and crowded.

"It always spikes during the presidential election because of the debates and everything. The rest of the time, there's a little less interest, but definitely spikes this time of year," collector Ted Buenzli said.

Prices of items can range from just a few bucks to thousands of dollars. However, for the collectors, money is secondary to their mission.

"We're trying to preserve history by collecting the stuff," Buenzli said.

There's also a national convention for these "political collectors," put on by the American Political Items Collectors. One of the collectors told FOX6 News the most expensive artifact he's seen is a pin from the 1920 presidential election that could sell for as much as $30,000!