My first button was a Nixon Agnew jugate I spotted at an antique shop next to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium about 40 years ago and thought that collecting political buttons might be a cool hobby.  I started specializing in 1912 since I felt that year's election was one of the most important in our nation's history and set the tone for the political parties of today.  As the years went by it became harder and harder to find 1912 items and I can think of only 3 or 4 that I wanted but was never able to acquire.  My favorite pieces are probably the Washington Party of Pennsylvania cloth ribbon with TR and Johnson pictures on it with a Bull Moose and the large Maryland Delegate Ribbon for the 1912 Convention in Baltimore.

I decided to sell now after being to 3 or 4 shows in a row and not being to find something I wanted.  Somehow the passion for collecting had waned AND I didn't want my wife or kids to have to dispose of the collection if I wasn't around.  My wife always said that if I went first she was going to have a garage sale and sell everything for 50 cents each or 3 for a dollar!  That convinced me to sell now, especially when other collectors gave her their card and asked to be notified when the garage sale would be.  Also the feedback from the last national APIC show in Reno was so encouraging and several TR collectors in particular said they had never seen some of my buttons.  This told me this was the right time to sell. - Wayne Otchis