The Monday After: Pieces of history and pop culture
The upcoming autumn show and sale held annually in the Akron-Canton area by the American Political Items Collectors isn't just campaign buttons and military artifacts anymore.
Vintage postcards, historical photographs, music posters, items of a political nature, and a burgeoning variety of unique and interesting popular culture items will be part of the "Big Collectible Show" coming Friday and Saturday to MAPS Air Museum in Green.
The show, organized by the Ohio Chapter of American Political Items Collectors with sponsorship of Hakes Auctions in Pennsylvania and Angels for Animals dog rescue in Canfield, will include 250 tables set up by dealers coming from throughout the country, said Jack Dixey, show coordinator.
"We've got the country pretty well covered (with dealers)," said Dixey. "One guy is driving stuff from California. Others are coming from North Carolina and southern states. And there will be dealers from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and surrounding states."
The midwest regional event, once called the Political Items and Pop Culture Show, has been broadened in scope since it moved to the MAPS museum from venues in Canton and North Canton, Dixey noted.
"This is a bigger venue and it accommodates a larger variety of collectibles," Dixey explained, adding that hours for the show are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, with admission of $5. That ticket price includes admission to MAPS exhibits.
He said that the event will be followed in the same venue from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday by the North Coast Military Show.
Dixey also noted that the focus and scope of such collectibles events also is evolving to meet the needs of both dealers and buyers. In a world in which "what goes around comes around," producing shows of a more general nature isn't a new concept.
"To me, what's interesting is that this (broad focus) used to be the style of the 1980s and 1990s," said Dixey. "It makes coming to the show sort of a treasure hunt, because you don't know what you're going to find from booth to booth."
Military and political collectibles
Items being displayed and sold by dealers of course will include a multitude of the expected military and political objects from the past.
"We'll have a lot of home front collectibles − the 'V For Victory' sort of stuff," said Dixey. "A lot of it is propaganda used at home to promote the war effort during World War II. Posters and other printed material includes 'Buy War Bonds' sort of things."
Also displayed will be military weaponry and such other items as military patches and insignias.
Pieces of political campaign memorabilia still "are at the forefront," Dixey said. Included are unique containers once used to contain "Candidate Biscuits" − "an odd and interesting piece," said Dixey − as well as more traditional campaign buttons and ribbons. Stressed at the Stark MAPS show are items used in the campaigns between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan, as well as campaigns of other Ohio presidents.
Some items brought by dealers are considered "crossover"pieces because they will appeal to multiple categories of collectors. Those might include photographs and printed material, such as advertising.
"One of the dealers is beringing a very unusual photograph of a biplane factory in 1919," said Dixey. "I thought that was very apprpopriate that it would be displayed at an an aviation museum. It's a very nice crossover item. A photograph collector and an aviatioln collector would have an interest in the same item."
Pop culture still popular
Such pop culture items as comic books and sports memorabilia still draw intense interest, Dixey said.
"I'm amazed at how much money is spent in both those categories," said Dixey, noting that the value of those collectibles has transcended their place in time. "Pop culture items have gone from contemporary to nostalgic to historical."
Dixey said that one dealer is bringing "early" rock and roll concert posters, with "early" referring to advertising material promoting early concerts in a band's existence. Some of those posters are valued in the thousands of dollars, he said.
"In rock and roll (collectibles), the thing is to get posters of groups before they made it big, before they became superstars," said Dixey, using Nirvana as an example of bands whose early posters are fetching high prices.
Antique advertising of many kinds, especially advertising on metal, has become popular among collectors, Dixey noted.
"Advertising trays for breweries (are very popular)," he said. "Before prohibition, every place had its own brewery and every brewery would advertise on beautifully illustrated serving trays."
Reach Gary at gary.brown.rep@gmail.com. On Twitter: @gbrownREP
About the event
WHAT − "Big Collectibles Show"
WHERE − MAPS Air Museum, 2260 International Parkway in Green.
WHEN − Oct. 21-22.
WHO − Organized by American Political Items Collectors, Ohio Chapter; sponsored by Hake Auctions of Pennsylvania and Angels for Animals dog rescue in Canfield.
WHY − To provide an opportunity for collectors to purchase collectible items from dealers setting up 250 tables of items .
HOW − Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5. Food concessions such as coffee and sandwiches will be available from a food truck.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: The Monday After: Pieces of history and pop culture at MAPS show
