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What's My President Kennedy Memorabilia Really Worth? |
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What's My President Kennedy Memorabilia Really Worth?
More than forty five years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy memorabilia and souvenirs from the life and times of JFK are still the most cherished - and most often collected items of any U.S. President.
It also means that every day we receive requests for free appraisals for just about every imaginable item relating to the former President and his family.
The items we receive range from the valuable – like an inaugural program autographed by John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy the “spooky” such as a ticket to the Welcome Dinner planned, but never held, in Kennedy’s honor the night of his assassination and the downright ridiculous like the person who claimed to have received a lock of hair belonging to President Kennedy.
Often appraising such items means we have to explain to a collector why the magazines and newspapers their grandmother saved from Kennedy’s days in office will not help pay for their grandchild’s education. The truth is that these magazines and newspapers typically have only limited value. The reason is tied directly to the scarcity – or lack of scarcity – associated with an item. Magazines and newspapers featuring Kennedy were printed in such large quantities and saved by so many people from that era, that many can be found on popular auction sites like ebay for just $5 - $15 each depending on condition.
Does that mean you should throw the items away? Definitely not – at least not before checking with a reputable dealer in political memorabilia.
Generally speaking, items that were issued in only limited quantities or were “official” items produced by the Kennedy campaign organizers or the Inaugural committee, can have significant value. Inaugural programs, tickets to the inauguration, campaign posters and campaign buttons are among the most popular items.
Items autographed by John F. Kennedy or members of his family also have great interest to collectors and can often fetch $2,000 - $25,000 at auction. But there is a catch. Most items purportedly signed by the President were actually signed by a platoon of secretaries enlisted to answer the huge volume of signature requests received by the popular young President or by auto-pen, a machine that added the President’s signature to mass produced items such as photos, letters and thank you cards.
So if you are planning to buy a gift for a collector of Kennedy memorabilia how do you know what’s real or valuable and what is a fake or reproduction? The best way is to make sure you are always dealing with a trusted and respected dealer in political memorabilia.
As experienced and knowledgeable dealers in political memorabilia, Lori and Steve Ferber have been providing helping collectors acquire and preserve unique and intersting political memorabilia items for over 35 years. They operate a popular collectibles website at www.loriferber.com.
As experienced and knowledgeable dealers in political memorabilia, Lori and Steve Ferber have been providing helping collectors acquire and preserve unique and intersting political memorabilia items for over 35 years. They operate a popular collectibles website at www.loriferber.com.
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