The Northern California Chapter of American Political Items Collectors held a small fair at Sierra 2 Center in Curtis Park. The event on Sunday attracted an enthusiastic group willing to brave the stormy weather.

"I started the Obama Political Items Collectors about a year ago," said Cary Jung. "The Obama campaign was so grass roots, people were making items out of their garage and bedrooms."

Jung said his interest in political collectibles began more than 40 years ago. "I've been collecting since '64 during the Lyndon Johnson campaign."

Like Jung, many of those at the event are lifelong collectors. Fred Jorgensen said he began collecting Kellogg's pep pins when he was a youngster. The small pins came inside cereal boxes during the 1940s, he said.

"I transitioned to political pins when I was older," Jorgensen said.

He explained that social and economic shifts have changed the appearance of pins. Before the 1930s, many pins were very colorful. Higher labor costs forced manufacturers to drop some of the color, Jorgensen said.

"Originally, each color required a separate pass through a printing press," he said. But innovations have allowed multiple colors to be printed simultaneously, bringing the return of the more colorful button.

According to collector David Hyman, technological changes also have led to far greater variety in political items. "There are many more buttons in contemporary campaigns," he said.

Enthusiastic campaign supporters and entrepreneurs often use their garages to produce custom buttons, Hyman said

Increasingly, presidential campaigns charge for political items in states where a race isn't close, state, such as California in the last presidential election. "They sell the buttons in California, but in battleground states like Nevada, it's like they've turned back the clock," Hyman said.

Despite the cost, collectors are driven by their passion.

"I love history," said Jung. "It's great to hold history in your hands."