With 39th Governor-elect Jerry Brown set to return to the Capitol in January, political memorabilia collectors are dusting off their campaign trinkets from Brown’s first run as California’s 34th governor and getting ready for the American Political Items Collectors’ (APIC) annual Political Collectibles Show and Sale on Dec. 12.

Though this year’s event will be highlighting Brown’s return to office, there will be a plethora of other political memorabilia on display, both for admiring and for sale.

President of the APIC Northern California chapter Adam Gottlieb said collections include license plates, posters, photographs, banners, buttons, bottles of wine (such as a 1984 commemorative wine from a Democratic convention in San Francisco) and much more.

“It’s a great way to hold history in your hands,” Gottlieb said. He has been collecting since he was 11 years old. His specialty is collecting Theodore Roosevelt memorabilia, some of which is currently on display at the Leland Stanford Mansion at 800 N St.

APIC Regional Vice President of the western United States Cary Jung will present his collection of Jerry Brown memorabilia that spans Brown’s entire political career, including his first two terms as governor and three campaigns for presidency.

With material from each race of Brown’s career on display in chronological order, Jung said, “It puts everything in perspective. He’s always been a visionary character, and the material speaks for itself.”

Seasoned collectors can get free appraisals of their memorabilia by experts while new collectors can take the first step toward a new hobby. Gottlieb said new collectors are encouraged to participate, and if they become a member of the APIC, they’ll be given a bag of old campaign buttons to get their collections started.

“You don’t need to spend a lot of money to put together a nice collection,” Jung said. His advice for new collectors is to buy what they like, not what they think is profitable, and to do it because they enjoy it. He’s been a member of the APIC since 1976 and began his collection in 1964. “It’s a passion. I still love it,” he said.

“Sacramento has a great wealth of political memorabilia,” Gottlieb said. When people clean out their attics, he urges them not to throw away the campaign items they’d kept over the years. “Your political trinkets may be political treasure,” he said.

The APIC has sponsored this event in Sacramento for 18 years while being an active force in preserving history since 1945  for more than 30 years.

“People collect for two reasons: One is because they enjoy history, and the other is because it takes them back to a nostalgic place. It’s a way to connect with the past,” Gottlieb said.

The Political Collectibles Show and Sale will take place at the Sierra 2 Center at 2791 24th St. from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Dec. 12.

Photos from Adam Gottlieb