Monthly Archives: August 2014

Those words were spoken by newly inaugurated President Gerald Ford on August 9th, 1974, forty years ago this week.

PRESIDENT GERALD R. FORD SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

The "long national nightmare" Ford was referring to was a series of incredible and unprecedented events that took place in the harsh light of the American media for the better part of the preceding two years, starting with the strange case of five men who were caught breaking into the Democratic party headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972, a story that was picked up by the Washington Post and ultimately led to the conviction of 48 officials, culminating in the resignation of President Richard Nixon on August 9th, 1974.

The "nightmare" also included the resignation of then-Vice President Spiro Agnew on October 10, 1973 for tax evasion charges related to bribery allegations stemming from his tenure as Governor of Maryland.

Over the course of the two years from the break in at the Watergate to the swearing in of Gerald Ford, the public was held rapt by the seemingly endless succession of revelations, resignations, and salacious details of the goings on in the Oval Office. That public interest led to a veritable industry of Watergate-related souvenirs, including items both disparaging and supporting the embattled President Nixon.

This week's new listings features items from this era, one of the most tumultuous and divisive in our recent political history.

The 2014 APIC National Convention in Denver was an absolute blast in every respect. While we're a bit tired from sleep deprivation, we are also energized from the electricity that you could feel throughout our week in Denver with our APIC family.

The American Political Items Collectors National Conventions are a time to reconnect with our fellow collectors and remind ourselves why this is truly the best hobby in America. After two years of wandering the wilderness of antique malls and flea markets, we reconvene with our peers and colleagues who share our passion, to tell tales and share trophies of the hunt.

The room hopping was active, and the energy generated continued on into the bourse, which was held in an expansive room with (EUREKA!) dedicated lamps for each dealer table. Walk-ins included some great surprises, including previously unknown Stevenson pins and a McKinley Imperialism piece that rarely surfaces. Little details like those aforementioned lamps, the well thought out bourse schedule and the lively seminars added up to an event to look back on fondly, and what we can only refer to as the best run APIC Convention we can remember.

The entire Convention was a fitting tribute to the late Convention chairman Tom Berg, who we all lost too soon. Our heartfelt thanks to Ron and Martha Puechner and the scores of volunteers who pulled together to honor Tom with a Convention that he would truly have been proud of. Thanks also to Scott Mussell and the video production team at MussellAmericana.com for the touching tribute that was produced honoring Tom.

Congratulations to incoming APIC President Ron Puechner, and a big thank you to outgoing President Chris Hearn for his years of hard work and dedication.

We're already looking forward to 2016.