Paul Fraser Collectibles'... Five fascinating items of quintessential political memorabilia

Records of history, these global items of political memorabilia will get you interested in politics

They can't please everyone, and at times it seems they can't please anyone. But politicians and their related collectibles can be hugely popular with collectors and alternative investors, especially when the items changing hands are of huge historical importance.

Many politicians became famous for a single, archetypal item or physical feature throughout their careers, whether it was a handbag, cigar, or gleaming smile.

Collectors fight keenly over these pieces and they can command huge sums at auction.

So here is our list of five fascinating items of quintessential political memorabilia:

5 John F Kennedy campaign poster

The smile that won America

The youngest ever US president carried the hopes of a nation but his administration lasted just two years before his 1963 assassination in Dallas.

This presidential campaign poster, bearing the slogan: "Leadership for the 60's", is a rare and remarkable piece of political memorabilia and could be yours for just £1,250.

It displays the sparking eyes and beaming smile that many Americans took to their hearts, and took Kennedy to power.

4 Winston Churchill's half-smoked cigar

Collectors love Churchill, due to his iconic status as the man who led Britain through the Second World War. And they love his cigars, both used and untouched.

The former British Prime Minister was such a fan of cigars that he had a special oxygen mask made so he could enjoy his Cubans while flying.

A Corona cigar, half-smoked by Churchill, sold for £4,500 at Keys auctioneers in 2010, against a £350 estimate. 

An excellent condition, unused Don Joaquin cigar of Churchill's is available on the private markets for £695.

3 A first edition of the Little Red Book

A first edition, first print of Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, which featured the signature of Chinese military leader Lin Biao, sold for £6,600 in London in June 2006.

Published in 1964, the book featured a selection of Chairman Mao's speeches, and was commonly bound in bright red covers, hence its name in the Western world.

2 Tony and Cherie Blair's Spitting Image puppets

Satirical puppet show Spitting Image ran on British television screens from 1984 to 1996. Few politicians managed to escape its sharp-witted ire and former prime minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie were no exception. Their puppets sold for a combined £12,600 at Bonhams in January 2008.

Blair's puppet came with an exaggerated grin - a prominent facial feature that regularly appeared when the former PM was faced with tricky questioning.

1 Lady Thatcher's handbag

Many a Tory politician was on the receiving end of the Iron Lady's "handbaggings", a term that aptly conveys the former British prime minister's temperament and synonymy with her beloved black leather Asprey handbag.

The bag she carried with her for 30 years sold for £25,000 at Jeffrey Archer's charity sale, hosted by Christie's, on June 27. Thatcher collectibles are popular at the moment, especially autographs, with some bargains on offer on the private market.

 

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