KEEPING A GRIP ON AMERICANA COVETED POLITICAL ITEMS LURE AN INVETERATE LOCAL COLLECTOR.Byline: Andrea Cavanaugh Staff Writer MOORPARK - Chuck Diets' interest in politics was sparked at age 13 as he watched the 1956 Republican National Convention on his family's brand-new black-and-white TV in their Studio City apartment. A few years after the flickering images captured his interest, Diets began collecting the paraphernalia PARAPHERNALIA. The name given to all such things as a woman has a right to retain as her own property, after her husband's death; they consist generally of her clothing, jewels, and ornaments suitable to her condition, which she used personally during his life. of politics - the buttons, bumper stickers bumper sticker n. A sticker bearing a printed message for display on a vehicle's bumper. bumper sticker n → Aufkleber m and souvenirs that mark each campaign. More than 40 years later, the Moorpark man's collection numbers more than 10,000 items. The neatly framed collectibles cover an entire wall of his garage, and thousands more fill nearby boxes. ``All of the sudden, I realized I had a ton of items,'' said Diets, 60. ``I started putting it around the house. Then it outgrew out·grew v. Past tense of outgrow. the house.'' Besides newspapers, buttons and bumper stickers, Diets has amassed items such as Eisenhower chewing gum chewing gum, confection consisting usually of chicle, flavorings, and corn syrup and sugar (or artificial sweeteners). Prehistoric people are believed to have chewed resins. , Kennedy playing cards playing cards, parts of a set or deck, used in playing various games of chance or skill. The origin of playing cards is unknown, and almost as many theories exist as there are historians of the subject. , and George H.W. Bush Noun 1. George H.W. Bush - vice president under Reagan and 41st President of the United States (born in 1924) George Herbert Walker Bush, President Bush, George Bush, Bush cigarettes. Fake money that features Bill and Hillary Clinton and Monica Lewinsky Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American woman with whom the former United States President Bill Clinton admitted (after initially denying) to having had an "inappropriate relationship"[1] while Lewinsky worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996. is tucked into a corner. Paper doll sets of the Kennedy and Bush families are pinned to a wall. Diets, a retired sales representative for Nabisco, scoured scour 1 v. scoured, scour·ing, scours v.tr. 1. a. To clean, polish, or wash by scrubbing vigorously: scour a dirty oven. b. flea markets See computer flea market. flea market yard sale of used items at low prices. [Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Inexpensiveness and swap meets for years to add to his collection. Some of his pricier items, like a framed photo of Jimmy Carter that includes a check written by the former president, were purchased from dealers. His oldest item is a front page from the Chicago Daily Tribune dated Sept. 14, 1901 - announcing the death of President William McKinley eight days after he was shot by an assassin. Diets inherited the newspaper from his grandmother. Collecting political memorabilia is thought to be one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the country. The American Political Items Collectors, a national association for hobbyists, has more than 3,000 members. ``These artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. are not only antiques - they represent eras in America's political history,'' said Ray Farina, a member of the organization's board of directors. ``Back before sports became America's favorite pastime, it was politics,'' he said. ``People put great importance on these items.'' Political campaign items date back to 1828, when Andrew Jackson was elected by popular vote. Although many collectors focus on 19th century memorabilia, others, like Diets, take the more modern approach, Farina said. ``Everybody collects what they love the best,'' he said. ``Some people like to collect items from the later era because that's when they grew up.'' Although Diets is a registered Republican, he collects items from across the political spectrum. ``You can't separate it,'' he said. ``You're talking about American history here.'' Andrea Cavanaugh, (805) 583-7602 andrea.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Chuck Diets shows some of the political memorabilia that line the wall of his garage in Moorpark. (2) Chuck Diets' oldest piece of memorabilia is this old newspaper announcing the death of President William McKinley after being shot by an assassin. The front page from the Chicago Daily Tribune, dated Sept. 14, 1901, was left to Diets by his grandmother. (3) Campaign buttons, right, dating all the way back to the Truman-Dewey race fill boxes in Chuck Diets' garage. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion