It’s Inauguration Day, a highly collectible moment for those who are drawn to presidential memorabilia.
So, what can you collect? Here is cllct's Top 10, broken down by category.
1. Tickets
Tickets to the inauguration are the most common collectibles. The most popular two are from the swearing-in ceremonies for John F. Kennedy in 1961 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933.
The reason for those two inaugurations being at the top is obvious. They are the source of two of the greatest quotes in inauguration history: JFK's "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country," and FDR's “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
PSA has graded 67 full tickets and 36 stubs for Kennedy's inauguration. Good stubs run in the $900 range, fulls closer to $1,500. FDR's 1933 inauguration has 33 total graded, but that ticket is less coveted than 1961.
The extremely rare ticket for Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration in 1865 commands top dollar at more than $10,000.
2. Signed Items
Signed photos from an inauguration will carry a huge premium. The Raab Collection says it owns the only inaugural 1961 photo signed by JFK and wants $50,000 for it.
A signed Harry S. Truman photo from his swearing-in sold for $16,250 at Heritage in 2022, even though Truman is not a highly collected president.
3. Buttons
There are two kinds of buttons: George Washington buttons and normal buttons. Buttons for Washington’s 1789 inauguration go for big money. The most rare one sold for $37,500 in 2017.
Standard buttons to inaugurations are relatively cheap as they were run in much higher quantity than some limited-edition campaign buttons.
4. Flown flags
While the Capitol Flag Program has been around since 1937, having the ability to buy a flag flown flown during an inauguration is relatively new.
Goldin sold a flag flown over the Capitol during the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama for $1,800 in 2021. A flag flown during Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017 sold for $2,440.
5. Parking Signs
When inaugurations take place, parking restrictions are inacted and placards are made for special access. These signs have become collectible.
JFK signs from 1961 are the most collectible, going for up to $4,000. Be careful as there are replicas.
6. License plates
Inaugural license plates were first issued for FDR in 1933 and have continued since. Only 1933, 1937 and 1941 are extremely rare as the general public could get access after that. They sell for a couple hundred dollars.
7. Police badges
Police badges for the inauguration have been made since 1937. Most cost only a few hundred dollars, but like the parking signs, they have been frequently reproduced. To avoid being scammed, go to reputable sites such as LoriFerber.com.
8. Medals
Inaugural medals started with first president, Washington, but they became more significant in William McKinley’s second term in 1901.
Any inaugural medals still around from before that time sell for top dollar, including a Thomas Jefferson medal that sold for $72,000.
9. Programs
Programs are beautiful and are a great stamp of time, but they have not really been deemed collectible, which has kept most of them under $150.
10. Top hats
These items are the rarest of the rare, but at least two top hats worn by presidents during their inauguration have sold. FDR’s 1933 top hat sold at RR for $46,875 in 2014. Truman’s top hat, worn at his 1949 inaugural, sold for $27,500 in 2022.
Presidents stopped wearing top hats after JFK didn’t wear one during his speech in 1961 (he did wear one during the processional to the Capitol). Kennedy's decision is believed to have ended the trend of men wearing hats for formal occasions.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.