Antiques – What’s Scarier: Halloween or Election Day?

Antique shops offer all sorts of interesting and beautiful things. You can also get a handle on what the things you have are worth, or get some inspiration or advice on decorating and entertaining. But there’s also something less tangible you can get in an antique shop – a history lesson.
No, I’m not talking about nostalgia; antique shops have plenty of that. But as the actress Simone Signoret once said, “Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.” This is history; you know, that thing that if we don’t learn well we are doomed to repeat.
This coming Monday is Halloween, and eight days later (Nov. 8) is Election Day. That these two days are so close to one another is nothing new. But as the years go on, it’s getting tougher for some folks to tell which of the two is the most frightening day.
You probably won’t find the ancient history of Halloween in antique shops, but you will find some idea of how it has been celebrated over the decades. From Victorian time up through the 1920s, Halloween was mostly about channeling supernatural powers with cards, mirrors and maybe a Ouija board. Girls wanted clues as to their true love, and boys bobbed for coin-studded apples to find out their career prospects.
You can see all of that on the old postcards from those times. But Halloween has become the most collectible holiday next to Christmas, and if you look over all the jack-o’ lanterns, black cats, Cinderella and Superman costumes, etc, you’ll find some of the cleverest, cutest, campiest, fun stuff in any shop.
It turns out that Halloween, the scary day, is all about getting over your fears, laughing at the devil, cheering ourselves up.
Look over Election Day collectibles, or political memorabilia in general, and the first things you’ll find are buttons, lots of buttons. People wore their political opinions on their lapels. Not just party members did this, but ordinary folks. They wore them on public transportation, to work, even when they socialized.
Political buttons were an invitation to conversation: “Ask me why I’m wearing this button.” And people actually listen, and minds could even be changed.
Today, a political button would most likely be an invitation to a punch in the mouth. And forget about anyone actually listening or changing their mind; that would be a sign of weakness. And all that makes Election Day pretty scary.
This isn’t to say politics wasn’t messy back in the day. Political memorabilia will reveal the vile things that were said about Abraham Lincoln, and the ugly stuff Teddy, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt were subject to.
Political collectibles are a lesson on just how messy democracy can be. But they also show how civil and productive it can be, and how we’ve survived as log as we have. Oh, and find the political memorabilia of other political systems, and you’ll see just how scary losing our democracy could be.
So what’s scarier: Halloween or Election Day? Halloween is just for fun. Election Day is serious stuff, which can really become scary if people don’t vote. Ghosts are for Halloween. Don’t be a ghost on Election Day. Make an appearance at the polls and vote.
This week marks 26 years since this column first appeared in this paper. I’ll always be grateful to the late Joe Zelnik for giving me this opportunity, and to publishers, Art and Pat Hall, and editor, Al Campbell for letting me ramble on all these years, and to copy editor Joan Nash, who has to read it all. But most of al, thanks to you, neighbors, interest, encouragement, letters and emails. Let’s keep the conversation going.
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “the Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to: aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.
Talk about scary; what’s scarier than a people who are more loyal to a political party than their county? One thing you can say about the Nazis is that their soldiers were the best equipped in history. Only the finest materials went into this Mauser bayonet, ammo pouches, belt and cleaning kit. All together, in an antique shop today, these items would add up to about $200. The history lesson is free.