President Obama and former President Bush might not be as unpopular as their approval ratings say. Because at the most recent auction of their autographs, buyers paid a premium for their John Hancocks. In the end, Bush beat Obama for the highest price, $1,300, but his was on a high-value official White House document while Obama’s, $700, was just a scribble on a 2008 Democratic National Convention pass.
Auctioneer Bill Panagopulos, president of Alexander Autographs of Stamford, Connecticut, predicted in an earlier Whisper about his June 3-4 sale that when Obama’s White House documents finally hit the auction block, they will go for more than Bushes.
Whispers follows Panagopulos’ auctions because they often include rare historical items and his last sale was no different. The feature was general-turned-President Dwight Eisenhower’s four-star Army helmet worn at Normandy. Expected to go for $20,000-$30,000, the green helmet had a hammer price of $40,000.
“World War II is hot,” Panagopulos says. But, he added, the days of Civil War relics getting top dollar have cooled. “The Civil War is, at long last, over.”
Illustration by Ed Wexler for USN&WR.
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