this is a button that is suitable for stitching to clothing by sewing through holes in the shank extending from the back of the button.

an item which is recognizable in one form, which may have been changed or transformed into another form.  Examples: adding a ribbon to a pinback button for which the ribbon was not originally attached [..]

this was a technique originally patented in 1843 for applying a positive photo image onto glass.  Usually, the image is backed by a dark color.  Ambrotypes were used during the campaigns immediately f [..]

this is a clothing button, not a pinback button.  On the back of the clothing button, a political campaign slogan or candidate’s name will appear.  This was seen during the early part of the 19th cent [..]

this is the buying, selling and trading portion of a show where dealers setup with their collectibles.  Most APIC shows, both regional and national include a bourse that may be one or more days.

this can be a poster, a banner, or a flier that has print on one side only.  These were particularly popular in the 1800 campaigns.

this term is used to describe any showy, but inferior and worthless object.  The APIC considers all fakes, reproductions and fantasy items as brummagem and is heavily frowned-upon.

this is short for ‘union bug’.  Items manufactured using union labor are generally stamped with the label associated with that union.  Most union bugs are oval in shape and contain the union name and [..]

collectors generally refer to pinback buttons as ‘buttons’, but shank-back clothing buttons may also be referred to as buttons.

this is a photographic print mounted to a card measuring 4 ¼ inches by 6 ½ inches.  These were popular from the late 1860’s forward.