A Guide to Weird Ron Paul Collectibles
Ron Paul fans are the most die-hard of any Republican candidate this year, and when they're not trolling comments sections on stories about their guy, they're handcrafting beautiful tributes to his ideas to decorate your body or your home. Our guide to the Ron Paul kitsch for sale on eBay.
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The most dedicated Paul fan appears to be the painter of this "Ron Paul painting in oil," which has a starting bid of $350. (You can buy it now for $500.) It is hand-painted on a 20-inch square porcelain tile. The highly accurate rendering of Paul's teeth shows true admiration for the man exactly as he is.
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If an oil painting is out of your price range, there are other ways to show your admiration for Paul in your home. This handmade wooden plate can be yours for $59.95. "Celebrate the liberty-loving and Constitution-defending Rep. Ron Paul by owning this handmade 'exotic' wood plate!" the seller says. And you can shop for a cause: "A portion of the proceeds of the sale of these plates will go to the campaign, preferably during the next 'money bomb.'"
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And for the bold, there's this pig charm for $69. The seller explains that you "Just look in the pig's rear end to see the crystal clear image of 'Our Next President'!" If that seems weird, the seller explains that it's just an old-timey tradition that got lost sometime around the Progressive Era. "HISTORY FACT: Did you know the political pigs were common during 1872 through 1912 for both Repulican and Democratic presidential nominees. Often times the pigs were referred to as 'learned' pigs, since all one had to do was peep inside the pig's rear end to see the pig's predicted presidential winner. These early political pigs are now highly sought after by collectors and most often fetch prices from $300 to $1,000 per pig depending on the image. They ceased to exist after McKinley and were not again made until 2008."
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Of course, like any presidential candidate, Paul's fans have made custom T-shirts. But Paul's show a variety far beyond your typical fan creation:
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Still, there are some very rare occasions when a T-shirt won't do. For date night, try "Home Town Hero Necklace," just $12.
This handmade Paul purse has fleece-lined straps, sewn inside pockets, and a denim lining. Plus, "Both sides of outer shell are embroidered with '2012, Ron Paul for president', so no matter how you swing your purse onto your shoulder, your message can be seen by others." It's $55.95.
One huge subsection of Ron Paul eBay stuff is coins. Paul wants to put American currency back on the gold standard -- instead of fiat money that has a value based on government decree -- but some of his supporters don't want to wait till he's elected president to start using a precious-metal-backed money. In 2007, federal agents raided headquarters of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve and Internal Revenue Codes (Norfed) in Evansville, Indiana, just as the group was about to mail 60,000 "Ron Paul Dollars," The Washington Post reported. Those coins, and their copycats, still survive on eBay.
This "1 Ounce RON PAUL .999 Silver Liberty Dollar $20 norfed" is going sold for $182.50 after 18 bids. The seller says the die was destroyed, and "No idea what it's worth but am sure it'll do nothing but go UP in value (because of Ron Paul OR just because it's silver!) "
You can buy a competitor coin now for $88.95. The seller explains, "BEAUTIFULLY DETAILED KEEPSAKE WITH THE TIMELESS LASTING VALUE OF PURE SILVER. This is just like the coin you will receive and is in new mint conditon. BUY THESE COINS BEFORE THE FEDS CONFISCATE THEM LIKE THE NORFED COINS. "
The copper version is cheaper, naturally. The listing "RON PAUL ONE OUNCE COPPER PIECE DOLLAR NORFED/RARE" is going for $16.01 after five bids.
If you're not ready to invest in new currency, you can just deface the current currency with this "END THE FED - Ron Paul 2012 Self-Inking Rubber Stamp" for $6.
Or you can sign your checks for fiat money sums with a pen that commemorates the fake Ron Paul money. A "GENUINE LIBERTY DOLLAR NORFED RON PAUL DOLLAR COMMEMORATIVE PEN COLLECTIBLE NEW" can be purchased for $14.99. The seller explains, "There is no telling how valuable genuine Liberty Dollar Norfed Ron Paul Dollar collectibles and items will be in the future, considering the historic nature of Norfed, The Liberty Dollar Four trials, the future upcoming free market currency legalization, and Ron Paul's historic R3VOLution campaign and crusade against Federal Reserve tyranny. Get your Ron Paul Dollar Commemoration VIP pen now while there are still supplies available. There was only one production run of these in history."
