Blue state, red state, blue state: 170 years of Golden State politics come into focus

People like to say California is a deep-blue state. But one look through Cary Jung’s house reminds you the pendulum has swung between Republicans and Democrats several times.

“I think it’s shown to be a tolerant state,” said Jung, who is known for having one of the nation’s largest collections of Obama- and Kennedy-related memorabilia in his home in Sacramento.

“We’ve had some real characters run for office in this state, from porn stars to action (movie) stars. It wasn’t that long ago that it was a Republican stronghold,” Jung said.

Jung is curating an exhibit that tells the story of California politics dating back to the late 1800s. The exhibit will be at the American Political Items Collectors National Convention in Reno on July 22 and 23.

One of his most-prized possessions are ribbons that special guests would have worn to Pres. Warren Harding’s Los Angeles reception in 1923, had he not died in San Francisco that same day.

Spread out across his dining room table is memorabilia grouped by categories of every imagination.

One display showcases early-career materials such as “Richard Nixon for Senator” and “Ronald Reagan for Governor” pins, which Jung said are very popular among collectors.

Another highlights Asian Americans who have run for office, such as Robert and Doris Matsui of Sacramento, or a pin of Hiram Fong who came to the state in 1964 to campaign for president.

His personal favorite item is a promotional poster for a rock concert held at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena for then presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy in 1968.

“It’s just a great image,” Jung said. “It tells us a lot of good information and gives us a good snapshot of that time.”

Jung has been collecting memorabilia for over 60 years. He said that while eBay and other sites on the internet have changed the hobby, some things remain the same.

“Nothing beats holding something in person,” Jung said. “It’s holding history in your hands.”

With over 1,400 APIC members across the nation, he also doesn’t have to do his hunting solely on his own anymore.

“After a while, people start to know what you collect and I know what other people like too,” he said. “I might be at a flea market and see a nice labor-related pin, which I don’t collect, but I know my friend Bill does. So I’ll pick it up for a good price and see if he wants to do a swap.”

“Our job as collectors is to take care of the items until someone else steps in to take care of them like we did. It’s really important that we preserve them the best we can.”

Who will take care of Jung’s when the time comes? In his house, campaign posters are hung in the living room, in the hallways, and pin collections are neatly tucked away in cabinets not included in his dedicated “man-cave” room, which could fill a small museum.

“I already have an arrangement with some other responsible dealers that I trust,” Jung said. “I wouldn’t want it going to some library because they actually don’t display things as much as I would like.”

“As for the younger generation, it’s obviously a challenge. It’s not something my daughter is interested in.”

(He tried turning her onto collecting Beanie Babies, to no avail.)

But there is no time like the present. As he prepares for his exhibit in Reno, Jung and his wife Tina are also helping the widow of their friend Gil itemize his collection to sell at a silent auction.

“The collectors community is sort of one big family,” Jung said. “It’s cliche to say, but the best part of his hobby has been the friends and relationships I’ve made along the way. That’s what is great about these shows. Every two years, it’s like a nice reunion.”

This story was originally published July 2, 2022 at 12:00 AM.