Dear Helaine and Joe: I am interested in the value of this McKinley campaign item. — M.P., Portland, Texas
Dear M.P.: Political memorabilia is a very wide area of collecting. It encompasses everything from pin-back buttons used in campaigns to more arcane items such as license plates from inaugurations, bottle stoppers shaped like the busts of political figures, various kind of fans with campaign messages and, yes, even figural soap.
The soap baby in today's question was used in the election of 1896, when the main event was Republican William McKinley and Democrat William Jennings Bryan squaring off against each other for the presidency. This was one of the first truly modern political campaigns and the amount of advertising material put out on behalf of both candidates was staggering.
It has been said that more campaign items were issued for this campaign than for any other previously. For the first time, color lithography as we know it was used; and it gave many of the campaign items a great deal of graphic appeal.
Huge amounts of political paraphernalia were produced during this contest. Among other things, there were plates, tiles, drinking glasses, plaster busts, a huge variety of the aforementioned pin-back buttons, medallions, metal trays and even whiskey bottles that came in boxes that read, "My choice whiskey / Bryan for President."
Many soap babies such as M.P.'s are still around. Originally, each figure came in a cardboard box with a message printed on the lid that read either "My papa will vote for McKinley" or "My papa will vote for Bryan."
There was a tag around each figure's neck that identified the child as being either a McKinley or a Bryan supporter. But examples endorsing Bryan are much rarer than ones promoting McKinley.
Several variations exist, and one of the most prized has "jugate" pictures on the box. A jugate is any campaign item that features the pictures of two candidates — usually those running for president and vice president.
Since these soap babies are relatively common, they must be in excellent condition to have more than a small value. Broken feet, cracked heads, missing boxes and lost tags are some of the problems that can greatly devalue these fragile items.
In poor condition, a McKinley soap baby can be valued for as little as $15, but the insurance replacement value on the one in today's question is about $75. Pieces in great condition with their tags and exceptional graphics can go for more than twice that.
Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Treasures in Your Attic" (HarperCollins, $18). Questions can by mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.