Background: The most improbable journey in American political history began on a cold February day in 2007 in Springfield, Illinois. A guy with an unusual name and big ears, the junor senator from the Land of Lincoln, said that he wanted to be President. Barack Obama faced long odds, both politically and culturally. But, he also brought an eloquence and style that had not been seen on the Amerian political stage since the days of John F. Kennedy over a generation ago. After a long and tough primary battle against another trailblazer, Hillary Clinton, Obama finally reached the top of the mountain on November 4th, 2008 with a landslide victory over John McCain and became the country's 44th President and the first of African-American descent.

The Obama Political Items Collectors was founded in 2009 as a specialty chapter of the APIC. "For the past 15 years, we have been showcasing memorabilia from one of the most exciting periods of American history, says Chapter founder Cary Jung from Sacramento.

The goals of the OPIC include:

• Documenting and preserving the campaign history of Barack Obama.
• Serving as an educational resource to APIC members, the public, and media regarding the campaign items of Barack Obama.
• Increasing public interest in collecting political memorabilia, especially among youth.

Dues: $20 per year, $10 for youth (19 and under). You must first be a current (or new) member of the APIC to join this chapter.

Newsletter: This chapter will produce a newsletter and a membership roster that will be sent to all members. The OPIC also plans to produce a reference catalog of Obama political items.

For additional information contact Cary Jung, at (916) 838-1984 or opic@comcast.net.