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How Much Is Your Historic Barack Obama Post-Election Newspaper Worth?

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Are you one of those people who stashed away a copy of a newspaper dated Nov. 5, 2008 with the front-page headline screaming that Barack Obama was elected president? Did you think it would be worth a fortune? Did you hope to sell it for big bucks?

If so, The Daily Caller has bad news: Your keepsake is basically worthless.

A perusal of offerings on Ebay shows that hardcopy newspapers reporting on Obama’s victory are currently on auction for a median price of $14.95.

There are 82 such newspapers for sale on Ebay, the online auction and shopping website. Bidding action is conspicuously slow. In fact, exactly none of the newspapers have any current bids.

The lowest available price is $1.50 (plus $8.71 for shipping) for a copy of the Nov. 5, 2008 Tucson Citizen. The headline is “Defining moment.”

The highest price is $500 for a Nov. 5, 2008 copy of The New York Times “in a beautiful frame.” The simple headline “OBAMA” is in enormous font. The sub-headline is “RACIAL BARRIER FALLS IN DECISIVE VICTORY.”

It’s unclear why the seller of this item, “us.vasav,” who has just the one item for sale, set the price at $500. The same edition of the Times — without the frame — can be had for just $17.99. (Note, though, that at just $3.76, shipping is a bargain for the $500 edition.)

An edition of the Nov. 5, 2008 edition of the Los Angeles Times (“IT’S OBAMA”) is yours for $15.95. The best deal is probably a collection of five Chicago area Obama-emblazoned newspapers for just $6.95.

Had you had the foreknowledge to save newspapers reporting on the contentious 2000 presidential election, in which George W. Bush lost the popular vote but won the electoral vote, you would be in a slightly better position as a seller of collectible newspapers.

For example, a Nov. 27, 2000 copy of The Times-Herald Record headlined “BUSH CERTIFIED FLA. WINNER” is currently going for $30. The New York Post’s Nov. 8, 2000 edition headlined “FLORIDA FIASCO” is available for $35.

Barack Obama is doing slightly better in the bobblehead category on Ebay. Bobblehead figures bearing the likeness of the President are priced somewhat higher than bobblehead figures bearing the likeness of President George W. Bush.

At $200, the highest-priced Obama bobblehead is $75 more expensive than the highest-priced Bush bobblehead. While that amount may seem substantial, consider that you also get a sealed eight-ounce bag of “The Original Presidential Roast” coffee from the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

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