Want T-shirts, buttons or messenger bags with political sayings? How about "Pitbulls for Palin," "Obama Mama," "Peace Love McCain" or "Joebama"?

Anyone with an idea can go to the Web site and create a slogan or logo for T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, you name it. If a buyer comes along, CafePress custom-produces the product, with proceeds divided between the Web site and the creator.

More than 40,000 products are uploaded every day, CafePress Vice President Amy Maniatis says.

While just 20 percent of merchandise is political, ordinary Americans have been brutally creative in this runup to Nov. 4. And they react quickly. Within 24 hours of Barack Obama announcing Joe Biden as his running mate, more than 20,000 new products had been created. After Sarah Palin joined the Republican ticket, John McCain T-shirt sales rose from 20 percent to 40 percent. Obama still held a slight lead at 43 percent.

In the 2004 election, merchandise opposing President Bush drove sales.

"It's a marketplace that's a kind of collective conscious," Maniatis says.

A CafePress Meter on the Web site measures the rise and fall of candidate popularity by sales and products created.

Slipping value

Rarity is the key when it comes to collectibles.

Brass clothing buttons marking George Washington's inauguration, for example, are among the most coveted and can bring as much as $4,500 at auction, says Tony Lee, president of the New York chapter of the American Political Items Collectors.

"From the 1950s to today, candidates spend decreasing amounts on campaign memorabilia and more and more on television and reaching the mass audience," says Lee, a software executive who lives in Titusville, N.J., and Palm Beach, Fla. "If a candidate has $100 to spend, they'll spend it on TV."

Looking toward the future, the most valuable buttons will be those produced for just a small group of donors or VIPs. Collectors like presidents who made a difference during their time in office. Among the most popular presidents: Teddy Roosevelt, John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

Lee says having a woman in the race won't necessarily make for pricier collectibles. Buttons featuring Geraldine Ferraro and Walter Mondale are only worth a few dollars today, 24 years after this ticket ran.

While collecting is still a popular hobby, Lee says eBay "was a great equalizer in the hobby. Some things that were perceived as rare turned out to not be and vice versa."

A 1900 McKinley and Roosevelt pin featuring the slogan, "A Full Dinner Bucket," once sold for $100. Now, it's fallen to $50.

Real money

If you're looking to cash in on political collectibles, forget buttons and lawn signs.

The real money is in objects actually owned by politicians, says Philip Weiss, an appraiser on PBS's "Antiques Roadshow," who will appear in a special edition of the show called "Politically Collect" at 8 p.m. Nov. 3.

"There aren't too many things that I can predict that will have value in the future," says Weiss, owner of an eponymous auction house in Oceanside, N.Y. "Personalized things, that's where your value is going to be."

Weiss sold a top hat owned by Franklin Delano Roosevelt for $10,000, and a hat he wore at the 1945 Yalta Conference for $8,000.

"If a president-owned piece comes up for sale, you're only going to have one chance to sell it," says Weiss. "The value is going to be based on the popularity of the person and how well they succeeded, what they did and what their place in history is."

Presidential campaign
products pile up

If you grew up in the '60s and '70s, you might remember the game known as Stratego. The idea was to capture your opponent's flag. A collectible version - Stratego: Democrats vs. Republicans - was issued in July. Instead of a battlefield, the board shows the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol Building. The old game pieces have new names, such as Speechwriters instead of Captains and Spin Doctors for Miners. And the ultimate goal is not to capture the enemy flag, but the White House. Look for the $30 game at Barnes & Noble and Dillard's, or try Amazon.com and boardgames.com.

Sweet on the candidates

After Barack Obama toured New Hampshire's L.A. Burdick Chocolate during the primary, it seemed natural to celebrate both presidential candidates with a selection of biographically accurate bonbons. The McCain assortment includes Arizona Citrus and Hot Pepper Tequila chocolates. The Obama assortment has Hawaiian Pineapple and Kansas Corn Crunch. A half-pound of either is $28 and available at burdickchocolate.com. Each box comes with an official campaign button.

Chew on this

Maybe you didn't realize it, but even your dog could have a favorite candidate. Consider John McCanine and Bark Obama chew toys. The 9-inch toys are available as a set of three for $19.99 at bamboopet.com. The third is Capitol Hillary. If chew toys don't appeal to your animal companion, consider McCain Dog or Obama Dog bandannas. They're $9.95 each and available at thedogvote.com.

No dirty politics

If all this political talk makes you feel . . . well, dirty . . . consider VOTE soap. Available at Wishingfish.com, the soap is made with organic aloe vera juice and printed with "Vote" on one side and "Feel Good" on the other. Each 9-ounce bar is $7.50.