Memory Lane
Finding UAW Collectibles on eBay

Story by Mike Rosenbaum

UAW collectibles are making a splash among Web surfers, according to a recent look at eBay, the Internet auction service.

A search for UAW merchandise uncovered a variety of buttons and pins, plus cufflinks, tie clasps, playing cards, ash trays, mugs, coaster sets, license plates, belt buckles, key rings, T-shirts, cigarette lighters, membership rings, money clips and pen knives. Several books and publications were also available, as well as tickets to UAW-sponsored auto races.

Historic buttons and pins--many from the UAW’s infancy in the 1930s--were the most popular items. Several political buttons featured UAW-supported candidates--from FDR to Al Gore--along with a Watergate-era “Dump Nixon” button.

The dealers are obviously not all UAW people. One seller described an item this way: “Old trade union pin--UAW, which I believe is the United Auto Workers.”
Some product descriptions provide bits of UAW history. There’s a 1955 General Motors pension booklet, headlined: “Your GM pension, an income when you retire--for the rest of your life.” As noted within the booklet, that income totaled a maximum of $105.75 per month.

Another package included a 1945 GM brochure, ominously titled, “Danger on the Production Front,” in which GM President C.E. Wilson described the dire consequences that would surely follow if he met the UAW’s demand for a post-war wage increase. There’s also a newspaper article outlining the UAW’s position, and a GM newspaper ad warning of “runaway inflation” if the workers gained their raises.

Most items, other than the racing tickets, are low-priced, with few selling for more than $10. The pins range in price from $1 to $13.25. Buyers must also pay shipping charges on most items.

(Disclaimer: The UAW does not guarantee the authenticity or quality of any product sold via eBay or any Internet source. Caveat emptor!)