(LEX 18) — An Eastern Kentucky man's extensive political memorabilia collection, featuring hundreds of items dating back to the 1920s, is going up for auction Saturday morning at the Lancaster Auction Center.
The collection belonged to J.K. Patrick, who began collecting political items in the 1980s. His son, Keith Patrick, said his father developed the hobby during family travels.
"We traveled a lot we went to a variety of different places and sometimes we'd stop at antique stores and mom and pop shops and things like that and occasionally he would find some political memorabilia," said Patrick.
J.K. Patrick was particularly fond of President John F. Kennedy, and the auction includes Kennedy-related buttons, newspaper clippings and books among the more than 330 items available.
Patrick said his father's interests extended beyond politics to fishing and classic cars, but the political memorabilia collection sparked his own career path.
"I ended up going to school and started my career as a 5th grade social studies teacher, so I got that interest in history from my dad at a young age," said Patrick.
This marks the third auction of J.K. Patrick's collection. He lost his battle to dementia last month.
"It's kind of like I don't have the exact words to describe it its really amazing and remarkable that he was able to collect and accumulate and find all these different things," said Patrick.
Patrick hopes the items his father treasured will find new owners who will appreciate them equally.
"I hope through the collection through the things he's done it will kind of be a remembrance of him," said Patrick.
The auction doors open Saturday at 7:30 a.m. on Main Street in Versailles, with bidding beginning at 9:30 a.m.
