Another Hunt For Abe On eBay

It's time for another stroll through eBay, looking for Lincolnania. As always, there are currently thousands of items related to Mr. Lincoln on eBay, ranging from the cheap to phenomenally expensive; from the tacky to the items which could be considered American treasures. Let's see what's out there right now.

• The above image shows one of the items which could be an American treasure. This item is one of the more famous and lovely Lincoln photos, taken in approximately 1858, by an unknown photographer. It happens to be an original albumen print and is signed by the man himself. This is how Lincoln appeared at the time of the famous debates with Stephen Douglas. From time to time, Lincoln would autograph these prints for friends or VIP's. Starting price on this item is a cool $150,000! Don't think I'll be selling my house in order to buy it.

• A unique 2008 Topps Allen and Ginter baseball card featuring a single strand of Abe's hair. This item is from the "World's Champions" baseball card collection put out by Topps to commemorate famous people. Comes with a letter of authenticity and the like. Check it out. Current bid is already $5,100!

• For you ventriloquists out there, this Abe Lincoln dummy could be yours for just $299.99 in a Buy It Now auction. Looks pretty cool, actually, but I can't imagine "Little Abe" reciting the Gettysburg Address. Hand-crafted by the seller.

• A more affordable item is this great-looking motivational poster featuring a portrait of Lincoln, along with a long list of his failures leading up to the presidency. The point is perseverance through life. Current bid is only $10.00.

• An 1860 edition of a Lincoln biography may be found here. This is a fairly scarce title called "Life and Speeches of Lincoln and Hamlin Wide Awake Edition." There are numerous 1860's bios of Lincoln, but this "Wide Awake" edition is uncommon. This was issued shortly after the Republican convention of 1860, but prior to the election itself. Please note that this is NOT the same as the true first Lincoln biography, the quite rare "Wigwam Edition" in which Lincoln's name is listed as "Abram." Bidding here opens at only $24.99 and there are no bids.

• For the female Lincoln buff in your life, here are some funky Abe earrings. Each earring is a "bust" of Lincoln, complete with a top hat. No bids and a steal at only $2.99 at this point.

• A carte-de-visite depicting a scene of what life in the Lincoln home might have looked like. The scene is an artist's rendering. The Lincoln figure reading to his son Tad is based on a famous photo by Matthew Brady. The figure of Robert Lincoln is also based on a photo. But the Mary Todd Lincoln and Willie figures seem to be from imagination. No bids and begins under $10.

• A fairly rare political ribbon from the election of 1856, when Lincoln was the vice-presidential candidate of the newly-formed Republican party. John C. Fremont was the first presidential candidate of the party. The ribbon simply says "Fremont and Lincoln" but is still kind of interesting. I've not seen one of these before.

• Finally, Lincoln centennial items from 1909 are coming out of the woodwork right now. You can find postcards, books, presidential medals and so on with 1809-1909 on them. Here's a Harper's Weekly from February 1909, a postcard, and a beautiful medal struck for the Grand Army Of The Republic (the Union Veteran's organization) to celebrate the Lincoln centennial.

As always, happy hunting!