We’ll be thinking a lot about politics in the next few weeks: Obama and Biden, McCain and . . . whoever his running mate will be. But plenty of Americans’ are going to get worked up over something much more intense and competitive: political buttons. Collecting them is a passion of thousands that has given birth to publications, books, auctions and The American Political Items Collector, the largest group of button groupies. There’s no way to begin to dissect the complexities (and lucrative nature) of this hobby, so we’ll give you some fun facts and sites to check out. The buttons (known as cellos) were first issued for the 1886 presedential campaign. Among the most popular are Harry Truman and John Kennedy buttons, according to collector Jeff Figler.  Mark Warda, the author of 100 Years of Political Campaign Collectibles, told MSNBC  that hard-to-find buttons can be very valuable. Ron Wade, another major collector, says that a 1920 James Cox/Franklin D. Roosevelt button recently sold for more than $100,000. (more…)

For every Olympic games, there are Olympic pins. For collectors, the buying, trading and selling of them is  as competitive a sport as any beach volleyball game, and it’s been going on since 1896. The pin trade, an obsession for some, is labeled the “unofficial Olympic sport.” In Beijing, pin sellers have set up shop at the Olympic Expo in the Beijing Exposition Center and in the Coca-Cola sponsored pin-sales center. There are new pins and old ones from previous games, common pins that are handed out by sponsors to anyone and more valuable pins, such as those given to athletes and officials. Most pins are inexpensive - $4 to $10. Now you can join the frenzy by getting some Beijing pins. A page on the Beijing site gives the history of the pin frenzy and describes the “pindemonium” going on there now. The official U.S. Olympic Shop has an assortment of pins for sale, such as a ceramic Beijing logo pin or a YingYing mascot pin, each for $7. NBC’s Olympic online shop has pins, like a gymnastics mascot pin for $8 (pictured) and a rickshaw pin for $6. The Olympin Collector’s Club site has lots of advice and pin facts: there’s even a club member blogging from Beijing. After the official sites, you’ll have to turn to pin-selling retailers, such as Greekshops.com, Collectpins.com (where a USA/China flag Beijing pin is running $8.95), Discountpinstore (they’ve got a set of opening and closing ceremony pins for a pricey $24.89) and Athenspincollection, where you can find individual sports pins, such as a soccer pin for $8.95. When the games end, start looking on Craig’s List and eBay for the special pin you covet.

Thank goodness for the Web. How else would you be able to score handmade home goods from around the world? (Unless of course you’re going to pull a Phileas Fogg?) Enter Poppytalk Handmade, an online “street market” showcasing handmade goods from artisans worldwide. The key differentiator from other craft sites like Etsy.com is that Poppytalk Handmade features a monthly theme. July’s market is themed “Home Sweet Home!” and features goods to make a house a home. August’s theme is “School Days!” appropriately enough. Much like an antiques emporium, the site features a limited number of screened “sellers,” who rent their space by the month. We were drawn to artist Michelle Brusegaard’s unique take on formalwear, which includes striking, signed digital prints of gowns hanging on clotheslines ($15 each). Also nifty: Domestic Construction’s pendant lighting made entirely of tea cups ($58). Beehive Kitchenware’s bird measuring spoons ($88; pictured) and other kitchen goods are the antithesis of standard issue culinary wares. The same can be said for Flappergirl Creations’ sexy aprons and coffee cup cozys ($28, $12).

So you’ve decided to bite the economy bullet and head out on vacation. But after the $1,500/week beach rental, the $300 gas tab and food for the week, you’ve already spent the bulk of your budget. Never fear: Stock up pre-vacation with inexpensive recreational activities to keep your clan occupied once you get there. If you’re beach bound, don’t get caught up in the surf store toy mark-ups. Come prepared with a six-pack of water noodles ($10) and a stock of colorful rafts ($15 each). For outdoor fun wherever you’re headed, a bocce set is always a crowd-pleaser ($18). This Frisbee golf set can entertain the troops inside or out ($20), while the Poolmaster floating table tennis game ($80; pictured) or the floating dart game ($90) will undoubtedly keep the kids entertained in the pool or lake. Board games aren’t just for when you’re bored. They’re a perfect family bonding activity for rainy vacation days, plus, they’re an alternative to that money pit that is the beach boardwalk. You can’t go wrong with Monopoly ($20) or Clue ($27), but your kids might thank you for getting something more hip like the Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? DVD game ($18) or the High School Musical 2 DVD game ($20). To spark that creative flame, bring along some craft kits. The Natural Science Smithsonian Gummy Bugs Lab allows youngsters to make their own gummy treats ($13). For more scientifically inded kids, the Giant Volcano kit ($14) simulates a volcanic eruption. Who said vacation couldn’t be inexpensive and fun?

One of the things that distinguishes amateur woodworking from serious projects is sanding. If you’re willing to spend some time smoothing the edges, a do-it-yourselfer can make decent looking bookshelves without getting into any fancy joinery tricks. Sanding is also a prerequisite if you want to paint your project and have it not look like yard sale junk. But sanding is a huge time drain, and it’s hard not to blame a guy for skipping it. A new piece of hardware is intended to eliminate that step without diminishing the final product: The ominously named Final Cut blade sands cuts automatically as they’re made. The heavy-duty table saw blade has discs of sandpaper affixed to either side so that it power-sands as it slices (replacement sanding discs are available without the blade). Not only does that leave users with clean pieces of freshly cut work, it also allegedly cuts down on “kick-back,” the dangerous moments in which a board is pushed backward when it hits the saw incorrectly. Looking over sample cuts made on moulding, solid wood, laminated sheets and composition board, it’s hard to believe they came straight off a table saw. At $75 per blade, the FC isn’t cheap, but it’s not much more than high-end discs made by Ridgid and Craftsman — and that difference will seem pretty trivial if woodworkers suddenly find their projects taking far less time than they once did.

Serving trays are not just for butlers carrying silver spoons or grandma’s turkey during the holidays — and you don’t have to wait until your bridal shower to get one that’s showy. Transform a simple moment into a gracious one by using this rectangular Towle Silversmiths tray ($50) to serve your guests iced tea on a hot summer day. Use this hand-hammered copper tray ($169) to serve wine for two. Trays can also be used as decorative accent pieces that express your personality and tastes. Besides, who’d want to put a bowl of popcorn on top of the Bianca Governess (pictured) or Bernardo Conquistador tray, inspired by archival imagery and created by a family in Southern France ($175 each)? And you wouldn’t want to place anything on this pricey limited-edition tray made of exotic zebra wood, quilted birdseye maple, wenge and African mahogany ($1,680). This wooden tray features a reproduction of John Ross Key’s 1914 oil painting of the North Lawn of the White House, with lush red and pink peonies in full bloom ($38). This lacquered tray ($110) features a painting of Singapore’s famed Esplanade from the collection of the National Archives of Singapore. The “Heart Tray” ($95) is a piece of art. It is made of fused iridized glass and is signed by the artist, and though it looks delicate, it is food safe. This retro tray ($50) would work propped up on a midcentury dining buffet. This vintage piece ($18) is suitable for hanging on the wall, as is this charming antique bar tray ($25). Consider these collectibles: the Coca-Cola 1953 Menu Girl serving tray ($39), the Century Bottle Beer tip tray ($385)and this 1926 serving tray ($150).

In less than ten years, CowParade fever has spread worldwide. Arguably the largest public art event in the world, CowParade has been staged since 1999 in more than 50 cities, including New York, London, Tokyo, Mexico City and Paris. The cows feature themes and artwork specific to the host city. After the cows are displayed in public places – such as train stations, parks – they are herded up and taken to auction. A substantial portion of the proceeds are donated to charity. Last month, Chinese officials put out a call for artists proposals for 2009 CowParade Taipei. You could even call CowParade a social mooovement for change. If you want to own a piece of this phenomenon, visit the CowParade store, a virtual mooseum where you can purchase ceramic figurine replicas of cows from official CowParade events. They can work as home décor accent pieces, gifts or just for fun. Check out Cowputer Girl ($40) featured in CowParade Instanbul 2007, Moo Moo in a Tu Tu ($23) from CowParade Las Vegas 2002 and Alphadite, Goddess of Shopping, from CowParade Manchester, England, 2004 ($27, pictured). The kitchen collection features 100% De Vaca ($23). Vaca De La Independencia ($27) would make a fetching centerpiece on your Fourth of July table. The Moo Potter ($112) is a large-scale piece of whimsical folk art that you could display in a den or sunroom. The cow is covered in hand-painted tea pots, cups and plates — she even wears tea cup earrings. For the art lover, the Moogritte ($66). For martial arts enthusiasts, Sam-Moo-Rai ($36). Create your own cow art with this set ($19). This affiliated site (scroll down) carries some of the most amooosing figurines, including Citizen Kow (Harrisburg, Penn.), Cowlumbus (Barcelona), Bovina at the Ice Cowpades (Houston), Cowbunga, Dude (Denver) and Cowbot (Boston).

Depending upon where you live, now may be the time to start thinking about new birds popping up in your back yard. For homeowners whose bird feeders didn’t survive the harsh-weather season (massive hail destroyed mine last month), plenty of innovative designs await online, from cute models that are completely edible ($18) to this ingenious invention ($65 to $80) with a rolling-grate mechanism that supports the little songbirds you want but rolls over to eject any squirrels trying to get their food. For sleek modern aesthetics, few out there compete with the Architect’s Birdfeeder ($25; pictured), a completely transparent model with multiple selling points: it ships flat, in an inch-high box that saves shipping costs; it assembles with no tools or fasteners, using eight notched pieces that simply slide and lock together; and, well, it looks excellent. Once you’ve selected and mounted your feeder, though, you’ll want to get to know your neighbors. Chronicle Books recently expanded its neat line of bird song guides, in which a built-in audio player matches each bird’s call to an illustration and encyclopedic description, with two titles: The Western and Eastern/Central volumes of The Backyard Birdsong Guide are even better than their predecessors, with a smaller, more backpack-friendly format matching a much lower $25 price tag. If identifying each species becomes so engrossing you become a full-blown birder, you’ll find that some in the hobby are tempted to doubt your rare-bird finds. Put them in their place with a line of small binoculars by Celestron ($67 to $252) that integrates a digital camera into the scope, letting you record each Dark-Eyed Junco and Belted Kingfisher to show Doubting Thomases back home.