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. Want to know more? Find some history and tips at PresidentsUSA.net, or at APIC’s Web site, where you can find auctions and catalogs, such as Hake’s, PoliticalHeritage (where you can buy a William Howard Taft from 1908 for $55), or Anderson Americana auctions (where a Nixon For Peace button can be had for $35). Books like Warda’s, or Collecting Political Memorabilia or another book about identifying and evaluating buttons. So which buttons should you look for now? There will be lots of Obama and McCain buttons, but losing candidates’ buttons can become more valuable. Hillary Clinton for $3, anyone?