BRANSON MO NEWS: A childhood hobby has grown to a quarter of a million dollar collection for Jim Warlick, owner of the JFK Exhibition heading to the 2017 Oklahoma State Fair.
“When I was a kid, I remember getting a little John F. Kennedy bust in Washington D.C.,” Warlick said. “That was in eighth grade, and now I own a gift shop in D.C.”
More specifically, Warlick owns a gift shop located right across the street from one of the most famous houses in the world — The White House.
“I have had political memorabilia stores since 1989,” Warlick said. “There are stores today in Washington, Baltimore, Chicago and Boston. We have six stores total.”
Not many can claim they own more than 1.2 million campaign buttons, some originals from 1896, but that’s just the sort of thing Warlick loves. And he’s not afraid to admit JFK is his favorite.
“Kennedy has always fascinated me,” Warlick said. “I was in the sixth grade when that day happened, Nov. 22, 1963. Kennedy’s death had such an impact on me in terms of following politics and starting to collect political memorabilia.”
Scott Munz, vice president of marketing and public relations for State Fair Park, said it’s the first time the fair has had an exhibition like this.
“I’m looking forward to it because it’s a piece of history,” Munz said.
It will include a full replica of Air Force One during the Kennedy administration, a full replica of the Oval Office decorated as it was during his presidency, audiotapes, videos, pictures and replicas of clothing and artifacts that belonged to the Kennedys.
“We have an audio tape of Lyndon Johnson calling Jackie Kennedy, offering his condolences,” Warlick said. “We do an oral history throughout the exhibition. We tape recorded people who tell us about that day they got the news …
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