We are in the middle of the Labor Day Weekend, and workers and politicians come to the fore in today's What's it Worth? We'll answer a reader's question about their worker's organization-related hand fan.

It is 100 years old.

Also, while the next national election is more than a year away, the campaign for president is already heating up. We look at two souvenirs from earlier presidential runs -- one successful; and one, famously, not.

Q. I have no idea what the Chicago Steward's Association was or is, but this 8 1/2 long fan (in original box) has been in my family for a century. Are items like this valuable and can you tell us anything about the organization named on the box? -- Sylvia in Richland

A. The hand fan is believed to be a Japanese invention, which was picked up by the Chinese and then exported to Europe via Portuguese traders in the early 1500s.

This fan is an interesting collectible but not as valuable as fans with hand-painted designs or completely created with handmade lace. It does have mother-of-pearl sticks and ends, plus an edging of handmade bobbin lace. It would find a buyer ready to make it part of their collection. The fact the original box is present and it is connected to a trade organization only adds to the potential value.

It comes from the 1911 convention of the Chicago branch of the International Stewards Association. While not a labor union, the association was made up of food service industry workers including railroad and steamship stewards.

Founded in Detroit in 1900, the Association eventually established a stewards training school, published a yearbook and held an annual food service exposition. That annual event is still staged today in Chicago by the National Restaurant Association.

The organization is still active today; now called the International Food Service Executives Association.

This fan would be valued at between $75 and $100.

Q. My great-uncle gave me a small box of political items he collected over the years. Included were this five-inch-long bubble gum cigar from the John Kennedy presidential campaign and a metal "Dewey/ Warren" pin in red, white and blue. Are these worth much of anything? -- Greg in Connell

A. You have campaign items from two of the most famous races for the White House.

In 1948, Thomas Dewey made his second run at the presidency. He was the heavy favorite to beat Harry Truman. There's that famous news photo of a grinning Truman holding an election night Chicago newspaper with the bold headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN." Truman was right to be smiling; that early edition of the newspaper was dead wrong.

Truman won re-election by a wide margin. Among the states he carried were Washington and Idaho. Oregon went to Dewey. It is generally considered to be the biggest upset in the history of American presidential elections.

Each campaign produced a huge amount of advertising and promotional items. This pin is not hard to find and even in excellent condition will have a value of only about $5 to $10.

There are many modern reproductions of political items from all presidential campaigns and politicians make sure they are all made in American, by members of labor unions. The fact this pin has all the requisite union print shop information inside the back insures it is an authentic campaign item and not a reproduction.

The bubble gum cigar comes from Kennedy's campaign against Richard Nixon in 1962. Both men, of course, went on to be president -- Kennedy as the result of this election and Nixon in 1968.

The 1960 election was the closest race in nearly 50 years. "Jack" Kennedy won the popular vote by 0.1 percent over Nixon.

Both men are giant historical figures. Kennedy was assassinated less than three years into his term; Nixon was the first president to resign the office.

The amount of campaign items still available from any 20th century presidential race is staggering.

Because most of these things are relatively common, it is the unusual, odd and hard-to-find that have high values. Included are "insider" pieces such as passes to the national conventions, press credentials, items signed by the candidate and souvenirs given to key supporters. A pair of gold cufflinks, for example, would qualify.

This gum cigar, the first used in a presidential campaign, is not hard to find and only valuable because the wrapper is still intact. A collector would pay about $10.

-- Terry Maurer, a Tri-Cities personal property appraiser, is a member of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America. For possible use in a future column, direct questions on your antiques and collectibles to What's it Worth? by e-mail tchwhatsitworth@gmail.com