Like clothing stores clearing out their spring lines, this year’s unsuccessful presidential campaigns are trying to unload their leftover T-shirts, bumper stickers and key chains as the primary season winds down and the general election gears up.

The campaign of Republican Ron Paul, for example, was holding an “End of Primary Season Blowout Ron Paul Store Bomb” and offering shoppers what the campaign called “a grab bag” of merchandise, for a flat fee of $25. By the end of last week, the retail end of the campaign Web site was shut down, and this message was posted: “We are running dangerously low on some items, and must verify our stock before re-opening.”

Spokesman Jesse Benton said the Texas congressman still considers himself a candidate — although the nomination was mathematically secured by John McCain in March — and that Paul continues to fight for as much representation as possible at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., in September. Still, he said, the campaign decided to sell off as much gear as possible, and “the end of primary season sounded like a good marketing hitch.”

Over at the official John Edwards ’08 store, all orders are 50 percent off. Even the online memorabilia shop PoliticalGifts.com is holding a storewide primary sale, with prices for 2008 primary gear slashed.

Such sales are a win-win for both memorabilia hounds and the campaigns. For collectors, they offer a chance to stock up on potentially valuable items at cut-rate prices. According to Mark D. Evans, director of member services at the American Political Items Collectors, it is not winning or losing that determines the value of a campaign’s paraphernalia, but the scarcity of the item and the candidate’s place in political lore.

“Losing candidates are highly collectible because the material from their campaigns tells the story of the race and the issues and the causes and the slogans,” he said — citing William Jennings Bryan, Wendell Wilkie and Barry Goldwater as unsuccessful presidential candidates whose campaign material continues to be highly coveted.

For the candidates, selling off their merchandise, even at bargain prices, can provide a bit of extra income to settle outstanding bills. Of the major presidential campaigns, only Paul’s is debt-free. Republicans Mitt Romney and Rudolph Giuliani and Democrats Edwards, Bill Richardson, Christopher J. Dodd and Joseph R. Biden Jr.all owe significant amounts of money, despite having wrapped up their campaigns months ago.

Not all the presidential campaigns stores are holding fire sales, though. Hillary Rodham Clinton is actually ramping up her merchandising, rather than winding down: Her official store was running a design contest last week for a new T-shirt. One of the five finalists features a profile image of Clinton and reads: “For everyone who’s been counted out but refused to be knocked out and for everyone who works hard and never gives up, this one is for you!”

As for the value of Paul items, Evans said the number of people collecting his gear is likely to be small. “He wasn’t wildly popular, but every candidate has its followers, even Dennis Kucinich. I have some friends who are still crazy about Mike Gravel.”