Former President Ronald Reagan’s handwritten original “Are You Better Off” speech from a 1980 debate against then-President Jimmy Carter has gone on sale for $235,000.
The Raab Collection, which obtains and sells historical documents, on Wednesday put Reagan’s speech up for sale. The document has been valued at $235,000, which is the asking price — the sale format is not an auction.
“It could take a day, it could take a year,” Raab Collection’s Rebecca Barry said of the sale.
Reagan’s speech was his closing statement in the Oct. 28, 1980, debate against Carter.
The former California Republican governor asked viewers, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Reagan’s closing statement has been credited with swaying voters and leading to a landslide victory in that year’s presidential election.
Previously unknown to exist, the manuscript was given to an aide and was not known to have survived. An aide “with close proximity to Reagan at the time of the debate” provided the document to the Raab Collection.
“This speech rightfully takes its place in the pantheon of great American political, social, and cultural moments. Its continued survival reminds us of our journey as a nation at a pivot point,” said Nathan Raab, president of the Raab Collection and author of the bestselling book, “The Hunt for History.”
Before the debate with Carter, Reagan adviser David Gergen wrote a three-page draft of his candidate’s closing remarks. Reagan then created his own version of the speech on the back of Gergen’s final page.
Reagan’s handwritten talking points include:
- “Ask selves – better off? Can you afford to buy, are unemployment lines shorter, are you more able to buy homes?”
- “Do you want to leave America as it is today to our children?”
- “Join us in a crusade to make America great again.”
Reagan’s 1980 slogan was “Let’s Make America Great Again,” a phrase that President Donald Trump popularized during his campaigns in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
The Raab Collection’s customers include museums, educational institutions, governmental organizations, and private collectors.
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