The E-Sylum:  Volume 3, Number 24, June 11, 2000, Article 7

DEALING WITH CELEBRITY COLLECTORS 

   Dick Johnson writes: "I'm sure every major dealer can list one 
   or more celebrities that he knows has purchased numismatic 
   items. Here is what I have learned in dealing with celebrities: 

   1) Honor their privacy (Bill Rosenblum in last week's E-Sylum 
       was 100% right). 

   2) Learn to schmooze with them (they enjoy conversing with 
       knowledgeable people on mutual interests). 

   3) Never, never, never take them off your mailing list.  Often 
       they have shifting interests, which may be numismatics this 
       week, rare books next week, and something else next month. 
       But I found after one large purchase, and then a long dry spell, 
       they may come back even three or four years later and, with 
       rekindled numismatic interest, would make another major 
       acquisition. 

   Malcolm Forbes bought medals from our auction catalogs. 
   The bids would often come in telephone calls from secretaries. 
   While his secretaries were more sophisticated than most, I dealt 
   with some who did not understand reduced bidding and wondered 
   why their boss won the item at less than the bid the secretary had 
   submitted. 

   I will mention three celebrity coin collectors from radio 
   broadcasting:  Chris Schenkel (Bowers and Merena sold his 
   collection),  Paul Harvey (still on the air) and Robert Elliott 
   (of Bob and Ray) fame." 

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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