Page 2BAThe BattalionTThursday, February 16, 1984
Devout collectors tell their stories
United Press International
DUBLIN, N.H. — Charles
Jordan has two homes — one
for his family and the other for
his collections.
It’s only logical. Jordan is edi
tor of Collectibles Illustrated, a
Dublin-based national mag
azine devoted to the mania of
collecting.
Ever since they launched the
magazine three years ago, he
and associate publisher Peter
Sykas have been asking people,
“What do you collect?”
Many who answer the ques
tion then go into a fascinating
tale of their childhood or the
far-flung journeys they have
taken in search of the perfect
addition to their collection.
There was the man in West
Hartford, Conn., who collects
television sets. He spent years
looking for the first commercial
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410 S. Texas/ Lobby of the Ramada Inn/College Station
TV, the one displayed at the
1939 World’s Fair.
“He’s always been one step
behind it. Finally it wound up in
Saudi Arabia. He had it shipped
to Kennedy Airport. When it
came off the plane, they
smashed it. This guy, it was like
the end of his life,” Jordan said
in an interview.
Then, there was the circus
enthusiast from the Hartford,
Conn., area, who had one of the
best collections in his field.
Jordan wondered if the man
had anything connected with a
famed Ringling Brothers bear.
“He had the bear itself. It was
in his living room, stuffed. It’s
like a holy relic,” Jordan said.
A man in Holyoke, Mass.,
collects Houdini memorabilia.
He gathered other collectors
and held a seance to try to recall
the spirit of Houdini.
Still another, in Dobbs Ferry,
N.Y., has a house stuffed with
railroad items.
“You had this feeling a train
was going to crash through the
wall,” Jordan said. “I asked his
wife, ‘What is this like?’ I was
trying to sympathize with her.
But she said, T collect railroad
china.’”
Jordan and Sykas have found
people who collect almost ev-
thi
erything, including bathroom
fixtures, sugar packets, laundry
soap boxes — even vacuum
cleaners.
. Sykas believes people collect
! for two reasons: Nostalgia and
greed.
“Greed being you buy it for a
nickel and sell it for a quarter.
Or you buy something for $1
and sell it for $25,000,” Sykas
said.
One doll brought $39,000,
they said. A Franklin Roosevelt
Jordan and Sykas have
found people who col
lect almost everything,
including bathroom
fixtures, sugar pack
ets, laundry soap
boxes —
cleaners.
even vacuum
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button from 1920, when he was
still young and healthy, sold for
$30,000. An old turn-of-the-
century Honus Wagner baseball
card sold for $27,000.
Baseball cards used to be sold
in cigarette packs, Jordan said.
The Pittsburgh baseball player
was anti-smoking and threat
ened to sue if the cigarette com
pany didn’t remove the cards.
Those that remained became
collectors’ items.
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Attention Earthlings! Inspector Fubar D. Robot, also known as the
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Fubar’s timely visit comes during Post Oak
Mall’s Anniversary Celeb rations this
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• Fubar will be passing out Post Oak Mall
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College Station
“Who in 1902 would have
thought of saving that card, or
the first Superman comic book
for that matter?” Jordan said.
“Everything that has ever been
produced, someone has col
lected it.”
People usually start collecting
as children, he said.
“They collect Maxfield Par
rish prints because their family
had them or they like Moxie
bottles because they drank
Moxie as a kid. A very large
number get into collecting be
cause they’re trying to recap
ture their youth,” Jordan said.
He himself started seriously
collecting at age 12 when he ac
quired a box of old post cards.
“There was a card dated
1902 with a note on the back
that just said, ‘Your girdle is
here,”’ he said.
He was hooked.
Jordan thought he was the
only one who collected Hardy
Boys books — until he discov
ered a club with more than 500
members who collect children’s
books.
At least 300 clubs in the
United States are devoted to va
rious types of collecting, he
said.
Even President Reagan col
lects. The former Western
movie actor is partial to spurs,
saddles, blankets and old West
ern prints.
Sykas said 20 percent of the
people he meets claim they
don’t collect anything. He de
scribed a fishermen he met in
the Northwest who swore he
didn’t have a collection.
“Then he said, ‘Well, I’ve got
a locker up in Alaska.’ About 25
years earlier he had started col
lecting glass balls on the beach,
floats that Japanese people use
(in fishing). Then he found
some in cork and pine.
“Every time he would find
them he would throw them in
this locker. He has a collection
of floats that just won’t quit,” Sy
kas said.
Baseball cards
hit with collector
$
Sui
United Press International
IOLA, Wis. — Bob Lemke
is 35 and still collecting the
baseball cards he first trea
sured as a child.
T’m
paid to play in
getting [
my hobby,” said Lemke, who
is editor of Baseball Cards
magazine, a publication de
voted to the collecting, selling
and trading of the small card
board picture cards. He also
is publisher of Sports Collec
tors Digest whicn deals with
all kinds of sports memorabi
lia.
ories have to do with bast:
cards,” he said. “I havet
older brothers and we
lected cards and Bravesmt!
orabilia through the ffl
I’ve maintained that inteit
all along and fairly serioa
since 1974.”
Lemke estimates be
10,000 cards in hiscollea
which he says really
much considering some
lectors have 50,0
Much of his collection isj
tered on the 1950s,
Braves enjoyed much sum
“Collecting follows major
league baseball,” he said.
“Wherever there is now or
has been major league base
ball, the more collecting there
is. Wisconsin has a great base
ball history and for some rea
son the Milwaukee Braves
have a huge national follow
ing.”
“I collect cards from I
1880s to the 1980s,
don’t collect somethin]
because it’s cardboard
has a player’s picture!
said. “I collect what
he
peals to me in my ownir
ories of the game.”
How big
collecting?
is baseball card
“I would say there are
50,000 serious collectors,”
Lemke said. “By that I mean
someone who is serious
enough to subscribe to a pub
lication or buy a price guide.
In terms of those with a rela
tive interest, I’d say we’re
talking 250,000 people.”
In a clear plastic frame!
his desk Lemke has the If
cards of George Crowe
Danny O’Connell. Neiili
has ever been confused will
Hall-of-Famer, but they
two of Lemke’s favorites.
“When I was six yeanoi
got my first pair of gl
and that was about the
Crowe became one of theft
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A lifelong resident of Wis
consin, he grew up as an avid
Milwaukee Braves fan who
loved collecting cards.
“Some of my earliest mem-
big-leaguers to wear then
Lemke said. “0’Conneii
card was one I could nett
get in 1957. My sistergotoi
but she wouldn’t trade
“I finally got one, so
it keep it where I can see it
he
United
Maclaine modeled rol
after Mitchell’s late wife
United Press International
DALLAS — Shirley MacLaine,
a certain contender for best ac
tress when the Academy Award
nominations come out today,
says she based her acclaimed
performance in “Terms of En
dearment” on the eccentricities
of the late Martha Mitchell
The actress, who will be 50
years old this April 24, is riding
a huge new wave of popularity
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She said when she"
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from Texan Larry McM
novel, the character of j 1
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three days she had spentinS
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Nixon administration
general John Mitchell.
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manding, self-involved,
hospitable, warm and ultiitf sions on
fragile,” MacLaine said.“It
oughly enjoyed her and slit
me, too. So when
script somehow Martha M
ell flashed in my mind."
She told Brooks, who*]
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sciousness. Is this what you !
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