The group, gathered by a Dallas gentleman who stopped collecting the signatures after Obamas presidency, consists of autograph letters signed; typed letters signed; and signed letters; together with a variety of signed documents. They date from 1789 to 2010 and all show bold signatures.
The online-only auction will begin promptly at 10 am Eastern time and the presidential set, lot #89 in the catalog, has a pre-auction estimate of $400,000-$500,000.
There are very few complete sets of presidential autographs signed as President, mainly due to the scarcity of William Henry Harrison pieces, as he served just one month in office, said John Reznikoff, the president and owner of University Archives. Many of these sets reside in institutions and will never be offered to the public.
Mr. Reznikoff added that, based on a census taken by Joseph Rubinfine in 2002 and updated by Seth Kaller in 2023, it is believed that fewer than a dozen such sets likely exist in private hands, this being one of the very best. A set of presidential signatures as President is thus scarcer than a set of signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The Dallas collector, who wishes to remain anonymous, was described by Mr. Reznikoff as a man whose passion for history and preservation inspired him to assemble this phenomenal, museum-quality signers set.
Mr. Reznikoff is a frequent guest on TV and a main character on the hit Netflix TV show The King of Collectibles. He started collecting at age eight, when he wrote a letter to then-President Richard Nixon. He said it takes years, if not decades, to accumulate a collection like the one being offered.
The collector let us know that this set was, and is, stored in climate-controlled vaults, which is kind of like keeping a rare car in a garage, Reznikoff said. He told me the collection has never been exhibited. He hopes a new buyer will take that on, maybe even showing it at the White House with a newly installed president.
Collectors who want even more than what is offered in this collection will be pleased to learn that many items in the 490-lot catalog are items signed by past presidents that also include Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Items signed by Democratic candidate for President Kamala Harris are also in the sale.
All lots in the catalog are up for viewing and bidding now on the newly redesigned University Archives website www.UniversityArchives.com as well as LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.
Here is a link to the catalog on the University Archives website: https://www.universityarchives.com/auction-catalog/rare-autographs-manuscripts-books_E6Q0WAIS7L
Mr. Reznikoff said the signed presidents set joins a great volume of exceptional presidential autographed material from other consignors. A timely assortment up for auction just a few weeks ahead of the 2024 United States presidential election, he said. Outstanding items of historical interest from the Science, World Leaders, Civil Rights, Religion, Art & Music, Aviation & Space, History & Military, and Sports categories will also pass the auction block.
University Archives has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare items of this kind. It is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. Anyone who has a single item or a collection that may be a fit for a future University Archives auction may call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111, or email him at john ( @ ) universityarchives dot com dot
For more information about University Archives and the 490-lot, online-only Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books auction scheduled for Wednesday, October 30th, starting at 10am Eastern time, please visit www.universityarchives.com. Updates are posted frequently.
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