Private collection.

I am a retired independent appraiser of antiques, fine art, folk art, silver, furniture, ceramics, textiles, household contents, etc., as well as a published author, lecturer, PBS TV presenter (2010-2020), and former NYU adjunct faculty for appraisal studies. I have held various professional accreditations over my 40-some-year career, including the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). I no longer write appraisal reports or provide expert witness testimony.

Down-Sizing: My wife and I have moved to South Florida and have down-sized in an orderly manner without losing our minds. Most normal people find this end-stage in their life very difficult and they have no understanding of the effort it takes to orderly deaccession tons of stuff until they actually have to do it. Being the Boomer that yea are, most of my collection was acquired at the crest of the market. Alas! Now we’re in the trough. Many ask, “Will demand ever return?” In a word, no. The heydays are not fading away; they’re gone. It’s because all of the trailing generations behind the Boomers do not collect. They are Minimalists. And so too are all the Boomers when they leave frigid Connecticut for balmy Boca Raton.

I had a long and distinguished career in the world of collecting (25 years) followed by a second distinguished career as a professional appraiser (25 years). Now, I write books no one reads, ferret out restaurants of the better sort, and I’ve made an enjoyable sport of down-sizing my collection, which for most normal folks is a very tedious task. You see, I’m a recovering 12-step collect-O-holic and my wife is a minimalist. She’s right when she reminds me that I’m going to be 69 this year (September 29) and shouldn’t be buying stuff I can’t eat. So, what you see neatly presented here on our website is what I have collected over the decades. We actually live with it. If it’s utilitarian we use it. If it’s decorative we decorate with it. But we’re moving on in years and must begin to prepare for the twelfth hour. If you’re curious to see what we’re “deaccessioning”, then click on ‘View Collection‘.