A: Yes. I have a very broad range of interests. I found that there are a lot of really neat advertising items beyond just shot glasses. I look for match safes, pocket mirrors, celluloid items, mini advertising dice holder tins, and anything old and unusual. I also collect early Arizona advertising items. Mini mugs however have been a big focus of mine lately. I have approximately 60 of those in my collection right now.
Q: One of the aspects of your collecting that's always fascinated me is your focus on "display". Where do you find all these authentic old western cases and cabinets?
A: I find them mostly in antique stores or antique shows. I have picked up a couple small ones through eBay. That’s pretty rare however since prices tend to be much higher, especially those with etched advertising on them. I’ve always been fascinated with the early display cases. They can add a whole new dimension to a display.
Q: Another thing that sets you apart from many other collectors is the amount of participation and depth of knowledge that your wife, Alice, shows. Quite a few of us have to battle a spouse for space, time, resources, etc. Has this cooperative effort been there from the start?
A: Yes. Although she doesn’t specifically collect anything in particular, Alice has always shown interest and wanted to participate in my hobby. The best part is that she loves to travel and hunt for antiques and collectibles. She’s found some real good items in stores or shows more than once. She also has a knack to keep me in balance when I want to dig deeper in my pockets for a good item.
Q: Without revealing any secrets, what are your chief sources?
A: I don’t think I have any real secrets. When lucky, I find shot glasses at antique stores and antique shows. In the beginning, I used to re-sell glasses more than I do today, but now I’m also pickier in what I acquire. eBay has been the biggest factor in building my collection overall. Believe it or not, my shot glass collection consisted of less than eight glasses prior to my joining eBay in 1998. Only after I joined did I truly expand my collection and knowledge about glasses. Arizona is not a hotbed for finding pre prohibition shot glasses so I mainly depend on the internet to find those good glasses. As a matter of fact, I have yet to meet another collector in Arizona specializing in pre pro shots. I know many collectors who believe eBay has been a bad thing for this hobby. But in many respects, it has made available many unknown glasses to collectors.
