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Vince Pupillo has always had an interest in electronic musical instruments, but it wasn’t until 2005 that his collection started to flourish. “I owned and played a Moog Minimoog Synthesizer back in the 1970s, but that instrument had to be sold at one point to pay for college,” Vince recalls. “I purchased another vintage Minimoog in 2005 though, and then began acquiring additional instruments after that.” Vince’s collection, some of which is now on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has items dating back to the early 1900s, with the 1929 RCA Theremin being his earliest item to date.
Yet Vince didn’t consider himself a collector until seven years later, when he purchased the vintage synthesizer Yamaha GX-1. Vince points out, “That was a big deal, and the collection had already begun to resemble a real collection by that point.”
Vince’s collection now includes an array of vintage electronic musical instruments, including electric pianos, synthesizers, vintage theremins, effect pedals and processors, organs, mixers, PA systems, guitars, guitar amplifier systems, electronic percussion instruments, CDs, record albums, laser discs, paraphernalia associated with electronic music, as well as other electromechanical instruments. The collection also includes the earliest prototypes of the Minimoog Synthesizer, which Vince considers “the granddaddy” of all portable synthesizers.
Many of the items have famous artist origins, with amplifier systems once used by The Who, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Yes, and many others. His synthesizers were also utilized by famous musicians including Queen, Jack Bruce, ELP, and Genesis.
Within Vince’s vast collection, you can find subcollections of many important instruments through time. Included in these subcollections are some of the earliest Fender Rhodes pianos that Harold Burroughs Rhodes manufactured to teach veterans how to play music during World War II. Vince’s collection spans to latter day versions of the Fender Rhodes, which include digital electronic (MIDI) capability and were built for Chick Corea.
When asked what Vince’s favorite piece in the collection was, he responded without hesitation — the Keith Emerson Modular Moog, which is presently on loan with two other Emerson keyboards to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “This is arguably the world’s most famous and iconic electronic music synthesizer because of its towering appearance, its incredibly compelling sound, and also due to the way Keith Emerson used it, both musically and as a stage prop,” Vince explains. “On top of that, the music of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, and of Keith Emerson in general, is a deep favorite of ours. I have loved his music from the beginning so to have his synthesizer in the collection is beyond special for us. It’s an honor and dream come true.”
The Keith Emerson Modular Moog is also the most valuable piece in Vince’s collection, with several thousand items ranging from small pieces that can easily be held in the palm of your hand to large items that require a forklift.
Vince’s pieces vary in value, ranging from two to seven figures per item. The entire collection is worth several million. And yet, Vince still thought something was missing. Vince wanted to preserve the legacy of electronic music and share it with the world, ultimately hoping to make a difference in people’s lives.
That’s why in early 2018, Vince founded the Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project (EMEAPP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides education about, access to, and research on electronic music. Vince continues to curate the collection at EMEAPP to this day.
To learn more about Vince’s collection or take a virtual tour, click here.

Around the nation—literally from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.—the summertime presents a prime opportunity for you to head out to your city’s most respected collections of art and view exhibits that represent the pinnacle of mankind’s ability for visual expression. This year is no exception, so we’ve rounded up a few of 2019’s hottest upcoming exhibitions below for you to check out.
Basquiat’s Defacement: The Untold Story at the Guggenheim in New York City
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American-born painter of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent, whose mixed identity and passionate activism created the focal point for much of his art.
He died at the young age of 27 from a heroin overdose, but during his short-lived career, Basquiat was able to document the myriad social currents of the 1980s. The Guggenheim features these works through November 6.
The Life of Animals in Japanese Art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
The National Gallery of Art is no stranger to showcasing fantastic works from other cultures. Their upcoming exhibit of both real and mythological Japanese creatures, taking place until August 18, will feature roughly 315 works across multiple media.
The selection spans from the sixth century to the present day, and includes seven works that have been deemed “Important Cultural Property” by the Japanese government. Among the artists featured are Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, and Kusama Yayoi—whose Infinity Nets paintings have sold for upwards of $7 million.
“#WhatIsUtopia” at the Denver Art Museum
Denver-based painter Jonathan Saiz has taken a unique approach to his art, in the hopes of “democratizing” it. To this end, he’s created 10,000 tiny drawings for his Denver Art Museum exhibit, which will be taking place through November 17. In addition to creating a strong social media conversation about his art (another part of that democratization process), Saiz intends to give away each of the drawings to collectors once the exhibit is finished. It’s a unique approach that levels the playing field for newer collectors who may not have the capital to invest thousands of dollars for their first piece of art.
Fragments of a Crucifixion at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago
Using the crucifixion of Christ as a symbolic focal point, this MCA Chicago exhibit, which takes place until November 3, explores the idea of spirituality in art. It touches on weighty emotions like agony and loss, but also shows how art can inspire and encourage love through the works of artists like Kerry James, Jenny Holzer, and Ana Mendieta — whose “Siluetas” often touched on emotional subject matter and whose tragic death in 1985 is still a matter of great controversy.
The Frank Stella Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Frank Stella has been a driving force in abstract expressionist art for decades, blending sculpture and painting to create an impressive array of modern art and helping mold movements like minimalism into their current, well-respected form. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has a great number of his works in its permanent collection (some of which haven’t been in public view for more than 30 years) and will be displaying these groundbreaking pieces through September 15.
20th Century New Mexican Sculpture at the New Mexico Museum in Santa Fe
Instead of viewing art merely on walls, here you will find art in three dimensions. The museum is showcasing carved and cast sculpture in a range of media, genres and styles through July 28. New Mexico is justifiably proud of its artists and you can discover why—and learn how they have influenced the wider world of art—by viewing this three-dimensional exhibit in beautiful downtown Santa Fe.
African American Museum in Philadelphia Features Exciting History and Fascinating Art
This unique institution is the first built by a major U.S. city to exhibit and interpret the life and work of African Americans. There are four impressive exhibition galleries filled with a variety of art. Through September 9, a mixture of new and previous work of Sonya Clark will be featured. Clark’s body of work is re-telling. While calling back redacted history, she uses music, light—and even hair—to view the past and present while providing clues to the future.
The Art of Protection
Hopefully, you’ll have a chance to visit one of these famed institutions to view one of these stunning summer exhibits. Displays such as these are what a collector dreams of, so before you head out, be sure to read up on how Collectibles Insurance Services helps provide protection for artwork and other valuable collections in case you’re in the mood to add to your own.
Sources
https://www.guggenheim.org/press-release/schedule-of-exhibitions-through-2020 https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2019/life-of-animals-in-japanese-art.html https://denverartmuseum.org/exhibitions/eyes-jonathan-saiz https://www.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/2019/fragments-of-a-crucifixion
https://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/frank-stella-selections-permanent-collection http://sam.nmartmuseum.org/collections
https://www.aampmuseum.org

Early this year, Bryce Harper set a pair of baseball records—off the field.
Late in February, sources confirmed that he’d signed the largest guaranteed contract in North American sports history: $330 million for 13 years with the Philadelphia Phillies. After a successful seven seasons with the Washington Nationals, he hung up his #34 jersey and took up #3 for Philadelphia.
Fans were a little excited. This superstar addition certainly makes the team a strong playoff contender this year (and hopefully many years to come)! Harper could make the Phillies franchise as fan popular as the Boston Red Sox or Green Bay Packers. The Phillies sold over $4 million in tickets after the announcement, and sales for Bryce’s new #3 jersey set Harper’s second record. MLB.com reports that his jersey “is the top-selling jersey of all-time for any player in any sport within 24 hours of launch.”
Baseball, The Sport of Memorabilia
Of all the things people collect in regards to sports­—cards, balls, autographs, gear—jerseys (and especially game worn jerseys) seem to be the king. And of all the sports, baseball seems to have the most sought after memorabilia.
Not only does a baseball jersey top this list of the 10 Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia Ever Sold (Babe Ruth’s 1920s Yankees Jersey), of all the items on there, baseball makes up 60% of the value!
How did this come to be? We figure there are two main reasons: deep American roots and the sheer quantity of games.
America’s Pastime: A Brief History of Baseball Collectibles
Of all the major leagues, baseball’s the oldest. Officially, 1903 is its birthday even though the National League technically started decades earlier in 1876. It had its origins before the Civil War, descending from the imported English sport of cricket.
Once there was a league and a nationwide organization supporting it, a regular fanbase could grow. Being the first of its kind with a 17-year head start on football meant that nearly a generation of Americans only knew baseball as the “big” sport. Babe Ruth was making history and sporting that million dollar jersey before the NFL was even up and running and no one had ever heard of the Super Bowl.
The other thing about baseball is that there’s a lot of games every year. Excluding the postseason, today there’s about 2,430 annually. Basketball has about half as many.
Now, when you consider that a lot of memorabilia comes from the games themselves, it starts to make sense that baseball collectibles appear to dominate the sports memorabilia market. Add to the fact that the items can be older than other sports’ (and therefore typically rarer), the overall value of baseball memorabilia (upon authentication) could also be greater.
Take all this and give people the ability to speedily source, communicate, sell, or trade the items, and you’ve got yourself a party. The internet was like a supercharger to all sports collectibles for sale (and to collectibles period). Recently, the market for sports memorabilia was estimated at $5.4 billion—with $4.7 billion of that fueled by eBay.
While it’s not certain how much of that is made up of baseball, it’s a safe bet to assume that the good ol’ ball game makes up more than its fair share.
Extra Innings: The Weird Side of Baseball Collectibles
Even top 10 lists that are about strange collectibles are dominated by baseball. Eight of the 10 items described here are baseball “memorabilia.” Among others, they include:

• Ty Cobb’s teeth for $6,500
• Luis Gonzalez’s chewing gum for $10,000
• David Ortiz’s beard for $10,000
• Nolan Ryan’s jockstrap for $25,000
• Curt Schilling’s bloody sock for over $92,000
• Mickey Mantle’s signed death threat

Don’t Get Caught Looking: Research Collectibles Insurance!
Whether over a century old, a fresh #3 Phillies jersey, or a player’s teeth—collectible memorabilia are precious things, and it’s important to protect them. Homeowners insurance often does not cover items like baseball jerseys or cards, so be sure to research and understand what options are out there for insuring your items.

When does a Beatles fan grow into a Beatles collector? Mark Lackey, who is retired from the military and is now a meteorologist residing in western North Carolina, had to give that question some serious thought. “I think my first Beatles (related) record purchased was the Capitol 45 RPM single, Listen to What the Man Said, in 1975. I paid $1 for it. I was a 12-year old die-hard fan of Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 radio show and I loved Paul McCartney & Wings. By the following year, I purchased my first Beatles album, The Beatles 1967-1970. It was a double LP and therefore a big purchase for me,” Mark explains.
To make that purchase (it turned out to be an investment), Mark had to save up his allowance for several weeks. At this point, he said he was a kid mainly interested in the musical acts of the current mid-seventies era, but he knew and liked several of the more popular later Beatles recordings. “My deeper interest in The Beatles was still a few years away,” he said. “I remember for Christmas, an aunt got me the Ringo’s Rotogravure album, which had the Top 40 hit, A Dose of Rock ‘N’ Roll on it, and I started to note that anything I’d heard with one or more of the Fab Four on it was something I enjoyed listening to.”
But he still wasn’t a collector. Mark obtained a copy of the soundtrack from the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie in 1978. “I recognized a few of those songs from my copy of The Beatles 1967-1970 and then one day, I figured out that ALL of the songs on that double soundtrack album were Beatles songs. I slowly got drawn in to not only the music of The Beatles, but all of this legend, lore, and pop culture that still surrounded them nearly a decade after they had broken up. I went to the library and checked out the Hunter Davies biography, The Beatles. I had been ‘sucked in’ at that point,” Mark says.
“When I turned 16 in May of 1979, I got a job at a grocery store making $2.90/hr. I started saving to buy a car but that was slightly delayed because I also started buying up all The Beatles albums I could find. So it was about this time that I first considered myself somewhat of a collector—not a ‘serious’ collector—but someone with a more than average interest in getting ALL of The Beatles music available,” he emphasizes.
“In early 1980, at the age of 16, I made my first ‘expensive’ Beatles purchase. It was a box set of all the stereo British albums called collectively, The Beatles Collection. I remember being crushed later in the year when my mother came into my bedroom to announce she had just heard on the news that John Lennon had been killed.”
The first time Mark ever paid what he considered an “exorbitant amount of money for a single record” was in 1986. It was an original first pressing of John and Yoko’s Two Virgins LP. He paid $65 for it (even though the original price tag sticker on it said $1.98).
During the eighties, Mark started getting serious about “filling the cracks” in his Beatles collection. “By the nineties, I decided to complete my collection of all of the ‘post-Beatle’ Beatles stuff because the talent didn’t just end in 1970, right? So I starting acquiring all of the John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr material. Getting ‘everything’ by Paul proved very difficult because so many things were limited releases.”
An inventory of Mark’s complete collection is available at mybeatlescollection.com. Currently, his holdings (including bootlegs and official recordings) include: 1036 CD titles, 623 vinyl, 209 video disk titles, and 11,561 individual tracks. Mark points outs, “These are just the latest numbers. I am constantly adding to the collection.”
Of course, any conversation about The Beatles eventually gets to the controversial “Butcher” cover LP (Yesterday…And Today). The cover features the group holding doll heads and raw meat. At the time, many considered this a Beatles protest against the Vietnam War.
Mark explains, “The Butcher covers (the first pressings of the Yesterday…And Today LP) are classified as first state (most valuable – alternate trunk cover was never pasted on to jacket), second state (alternate trunk cover is pasted over butcher cover, but under a bright light butcher cover is detectable underneath), or third state (trunk cover has been professionally removed from second state). I have four Butcher cover LPs.”
The Yesterday… And Today (Butcher Cover LPs) are among the more valuable and interesting pieces in his collection—but not the most valuable. Other examples of valuable pieces in Mark’s collection include Decca 45: My Bonnie/The Saints by Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers (aka The Beatles) (Decca 31382 stock copy), which is very rare and was worth $30,000 in 2013; and Vee Jay LP: Introducing The Beatles (mono “Ad Back” version), worth $8,000 in 2013.
When asked what other individual items would be of particular interest to Beatles fans or collectors, he replies, “The collection is not only vinyl but also includes lots of CDs, videos, USBs, cassettes, VHSes, Beatles Rockband stuff, posters, etc. I have all the bootlegged material that I am aware of and a few odds and ends. Of course, the vinyl is the most valuable of my holdings from a monetary standpoint.”
His Beatles collection is so extensive that Mark devotes an entire room in his North Carolina home to exhibit his items. So expert is Mark that he used to have a blog and do a radio podcast on a regular basis from 2007 to 2016. “I was more in touch with other collectors and fans then,” he says, “but these days the collection is mainly for my own enjoyment.” You can check out Mark’s collection at mybeatlescollection.com.

As the second decade of the new millennium ends, Marvel’s iconic superheroes seem to have found a global stage in cinema. In 11 short years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has shattered box office franchise records, grossing over $18 billion worldwide.
With the final film of the flagship Avengers arc (Endgame) hitting theaters in late April, 2019 is something of a capstone year for the storytelling juggernaut. While fans mourn the recent passing of the legendary Stan Lee, his legacy and the company’s 80th birthday will be honored with the opening of the Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes exhibit in Philadelphia, PA. In Charlotte, NC, HeroesCon will be sure to delight casual and hardcore collectors alike.
With all this pomp and circumstance, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it all started with the humble comic book. True collectors will recall the progress Marvel made since its inception as Timely Comics in pre-war 1939.
A brief history of Marvel Comics
Martin Goodman published Marvel Comics No.1 under the Timely Comics banner in 1939. Superhero comics had seen a rise in popularity during this time–known as the Golden Age of Comics–and Goodman wanted to capitalize on it.
By 1950, superheroes suffered a decline in popularity. Westerns, sci-fi, and humor-based comics had overtaken them. Timely Comics changed its name to Atlas Magazines and catered mostly to these genres.
Then along comes DC Comics with The Flash in 1956. People loved it, prompting DC to form The Justice League. Atlas responded by becoming Marvel Comics and answering with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s The Fantastic Four (1961). The Silver Age of Comics was underway.
It seemed the superheroes were here to stay. With both DC and Marvel publishing huge successes, every decade after the sixties ushered in new waves of writing and illustrative talent for both companies.
Marvel ran into some trouble in the nineties, declaring bankruptcy in 1996 due to poor sales and issues with management. But like its resilient characters, Marvel was down, not out. In only two years, Marvel was back and had its sights set on more than just comics and figurines coming into the 21st century. Marvel Studios, for one, was about five years old at this point… and we all know what it’s grown up to be!
Whether or not Marvel continues a meteoric rise in the world of fantastical storytelling remains to be seen–but it is clear that people all over the globe have embraced the characters, their stories, and the universe. We can probably count on seeing Marvel’s 100th.
Suggestions for celebrating Marvel’s 80th birthday
Four-fifths of a century is a pretty solid achievement. There’s lots you can do to help celebrate:

• See a movie! Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home are Marvel’s (and Sony’s) releases in 2019.
• Visit the Marvel Universe of Super Heroes exhibit. The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia will have this exhibit up from April 13 to September 2, with over 300 awesome pieces of art, costumes, and more from the Marvel universe.
• Attend Comic-Con International: San Diego. It is the biggest of its kind, and something of a rite of passage for many serious collectors: July 18-21 at the San Diego Convention Center.
• Read a Marvel comic. You can buy digital versions of comics from the forties or see the very latest releases at Marvel.com. 

The Silent Guardian: Collectibles Insurance
Whether 80 years old or purchased yesterday, Marvel and other collectible memorabilia are precious things, and it’s important to protect them beyond the vacuum seal. Homeowners insurance often does not. Be a superhero. Make sure your marvelous comic collections are adequately insured.

Super Bowl LIII is around the corner! Eric Geller is a Los Angeles Rams fan that has been collecting memorabilia for years. Some items in Geller’s collection include tickets from the 1980 Super Bowl to numerous Rams toys and autographed jerseys. According to ABC7, “Geller’s most cherished piece is a Rams helmet signed by members of the 1951 Championship team, the 1980 Super Bowl team, and the 2002 Super Bowl team. He’s already planning to squeeze more big names onto that helmet.” Read more here.

Thinking about giving away some of your childhood toys? Before you clean out your attic, you may want to check how much the toys are worth. Certain Barbie dolls, Pokémon cards, and PEZ dispensers are worth a fortune today, while some Beanie Babies and Tamagotchis may increase in value in the near future. Read more here.

Have any sports memorabilia laying around your house? How about old books or comic books? Before you clean out your attic, you may want to check out the value. A copy of Action comics #1 with the first appearance of Superman, for instance, sold for $3.2 million a few years ago. In addition, a hardcover first edition of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” is valued around $7,000, according to Sotheby’s. Are you a sports fan? You may be interested in knowing that a Nick Foles bobblehead doll increased in value from $30 to $300 after the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Learn more here.

Calling all Babe Ruth fans! Multiple items owned by Babe Ruth will be going up for auction next June at Yankee Stadium. According to WABC, “Items include a professional model bat with home run notches from 1926 to 1929, a 1923 Yankees World Championship presentational Spalding trophy, and a 1923 Yankees World Champions team autographed ledger sheet.” Learn more here.

Attention Stan Lee fans! A rare collection of items by Lee, former president of Marvel Comics, were recently auctioned off on Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17 in Beverly Hills, California. The collection included a signed copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man, valued between $30,000 and $50,000, as well as a signed 1985 edition of Star Wars #97. Check it out here.