Rob Lifson, long-time owner of Robert Edward Auctions, is easing his way into retirement.
The 55-year-old Lifson says 2016 will be his last year of heavy involvement with REA and the business has essentially been sold to the company’s consignment director, Brian Dwyer.
Lifson won’t be lying on a beach in Florida, though.
In a weekend blog post, he indicated he plans to stay active in the hobby, pursuing related collecting interests and and will be publishing a free book at some point. However, he will no longer be involved in what is often the all consuming job of running the day-to-day operations after this year.
While REA has expanded in recent years to two major catalog auctions and continues to be a major player in the auction world, Lifson stated he hopes his tenure is remembered for taking on fraud:
I am extremely proud that I have had the opportunity and privilege to work as a consultant (paid and unpaid) in countless endeavors and cases with so many areas of law enforcement (including the FBI, the Secret Service, U.S. Postal authorities, the IRS, the Justice Department, local police departments across the nation, etc.) spanning three decades and counting. Long after I am gone, I’d like to think that my commitment to being on the “front lines”, battling for an even playing field for all collectors, big and small, and battling to protect the collecting public from fraud will be recognized as among my greatest contributions to the hobby.”
REA has sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of sports cards and memorabilia, specializing in rare and historic baseball items.
The company has only a few full-time employees and no changes are expected. REA will have its next auction this spring.
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Sports Card Guaranty is moving to Florida. The New Jersey-based grading and authentication firm says it will pack up its Bound Brook offices and make the transition between January 27 and February 1.
SGC’s new digs will be at 951 Yamato Road (Suite 110), Boca Raton, FL, 33434.
The company is asking customers to use its new address for all submissions from here on out.
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If you’re heading to the Super Bowl–or just passing through San Francisco International Airport, you can check out some items from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
SFO Museum is displaying a selection of memorabilia and game-worn artifacts from each of the league’s 32 franchises. Among the objects on display are game-worn items belonging to Hall of Famers from across generations and throughout the league, including jerseys from Joe Montana, Lance Alworth, Merlin Olsen and other stars, Walter Payton’s game-used helmet and Jim Brown’s shoulder pads.
The Nation’s Game: The NFL from the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Terminal 3, Boarding Area F through February. The exhibition is located post-security and is only accessible to passengers ticketed for travel through Terminal 3. There is no charge to view the exhibition.
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