8. This Week's Stories and Requests for Help/Blast from the past

We try to post stories and comments from our readers each week. Send your story
 to newsletter@tias.com.

Here's a new story from one of our readers in Arizona, inspired by last week's
reprint of a young grandson innocently asking what would become of his
grandmother's stuffed monkey when she died:

I've not had anyone nicely ask (as did Janice's grandson in the most recent
issue) if something would be left to them, but I did have someone--quite
blatantly--approach the subject.  About 15 years ago, my sister had gotten
married, and her new husband was coming over to meet us all at Christmas.  The
youngest sister was the only one who had met him, and she did not have a very
favorable impression of him.  Neither did I, after meeting him. This guy came
into my house and started going on about my collections.  As you know, any
collector likes talking about their best finds, how long they've been
collecting and so on, but the conversation with this guy was something else. 
He poked and prodded his way through my house, asking odd questions. Then he
pointed to a large oil painting I've had for years, one of my favorites, and
wanted to know if it was by anyone famous. I told him it was by an artist who
was very well known in Europe, not so much stateside.  He then asked how much
it was worth.  I was taken aback by this direct question and instead told the
very exciting story of how little I had paid for it at an auction after most of
 the crowd had left.  He was insistent, "Yes, but how much is it worth?" I'd
done a little research when I bought it and discovered most of his work went
from $2,000 to
$5,000, so I jokingly said, "Oh, a couple thousand.  However,
he's still alive but in his 90s.  It should go up after he dies." My new
brother in law looked me right in the eye and, completely serious, said "I
expect you to leave this to me and your sister when you die." I was about 40 at
 the time...  made me feel like he was plotting something to get his hooks into
 my stuff!  After he left I taped a huge piece of paper to the back of the
frame that said, "Under no circumstances is this to go to xxx upon my death."
My sister is no longer with this buffoon, but recently my 18 year old son got
quite the surprise when I asked him to help me move this painting.  I'd
forgotten the note on the back and when my son saw it he started laughing.
 "Boy, you really didn't like that guy, did you?" Son, you don't
know the half of it...

Ali K, Mesa AZ

Comments, thoughts?  We collect interesting stories about collecting.  Things
like your best find, unusual collections, bizarre collectibles.  Anything and
everything that is interesting that has to do with collecting.  We may publish
it here.  Send your story to newsletter@tias.com

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--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-2
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