New Conference & Exhibition Takes Business Introducing the Premier Collectible Conference & Exhibition – an elite event for serious participants in the evolving collectibles industry
News-Antique.com - Jan 15,2008 - Collectibles isn’t a mom and pop industry anymore. The truth is it hasn’t been for quite awhile. In fact, collecting has become a billion dollar market. In 2001, Doug Allen, President and COO of Mastro Auctions, a leading Sports and Americana auction house and Ryan Friedman, owner of Auction Report, began exploring resources, information and issues that the rapidly evolving collecting industry would require as a result of its transformation from a primarily home-based, small time hobby to its current big business status. The result is the Premier Collectible Conference & Exhibition (PCCE), which will be held April 17-20, 2008 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.
The PCCE is a unique event unlike anything that currently exists in the collectible industry. The goal of the PCCE is to bring serious collectors and the industry’s most respected sources together in a professional environment that reflects the current state of the collectible industry. Created to address topics, challenges, provide education and discuss trends in the collectible arena, the PCCE will be mutually beneficial to all participants. While initially the brainchild of Allen and Friedman, the PCCE concept has quickly gained strong support from the industry’s top tier of collectible-associated businesses and forward thinking collectors.
“While most individuals still collect because it’s in their blood, the business end of the industry, especially when it comes to the high end, can no longer be ignored,” said Joe Orlando, President of Professional Sports Authenticators, a premier sports authentication firm. “With prices escalating and authenticity becoming an increasing concern, collectors spending big money want to know more about the sources they are dealing with and rightfully so. The PCCE will provide the ideal forum for this to occur.”
Marshall Fogel, a well-known sports collector agrees. “The PCCE is an important addition to the existing collecting shows, especially for the advanced collector,” said Fogel. While Fogel admits that the existing shows do provide resources for all collectors and are extremely valuable, the PCCE will bring aspects that are equally as necessary, especially in today’s collecting environment. “When it comes down to doing serious collecting business on an investment level, it would be advantageous to have the best ofthe best in one place. That’s what the PCCE will offer.”
In addition to facilitating intimate interaction between collector and collectible source, the PCCE will bring collectible leaders together to enhance the perception of the industry. Most experts agree that the collectibles industry, like most industries, has some negative aspects and a few less than reputable players. But because of the industry’s explosive growth, the indiscretions of the few have had a tendency to overshadow the many positive developments overall. The PCCE will function as a quasi think tank hosted by an elite group of collectible leaders on the forefront of th industry’s evolution who are actively committed to promoting its new professionalism, integrity and business acumen.
“For collectors and the masses, the PCCE will take much of the guess work out of who is and
