If I had any say in the matter, THIS is the kind of collection that the show would feature every week! In this episode, of MeTV’s Collector’s Call show host Lisa Whelchel visits Rick Goldschmidt and his house full of amazing toys and pop culture memorabilia. This is a collection that literally covers every square inch of the house.
Whelchel is given a tour of Goldschmidt’s museum/collection, and she is overwhelmed “in a great way.” Let’s be honest, this is one of those collections that has taken over — there’s nowhere to sit, nowhere to move. i could never live this way, but I’m amazed how some people do. I’ve visited pop culture museums, and they don’t have half the items in this house, but the organization of a well-crafted display makes a collection so much more impressive. A few nice glass display cases would go a long way in this house!
The first items they talk about are Mego action figures from the 70’s that Goldschmidt has gathered with the help of his son, Josh. Most of the figures are in their original boxes, which makes them twice as valuable as they would be if they didn’t have their boxes. The collection is valued at over $2,000.00.
Goldschmidt next shows us his collection of Martin and Lewis items, which includes three lighted lenticular pictures. These photos are extremely rare and according to the appraiser, David Gutterman of Quake Collectibles, the 60-year old pictures are valued at $1,000.00 each.
Goldschmidt is a Rankin & Bass expert and has written five books and produced several videos on the history of the company. As a result of these efforts, Arther Rankin himself had given him a one-of-a-kind wooden salad serving set based on characters from Mad Monster Party. The set was carved by the same artists who made the puppets featured in the movie. This set is valued at over $20,000.00!
The next highlighted item was a set of Willkins and Wontkins figures that Jim Henson created before his days at Sesame Street. The characters were used to help sell coffee in TV commercials. I might need to track down a set of these! The pair retails for $1,000.00.
Now, this is where stuff gets real. Goldschmidt takes the group on a tour of his living room, which is filled to the ceilings with toys from the 60’s and 70’s. My eyes could not take in all the amazing items without pausing the video with each turn. Of course, my eyes were laser focused on the impressive collection of Batman items. The gem of the collection is a set painting from the 1966 Batman television show’s “Ring of Wax” episode painted by A. Leslie Thomas. The painting would be a prize for any Batman collector, and is valued at up to $20,000.00.
An amazing collection of Captain Action figures dominates a large shelf in the room, and on the top shelf is a store display that might be the only one to have survived to this day. The entire collection is the most valuable collection in the house, and it’s valued at over $25,000.
The final item that is highlighted is a rare coloring book that was handed out at the filming of an episode of the Dick Van Dyke show. This may be the only surviving copy, and it is valued at $1,000.00.
Dave Gutterman of Quake Collectibles has brought a Tony the Tiger lunchbox to try and trade for a couple of Rankin & Bass prototype figurines. Goldschmidt is happy to accept the trade, because the manufacturer sent him several boxes of those figurines!
This episode is exactly what you would want in a show featuring collectors and their prized possessions, I just wish it lasted longer! A person could spend hours, if not days, going through a collection like this, and it has to be challenging to pick just a few of the items to highlight. I’d like to hear less about “what’s it worth” and more about the history of an item nd how it was acquired. In the first episode, the collector had bought everything at high-priced auctions, while this episode has stories about items received as gifts, in exchange for work. Anyone can amass a collection if you have the funds, but truly rare and unique items might never be up for sale, so it’s fun to hear how they come to be part of a collection.
Rick Goldschmidt has put together an incredible collection and is truly passionate and knowledgable about every item he has acquired. He is one of those fortunate people who has managed to turn his creative skills into a career working on projects that he loves. The entire collection is valued at up to $500,000.00! This is a home that could populate an entire pop culture museum, and if Goldschmidt ever sells tickets, I’ll be the first in line.
View full episodes of Collector’s Call on the MeTV website.
OK – this is some seriously cool stuff. Nice find Brian I’m going to have to find some time to watch it. Go Blair!
I agree that a few glass display cases, and some storage totes I think, would really have helped this episode. My wife and I both winced when they found collectibles in his kitchen! There is no way to use a kitchen and not make steam and cooking smells that would permeate every item in that room. They must order pizza every night! Such a shame, he had some really nice items…
When’s the Cool and Collected museum being feature!?!? 🙂
I’ll be featured right after your collection. 😉