COLLECTOR SWAPS STORE FOR THE WEB.Byline: Victoria Giraud People and Places Myron Ross is a collector. He has autographs from the film and rock world, signed record albums, Hollywood memorabilia from signed movie posters to film crew jackets, and comic books - and that's just starters. ``I'm one of the fortunate individuals that really likes what he does,'' Ross said. For 30 years, until just this year, Ross had a store in the Conejo Valley. Pantechnicon pantechnicon Noun Brit a large van used for furniture removals [Greek pan- all + tekhnē art; originally a London bazaar later used as a furniture warehouse] Noun 1. was his store in Thousand Oaks until he moved to Agoura Hills in 1989 and renamed the store Heroes and Legends. Nowadays he sells worldwide from his Web site on the Internet and attends countless collector shows all over California and several other states. U.S. boundaries don't stop him. Ross just returned from a trip to Hong Kong, where, accompanied by his wife, Marilyn, who owns and runs a school for emotionally disturbed children in Inglewood, he mixed business with pleasure. In China he picked up a Bruce Lee autograph and an English copy of Mao Tse-tung's famous Little Red Book of philosophy. A native of New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. and graduate of City College of New York “City College” redirects here. For other uses, see City College (disambiguation). CCNY was the first free public institution of higher education in the United States[3] , Ross came to California in 1960. ``I was sent out to open up a West Coast branch for a welding rod and brazing brazing, method of joining metal parts using nonferrous filler metals with high melting points such as copper, silver, and aluminum alloys. Brazing differs from soldering (see solder) by using a higher temperature; and unlike welding, the parts are not melted. alloy company,'' Ross said. ``After two years they said to come back to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and I said, Are you crazy?'' He stayed in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and began to sell insurance. In 1968 he worked doing publicity and promotions for Four Star Productions, and since so many stars came through the office, he started collecting autographs ``strictly as a hobby,'' and managed to get signatures of Boris Karloff, Gene Kelly and Groucho Marx, among many others. ``I started collecting autographs, movie props, anything I could find,'' he said. A fascination with movies led to a series of bit parts since the 1960s. ``I'm not a good actor, I don't get a lot of parts,'' he said, laughing. His most recent bit was as a fireman in Nick Nolte's film, ``I Love Trouble.'' Comic books were an interest since Ross was a boy. ``I always collected comic books. In high school I could buy the classic comic books.'' If he liked the classic comic, he'd read the original book assigned by the teacher. In 1954 he took $50, a whole week's pay, to purchase Action Comics No. 1, the first issue featuring Superman. He sold it for $100 two weeks later, but ruefully rue·ful adj. 1. Inspiring pity or compassion. 2. Causing, feeling, or expressing sorrow or regret. rue comments that the comic is now worth $150,000. His stores at one time contained mostly comic books, but ``When the comic book market died, I started selling my collection. It clicked, and it's fun.'' Ross has a nose for collectibles. At a local garage sale he recognized and bought the wooden portion of a musket musket: see small arms. musket Muzzle-loading shoulder firearm developed in 16th-century Spain. Designed as a larger version of the harquebus, muskets were fired with matchlocks until flintlocks were developed in the 17th century; flintlocks were used by a Munchkin munchkin - /muhnch'kin/ [Squeaky-voiced little people in L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz"] A teenage-or-younger micro enthusiast hacking BASIC or something else equally constricted. in the film ``The Wizard of Oz Wizard of Oz reaches and departs from Oz in circus balloon. [Children’s Lit.: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz] See : Ballooning Wizard of Oz false wizard takes up residence in Emerald City. [Am. Lit. .'' He sold it later for a nice profit to a dealer, who recast the missing metal barrel, and made a handsome profit from the sale of the restored gun. With his connections of friends and acquaintances, Ross gets hold of choice items - such as the framed pictures from the TV newspaper set of recently canceled ``Lois & Clark.'' Rock music and its stars are also an interest. ``I'm a people person,'' Ross said. ``Actors and musicians have a lot of stuff and difficulty selling their stuff. Being the peddler peddler or hawker, itinerant vendor of small goods. In rural America peddlers carried their packs or drove a horse and cart from door to door. that I am, I can sell it.'' Ross sold a drum set for Matt Sorum of Guns 'n' Roses, and got one of the distinctive striped guitars from Eddie Van Halen that he then sold to the Hard Rock Cafe Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of casual dining restaurants. It was founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, and their first Hard Rock Cafe opened near Hyde Park Corner in London, in a former Rolls Royce car dealerships showroom close to Hyde Park, where in 1979 they began to . One of his favorite collectibles is his own Captain Midnight secret decoder badge from childhood. ``It's for sale, but the price is so high nobody will buy it,'' he said. Always on the alert for autographs, Ross goes to bookstore signings. He used an unusual ploy to get rocker Ozzie Osborne's signature. Not long before the signing, Osborne had been bitten by a bat and Ross brought along a rubber bat for Osborne to sign. ``If it's different, it's always easier to sell,'' Ross said. Ross watched the trends in collectibles. There will always be a market for Elvis, the Beatles and Babe Ruth autographs, or for items connected with any stars and or movies that have a cult following. ``Save for yourself, don't save for your kids,'' Ross advises about collecting. ``They'll throw them away or take it to the closest dealer. Never sell it to the first person.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Myron Ross, who closed his store this year, is now selling his collectibles through his Web site. Tom Mendoza/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion