Antiquities Owner Toby Stoffa

[Toby L. Stoffa]

Hi Steve,

I very much liked your letter. Thank you for being passionate about your vocation, as am I.

By the way, just as a note, I'm Ms. not Mr., that's why I said the grandma in this business...:) My mentors were Cordelia and Tom Platt who were one of the grandparents of this business, and George Sanders before he died, even spending time at his home going through his amazing collection. I wish you could rewrite that lovely letter and put Ms. instead of Mr. Paul McCartney got a Beatles signed White album at Antiquities for his land mines auction, which he authenticated, bought for $10,000 and he sold it for $80,000. I've been jogging in the mall with Michael Jackson who was a client for 12 years and I gave the dedication speech for him at the posthumous installation of his star of fame here. I correspond with Richard Dreyfus by email from time to time, and have worked extensively with the Osmond family as both friends and clients. That is the tip of the iceberg. Historical collections from Antiquities are in major American museums and famous law offices. I've been collecting since I was 12 and ran into Fred McMurray at the Brown Derby. I am now 63, so it has been 51 years. I'm telling you something important here, Steve; my 3 children, my 6 grandchildren and anyone else who knows me and has worked with me will stand proudly at my grave. My items are excellent and even members of PSA have been in my store and bought signed books and other things. You and I are on the same side, whether you know it or not, we really are.

Kind regards,

Toby Stoffa

President

Antiquities

[Steve Cyrkin, Admin]

Hi Toby,

I know you're a she! That was Stephen Duncan. Thanks for what you wrote, though.

Steve

[Stephen Duncan]

Hi Toby,
PLEASE accept my apology as it was strictly an oversight. I meant no disrespect whatsoever. An absolute complete oversight.

Thank you for clearing that up Ms. Stoffa.

Best wishes to you,
Stephen Duncan
www.rockandrollcollection.com

[David Stedman]

Steve,
As a representative in licensed merchandise for 30 years, I can say with pride that I worked with Toby in the 1980's and 90's and know of the stories of Michael Jackson and many other artists that have shopped at her store. I have always considered her ethics to be above reproach and to take special care to validate as authentic any item she had.
If all of the autograph and antiquities dealers were as thorough, honest and sincere with regards to their customers, our autograph industry would be a lot less problematic. Kudos to Toby. Keep up the great work! Cha ching!

[Steve Cyrkin, Admin]

Hi David,

That's good to hear. I have a hypothetical question:

A new 2010 Mercedes S-Class stickers for about $92,000 and invoice is about $85,000. If I offered to sell you one for $15,000 what would you think?

[Steve Cyrkin, Admin]

Antiquities Web sites are:

Las Vegas, NV: www.antiquitieslv.com
San Francisco, CA: www.antiquitiesca.com

[Josh Board]

The example of McCartney buying something for $10,000 and selling for $80,000 means little to me. He's not an authenticator. He's about as good at guessing what Lennons signature looks like as me. I'm probably better, as i've studied hundreds and hundreds.
And, i'm guessing the rich people with big bucks at his charity dinners (I went to one, paying $500 to have dinner there, sitting w/ doctors and lawyers)...he could sell a glass he just drank water out of, and it would've fetched two or three thousand!

[Josh Board]

After going back and reading all these...I want to know why Toby won't answer some of these questions.

Basically, it boils down to this. You sell things for market value. If you don't, you give reasons why.

None of the prices stated really add up.

[Josh Board]

The owner can simply tell of experiences trying to sell at auction. Surely she has. So, she can say "I thought I'd get $50,000 for an album I sell for $10,000. Then, they told me I couldn't have a reserve set on it, which made me nervous. One authenticator wasn't sure about the piece, although another did say it was good. And, the idea that someone would buy it for $50,000 and two years later decide they felt it wasn't authentic and I'd have to cough up the money to refund them, didn't seem like something I was willing to do."

Anything. Give us anything, Toby. To say silent on the matter, shows that you're trying to hide something.
We don't buy this whole "Not comfortable on computers" stuff. My boss Steve Cyrkin will attest, that I'm the WORST person when it comes to computers. I send him picture files all messed up, I can't figure out how to do simple blogs...and yet, I found a way to do these things. Just as you did. And, if we are the ONLY Autograph magazine out there, and people have doubts about your product...I'm guessing it would be important enough to have the kids come over, set you up on here, and you can type out these stories or have them, explaining all this.
I've argued with Steve before, because he kinda buys into ROger Eppersons BS sometimes. Sure, Epperson is the gold standard with authetnication, but he has this habit of thinking he knows everything about classic rock bands. I'm guessing the Steve Duncan on here, and myself, probably know the same or more that Epperson. So, when Epperson once claimed that a Morrison signature on the Doors album was the "only one in existance," I scoffed. But, it does tell you something. If a person like him, who sees it all...and a lot of it...has only seen one Doors album with what he "thinks" is a legit signature, what about all your complete Beatles albums? And, I'll even take it a step further. Abbey Road was there last album. The last time they were in a studio recording. So...how in the world would someone acquire it completely signed? Surely not at a Beatles concert, as they hadn't toured since 1965. Surely not at various solo shows...because you can't just walk up to Lennon after he played for 50,000 at Madison Square Garden.
So, I'm guessing, 75% of signed Beatles albums, would be EARLY ALBUMS, not later onces. And, later onces, would have different pen and stuff like that, as people probably got them at different times.
Lastly....if we randomly pick an item you have...guitar signed by Morrison, or signed Beatles album...you should have the STORY on how it was acquired. The business card from the guy that sold it to you, that was the Beatles engineer, or whatever. Every item should have this type of background, otherwise....we don't buy it.

[Steve Cyrkin, Admin]

Toby, Josh is spot on--he's the worst on computers I've ever met. He once clicked a button on his blog and his face took over our Web site's entire home page. I didn't find out until his mom sent us an email thanking us for finally giving him the recognition he deserved.

Josh,

There are two Abby Road albums known. Both UK albums signed for girls. One girl's dog peed on Harrison's signature on hers. The other Harrison was a problem, too, but I forget why.

Something like 98% of Beatles albums are early Parlophone (UK) ones,  with the first, "Please Please Me" being the most common, since they were appearing at record stores in the UK back then.

There are only 11 known US label Beatles albums signed by the band, "Meet the Beatles" being the most common one. Sure, it's likely a few more will be discovered over time, but they won't be selling for 20 grand or less.

[Stephen Duncan]

The dog peeing on a signed Beatles LP???? ................what a p*****! :-(