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Author
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Topic: Space memorabilia and MENSA
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Joel Katzowitz
Member Posts: 808
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 09-22-2009 08:56 PM
   
I was approached last week to give a presentation on collecting space memorabilia to, get this, the regional MENSA convention in Atlanta. Their theme is the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 so the tie-in is a natural. The presentation is this Saturday (Sept. 26) which left me with virtually no time to prepare anything. Fellow cS'er, my buddy, and Atlanta resident Gary Milgrom offered to help me out and so we're going into this together, sharing the workload and the glory. We also figure that maybe our combined IQ scores would buy us a membership.Stay tuned for the post presentation report. |
Joel Katzowitz
Member Posts: 808
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 09-27-2009 07:59 AM
MENSA post presentation report:The presentation went well. Gary looked pretty damn good in his flown STS-70 shirt and he even got a kiss from a 75 year old "Hells MENSA" biker chick. That alone was worth the price of admission. The audience size was, shall we say, intimate. The presentation preceding ours ran long and so our time slot fell right into lunch. We only had 8 people but they were enthusiastic and asked a lot of questions. Our Keynote (the Apple version of Powerpoint) presentation looked terrific. We showed a selection of Apollo 11 memorabilia along with some information on value. We also included tips on how to collect and how to enhance the artifacts once you've obtained them. We even referenced collectSPACE as a source for research and authenticating artifacts. Robert, do we get any credit for the plug? Overall, a great time was had by all. |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 09-27-2009 09:39 AM
I arrived to find Joel dressed as Neil Armstrong signing items in the lobby for cash. I had two photos signed. At the presentation our Etch-A-Sketch graphics wowed the crowd who seemed used to Gestetner-grade imagery. No one stole any of our mementos and neither of us was arrested.Me and Biker Chick are eloping. She still won't tell me her name. |
Gilbert
Member Posts: 1328
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 10-06-2009 08:40 PM
Wait a minute! I want to hear (read) more about Joel's and Gary's Apollo 11 MENSA presentation. I think there's an interesting story there. Let's hear it guys. |
Joel Katzowitz
Member Posts: 808
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 10-07-2009 06:52 PM
There's not much more to tell, except for this whole thing originated with Gilbert. He was approached by the MENSA group but was not able to participate so he passed the recruiter on to Rob Sumowski. Rob couldn't make it happen either so he decided to pass the buck over to me. By that time I only had about a week to put a presentation together and was about to decline the project myself when Gary offered to partner with me. The two of us made it work.The Biker Chick part was true. Gary's conspicuous absence from this thread seems to support the fact that they ran off together. The part about me impersonating Neil Armstrong and signing photos was not true. We did have a pretty dynamic presentation. It included Apollo 11 items from my collection ranging from the exotic to the mundane. Gary rounded out the show by illustrating the hammer prices of some really expensive items found on several auction websites and catalogs. We didn't get a standing ovation, unless you count them getting up to leave. But they were definitely engaged. We both got MENSA coffee mugs for our efforts. Gary already has his on eBay. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-08-2009 04:33 PM
I don't know the timeline, so they may have been concurrent efforts, but the same MENSA group contacted collectSPACE about suggestions for space memorabilia collectors in the Atlanta area back in August. I recommended they contact Russ Still, who may have led them in turn to Rob Sumowski. I'm glad to read they were able to ultimately recruit Joel and Gilbert Gary to attend. |
Joel Katzowitz
Member Posts: 808
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 10-08-2009 06:35 PM
Thanks for clearing that up Robert. Russ must have passed it to Gilbert, who passed it to Rob, who passed it to me, who recruited Gary to join in the fun.Man, you'd have to be in MENSA to follow all of that. I still wonder where Gary is. |
Gilbert
Member Posts: 1328
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 10-09-2009 05:20 PM
I must confess, Russ put them in contact with me. I had something scheduled that day, so I put them on Rob's trail. Rob was busy so he suggested Joel. Joel stepped up to the plate and represented the space collecting community well. And that's how it played out. I wish I could have seen the Joel & Gary act live. I'm sure it was great. |
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