The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 15, April 10, 2005, Article 27

BLING FLING: FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN COIN DEALER?

[I am not making this up - it's from a recent press release. -Editor]

"Young Hollywood, chart-topping music artists and professional
athletes, who now show off with expensive cars, lavish homes,
and flashy jewelry, might want to take a look into investing into rare
coins as their next source of bling."

"There really is a 'cool' factor to investing in rare coins," says
Ken Smaltz, owner of K. Smaltz, Inc. one of the top coin
dealers and first African American-owned dealer in the
United States.

"Smaltz is hoping celebrity coin collectors like actor James
Earl Jones, comedian Bill Cosby, hockey icon Wayne Gretzky,
Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss and film director Penny
Marshall, catch the attention of the bling audience to kick this
investment trend into high gear."

"Bling doesn't have to mean purchasing massive amounts
of liabilities with limited value. Bling can be a new way high
earning individuals utilize their capital to purchase assets
with appreciating value that can be passed down from
generation to generation," says Smaltz."

The full press release can be found at: Full Story

[We've discussed celebrity coin collectors in previous E-Sylum
issues, but this is the first reference I've seen to Bill Cosby as a
collector. Has anyone else heard this? What does he collect?

And what about the claim of being the "first African American-
owned dealer in the United States"? Is this truly a first? Surely
there must have been another. Can anyone give us an example?
-Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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