A collector talks about the film American Collectors

Kristen is a collector and a designer of a women and children's clothing line based in vancouver, bc, canada

Here is a her blog talking about why people collect:

http://kristinrasmussen.blogspot.com/2011/04/american-collectors.html

American Collectors film can be seen on your Video on Demand cable system and IndieFlix.com

Throwaway Society, American Collectors Film

Throwaway Society

If you haven't read the book, "Cheap, the High Cost of Discount Culture", http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106431468
you really should check it out. It brings to mind so many of the clothes I've purchased lately that have fallen apart
within months of bringing home. Things are made to be replaced rather than repaired.

Contrast that with the clothes that you can find in a vintage shop. They have already been around for
over 40 years, with zippers still intact and functional. back then, it would be unthinkable to have to replace a winter
coat after one season, because the plastic snaps and zippers have disintegrated.

That's why I love to look at collections of things we use and see something made 75 years ago still
in good shape and ready to be resurected. In the documentary film, American Collectors, many of the collectors interviewed also
expressed the admiration of the quality and fact the items they collect have a long history and can still be used.

I know for myself that's why I'm attacted to older things, more care was taken in the construction and they were made to be handed down,
not thrown in the landfill. We have to thank collectors for saving these objects, they preserve our history and the planet too!

For more information about American Collectors please go to www.AmericanCollectorsMovie.com

Our Collectors, Keepers of Culture, American Collectors film

Our Collectors, Keepers of Culture

Caught the American Pickers NASCAR Challenge episode yesterday.
The boys went out to find artifacts for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. They called on people who where there in the beginning and uncovered some early artifacts. Nearly all people would have identified them as pieces of junk metal and car parts, but the items very exciting to the people at the Hall of Fame and they were delighted to get them.

The guys that saved these items, retained important artifacts and evidence of history. No matter what you may think about NASCAR, it is classic Americana and owes its start to Prohibition and the 18th Amendment.

We owe a lot to collectors who find value in things like this. The radio collector in the documentary film, American Collectors, has the history of our early communication and media on display in the Museum of Radio and Electricity in Bellingham WA

I think its important to know where we started and how we got here.

In the age of instant communication, its incredible to see where 100 years of technological advancement has gotten us.
As people rushed to get the latest upgrade, it's amazing to see what they cast aside. Looking at the elements of design and shapes of the early pieces we get an insight to what people valued.

If you ever find yourself in Bellingham WA, make the time and check out The Museum of Radio and Electricity. Its a world class museum. You can see a fraction of the vast collection in the film, American Collectors, available for download and video on demand on many digitable cable networks and IndieFlix.com

For more information please go to www.AmericanCollectorsMovie.com

The Secret World of Collectors, American Collectors Film

The Secret World of Collectors, American Collectors Film

Ms. B. Hooping Allure. Another of the colorful characters featured in American Collectors

For the most part, collecting is a very private endeavor. With the exception

of the occasional celebrity collector, the activity carries on, unnoticed by most people.

Until now, that is. Enter Pawn Stars, American Pickers, and Storage Wars for starters. Lately,

not a day goes by without a new reality television series being

introduced with collecting as the foundation of the story.

An engaging ensemble of characters face the trials and tribulations of finding hidden treasures

concealed in abandoned storage units, houses and barns. The collections and very rarely the collectors

themselves, provide the canvas and the assembled cast of personalities provide the drama and human interest.

American Collectors, the documentary film released in 2009, goes straight to the collectors to get

a story. Without a scripted sub-plot, the film takes the viewer to the heart of the mystery, why do

people collect things and what do they get out of it? Each collector lays bare their passion about the

items collected and its effect on their lives. Its a very intimate look at a very private pastime.

With these authentic and compelling stories, the viewer can discover something about the relationship

with objects in their own lives.

American Collectors can be viewed on VOD in these cable outlets

1

Charter

2

Verizon FiOS (3/11)

3

AT&T U-Verse

4

Rogers (Canada)

5

Mediacom

6

Cogeco (Canada)

7

Eastlink Communications

8

Wave

9

Blue Ridge

10

Access Communication (CCSA)

11

Source Cable (CCSA)

12

NorthwsTel Cable (CCSA)

13

Bluewater (CCSA)

14

Seaside (CCSA)

15

KPU

16

Cable Cable (CCSA)

AMERICAN COLLECTORS Film VERSUS AMERICAN PICKER TV SHOW

American Collectors Film versus American Pickers

I've been hearing people raving about the reality show American Pickers and I just got around to watching the show for the first time. I did enjoy the show and I really liked the three people who drive the story.

American Pickers does a great job capturing the thrill of the hunt and the art of making a deal. Its fun to watch and its always interesting to see what kind of crazy and exotic items people have stashed in their barns, out buildings and garages.

Generally, American Pickers comes in at the end of the story, when the collector has either died or moved on to other interests. The collected items are sitting dormant and waiting to be rediscovered.

The American Collectors Film profiles collectors who are actively building their collections and still have a strong relationship with the items they seek. They are caught up in the challenge of the pursuit just like American Pickers. In the American Collectors film the new item has a home and is out of circulation.

Collecting is somewhat of a private act, it's not unusual for a collector's spouse, and even the collector themselves, to be unaware of the extent of the collection. For many people the time when they realize what they have, is when its time to liquidate.

And that makes for another great episode of American Pickers!

The Making of American Collectors Film: by Terri Krantz co- producer / director

The Making of American Collectors Film: by Terri Krantz co- producer / director

Most of us know someone who collects- 30% -of Americans are die hard collectors, and we love them anyway. But what drives obsessions such as this? That is the beating heart and prime directive of this documentary that examines the relationship between people and their objects of desire

When we stated to think about the idea of making a film about collectors, we immediately knew what we didn't want to be.

It was 2007 and The Antiques Roadshow was the dominant collecting show, most others were independent efforts by collecting clubs or websites, and we also found a few coming out of the United Kingdom.

The main focus of these shows was about the objects collected with a very strong emphasis on how much money its worth and how much the person had paid for it. We did not want to go down that path.

We also did not want to be exploitive by finding people outside the norm, and put them on film for others to ridicule.

I've spent over twenty years in the antique business and after years of observing collectors, both as friends and clients, a few things stood out. Collectors are different.

No matter what they collect, they form an emotional attachment to objects. It may not last forever but this attachment fuels their passion which leads to a joy or purpose for some and obsession for others.

On the positive side, collectors are the keepers of our culture. If not for their efforts many important artists and artifacts which were considered to be unimportant or trivial at their time, would be lost forever.

On the negative side, strained relationships, financial ruin and isolation often accompany the drive to acquire.

When I started to research collecting, I looked at the psychological and psychiatric treatises on the subject. Most but not all, portrayed collectors as flawed humans, making up for a lack of human attention in their early years by transferring their emotional needs to inanimate objects.

In doing so, they were labeled as weak willed and obsessive, not quite normal and lacking skills in human relationships.

Its been my personal experience that collectors are quite passionate and at times can go overboard in the quest to acquire a new piece.

And yet there are other activities, such as sports fans, athletes and fishermen that routinely are very obsessed with their chosen hobby or activity that don't come under as much criticism and derision as collectors.

With these thoughts in mind, we designed our questions to find out in the collectors own words, why they were driven to collect things and what they got out of it.

Many collectors in the film said they had wondered the same thing, but had never gone about trying to give a thoughtful answer. They enjoyed pondering the questions and their answers were varied but contained similar threads of thought.

All were quite passionate about their chosen object, and enjoyed the hunt for new items. For many collectors, this is the main reason they do it, but once they get to own the item, it loses its fascination for them and they need to replace it with another. In a way, its very much like a Don Juan scenario, but with things rather than women.

Another way to describe this process is the word, “More-I-tis” . More-i-tis was mentioned by a couple of the collectors in the film. Larry, an Axe collector with over 1000 axes in his collection, in the film states “ Its like a disease called More- i- tis, the only way to cure it is to go out and find another item, then that helps for a week or two but then the effects of More- i -tis comes back”

What we found was that people collected because they found something that spoke to them in a profound way. Whether it was a toy that brought back memories of happier times, or appreciating the craftsmanship of a particular item, these objects made them happy and in many cases were a gateway to acquiring knowledge about the past and our culture. We found most people use their passion to connect with like minded people, join clubs and organizations and enrich their lives in the quest of collecting.

American Collectors Film can be seen on your Cable ( video on demand ) or IndieFlix.com

American Collectors film now on Cable VOD

Binary Recording Studio production "American Collectors" is now available on your cable system VOD ( video on demand ) A film about WHY people collect things and the relationship with their items.

1	Charter
2	Verizon FiOS (3/11)
3	AT&T U-Verse
4	Rogers (Canada)
5	Mediacom
6	Cogeco (Canada)
7	Eastlink Communications
8	Wave
9	Blue Ridge
10	Access Communication (CCSA)
11	Source Cable (CCSA)
12	NorthwsTel Cable (CCSA)
13	Bluewater (CCSA)
14	Seaside (CCSA)
15	KPU
16	Cable Cable (CCSA)

Film Critic Robert Horton Interview "American Collectors" directors on PBS

Watch the full episode. See more Reel NW.

Wyoming PBS Broadcasting "American Collectors" Film

March 31st. 7pm, American Collectors will be broadcasting on PBS Wyoming. http://www.wyomingpbs.org/

American Collectors film Streaming on PBS Kcts 9

Our film American Collectors is streaming online . Please check it out at

http://video.kcts9.org/video/1708621019/

A Binary Recording Studio Production

American Collectors film on Reel NW PBS Kcts9

American Collectors film will be airing on a new program broadcasted by Kcts 9 called Reel NW. Dec. 23rd at 10 pm. Binary Recording Studio produced this film, directed by Bob Ridgley and Terri Krantz.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcts9/5190302067/in/set-72157625301983713/

Directors of American Collectors film win Award

Bob Ridgley and Terri Krantz directors of the film “American Collectors” has been awarded for their excellence in film making by the Bellingham Arts Commission . A Binary Studio Production.

CreateSpace helping American Collectors Film

Createspace.com is a great group of people who are helping us distribute the American Collectors film They will be placing our film on Amazon.com and helping us provide the film for streaming download.

New film 'American Collectors' features a Portland man and his jail memorabilia

By Margie Boule, The Oregonian

November 08, 2009, 5:18AM

View full sizeCourtesy of Chuck PalmerChuck PalmerAn obsession. Pack rat fever. Collectomania. An uncontrollable addiction.

It's funny how often collecting is described as some kind of illness.

Sometimes it's the collectors themselves who use pseudo medical terms. In the documentary "American Collectors," which has its Portland premiere at 6 p.m. Monday in the Portland Art Museum's Whitsell Auditorium, a man who admits he owns more than 100 tractors calls it "more-a-philia."

Portlander Chuck Palmer uses a more romantic term: "Collecting is my passion," he says. "It just gets your blood pumping."

People can be passionate collectors of the most unlikely items. Plastic bags. X-rays. Fish posters. (Clean) air sickness bags. Vintage calculators. Prosthetic eyeballs. Store mannequins.

Chuck, one of the collectors featured in "American Collectors," is passionate about "stuff from jails and prisons," he says.

Just about everything except the prisoners.

Chuck lost interest in the people behind bars when he worked as a jail guard for Multnomah County from 1977 to 1986. "I left with my sanity," he says.

He also left with no desire to have anything to remind him of the jails. "It's an intensely stressful job. Nobody wants to be in the jail. Not even the officers."

Perhaps to relieve some of that stress, Chuck began collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia in 1981. He'd go to estate sales and antique and junk shops. Then he became a dealer, setting up booths at collectibles shows.

"I'm an active collector," Chuck says. "If I have an interest in something, then I'm accumulating, I'm buying."

But he's buying only the real thing. "I don't buy phony things, fantasy items, reproduced items. I want original items that have value and will maintain that value, if not increase."

In the late 1980s, Chuck got divorced. In the settlement, he lost his Coca-Cola collection, which he calls "the largest collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia west of the Mississippi."

For a while he tried building a new collection. "I'd see a cool Coca-Cola piece, pick it up, and it would be a piece I used to own." Buying back things he'd once owned "was no thrill."

For a while he collected nothing. It gave him an empty feeling. "You gotta have something to collect," he says. "What else is there to do if you're shopping and hunting?"

View full sizeCourtesy of Chuck PalmerPart of Chuck Palmer's collection.Then, at a show in 1989, Chuck spotted a pair of handcuffs just like he used to carry. "They were rare, because of the design. They discovered, after not too many months of use, that inmates could heat the barrel of a plastic pen and create a key." He bought the cuffs.

Then he bought a different pair. "I'd always been fascinated with cuffs and how the locks worked," Chuck says.

Then he found himself buying an old "wanted" poster for James Earl Ray, the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. "These things just start catching your attention," Chuck says.

A new collection was born.

As he always had, Chuck began researching the items he was collecting. "When I collected Coca-Cola things, I knew as much about the company history as their archivist did," Chuck says. Now he began studying prison history.

"I have learned more history through collecting than I ever did in high school and college," he says. "Because it applies to what I do. It's not just Roman history when you've never seen Rome."

He loves the hunt, too. "It's fun, because you're out there looking for nuggets or specks of gold. And everyone is looking for that big nugget, something they get for 10 bucks and can get a thousand for."

He also enjoys selling items and dealing with people who collect other objects. He sees a lot of them; 19 years ago he married a woman who owned a company that produces antiques and collectibles shows. It's called Palmer Wirfs & Associates (www.palmerwirfs.com). Chuck and Chris Palmer have worked as "best friends and co-producers" ever since.

Sometimes Chuck makes finds at their own shows.

He rarely searches on eBay, although he recently found a rare pair of Romer leg restraints, he says. "I'd only seen one pair in my life." They were a real bargain, he says. "You add a special piece like that, and it raises the value of the entire collection."

The collection includes "an inmate I.D. photo of Charlie Manson," Chuck says. "And one of the best pieces is a striped chain-gang uniform from the 1920s in Alabama."

He has leather restraints from the 1870s, a cell door that he has in storage because it weighs 800 pounds and a barred window he thinks came from the old jail in The Dalles.

"The thing everyone gets the biggest laugh out of is a jail toilet," Chuck says. "It's a combination sink-and-toilet, all built with one piece of aluminum. It's from the 1960s from a little jail in Covina, California." He knows that because when he found it, he called the sheriff in California to verify its authenticity.

He has invitations to executions. Yes, they used to print invitations.

And he bought a collection of items from the descendants of a man who used to be the official timer of executions for the state of Oregon. "He'd type on a sheet of paper, 'Joe Blow entered the chamber, 9:01. Joe Blow fastened in, 9:02.' ... He kept every invitation, newspaper articles on the guys, the timing sheet, even the mask that went over their eyes."

Chuck also has a pair of McKenzie mitts, metal "mittens" that open with a hinge.

An inmate in the mitts "couldn't pick up a gun or anything to use against you. Only 180 of those were ever made. But they were so effective, they caused their own problem."

Prisoners were transported back then by train. Railroad companies would not allow prisoners to be released from restraints. "So the prisoner couldn't take care of personal business." Guards were not prepared to provide assistance in restrooms, so the mitts were discontinued.

Ever the researcher, when Chuck bought crime-scene photos of the investigation of an old jail break, he interviewed a man who'd been a guard at the jail, who was at first suspected of aiding the break. "That adds to the history of it for me," he says. "That's the fun of it."

Most of Chuck's collection is in storage. "It's not proper decor for a home, really," he says, laughing. He does have a few posters of prison movies in his home. "Those are on the walls because my wife likes them."

And you'd better believe that if Chuck ever acquires what he wants most -- an electric chair -- it will not rest in the living room. He does have a line on one. "But I'll just have to be patient," he says.

Chuck is looking forward to the Oregon premiere of "American Collectors" (americancollectorsmovie.com).

"I'm going to go," he says. "I'll have on one of my shirts that says something about a prison. I'm looking forward to it."

-- Margie Boulé

Axes to Action Figures, Northwest collecting fanatics are featured in American Collectors Film

Portland, Oregon (MMD Newswire) October 30, 2009 -- Most of us
know someone who collects-at least 30% of Americans do-and we
love them anyway. But what drives obsessions such as this? That is
the beating heart and prime directive of American Collectors, a
verité documentary film that examines the relationship between
people and their objet du désir.

One of the featured collectors is Portland's own ?Chuck Palmer, a
co owner of Palmer Wirfs Inc. Chuck not only runs "America's
?Largest Antique and Collectible Show", he is an avid collector of
prison ?items. His collection runs the full gamut, from books and
historical ?documents to nuts and bolts prison items, uniforms,
restraints and even a ?prison toilet!

Find out what drives Chuck to accumulate these types of things at
the film's Oregon debut, happening as part of the Northwest Film
Center's 36th Northwest Film & Video Festival.

More information at
www.nwfilm.org.

When: Monday, November 9, 2009 at 7PM

Location: Northwest Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium at the
Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland, Oregon.

Rick Kennedy
Marketing
(360) 483.9333

rick@binaryrecordingstudio.com

http://www.americancollectorsmovie.com

Seattle Post Globe reviews American Collectors Film, by Bill White

Documentaries about eccentrics are often exploitive things that play on the viewers’ sense of superiority to the on-screen subjects, Not so “American Collectors," (Oct. 5 at 7 pm) which respects the obsessions of those afflicted with “More-itis" without denying the entertainment value of entering the private worlds of borderline maniacs.

From a relatively tasteful collection of handcrafted purses to the near-catastrophic proliferation of AOL promotional discs, directors Bob Ridgley and Terri Krantz offer a fast-paced romp through the bedrooms and garages of our most single-minded citizens. We meet a young woman who feeds all her quarters into gumball machines as if they were slot machines and an old woman who still delights in playing with her Barbie dolls. One of the most articulate subjects explains that by collecting the toys he owned as a child he can trigger lost memories, while a guy who boasts the world’s most complete collection of Duran Duran posters is on the edge of tears as he tries to communicate just how far this band has gone to defining his own life.

In addition to the excellent interviews, the film is a wealth of visual delight. Hundreds of bobble-headed dolls shimmy and shake to generic metal music. A theme-park for artifacts from science fiction movies of the fifties takes up residency in a donut shop. Finally, the sight of 100 idle tractors on a plot of unbroken land is a once-in-a-lifetime vision of displaced consumerism gone wild.

Worlds Largest Duran Duran Poster Collection by Collector Durandy

Hello! I wanted to share a fun little happening.... From Durandy ,a collector in the American Collectors Film

Ever wonder who the Northwest's biggest collectors are?

Last year, I was approached by Bob Ridgley and Terri Krantz, a filmmaking team who were making a documentary called American Collectors. Their film profiles people who collect a variety of things: purses, pianos, tractors, free AOL internet CDs -- a marvelous, eclectic array of personalities. Bob and Terri had heard of me, and wished to learn more about my particular passion. As curator/owner of the world's largest collection of Duran Duran posters, I was happy to fill them in. With a trip to the archive and a little on-camera exposition, I tried my best to convey the breadth and depth of my Duran-designed devotion.

After interviewing 40 collectors, the film's scope was narrowed down to 16 featured subjects, and I had the pleasure and privilege of being one of those 16. Last night, the film premiered at Bellingham's Pickford Theater.

The documentary was delightful! A colorful assortment of people shed light on the collecting phenomenon with a mix of humor, pride, and revealing honesty. Among the highlights: a big KISS memorabilia collector adorned his bathroom with rare artifacts from floor to ceiling, and his young son showed signs of following in his father's footsteps; and two men who collect axes and tractors respectively, proudly displayed their treasures, illustrating the vast spectrum of what is collectable. Even Bob Ridgeley, one half of the filmmaking team, showcased his collection of vintage bobblehead figures which numbers in the hundreds, eliciting gasps of awe from the audience.

Eventually the spotlight was turned on me, and I shifted nervously in my seat. Very odd to watch myself on the big screen. Bob and Terri were able to use some footage from my first poster exhibit, accompanied by a few seconds of Hungry Like The Wolf, which was all I needed to emerge from the theater afterwards, smiling from ear-to-ear.

Here is a press release from when Bob and Terri recently won a film award from the Indie Fest. Included is some further detail about their doc, including a link to the film's trailer at the bottom:

The Indie Fest recognizes film professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity. The award was given for Binary Recording Studio's documentary film, "American Collectors" which was produced and directed by Bob Ridgley and Terri Krantz. American Collectors is a film which looks at the psychology of collecting and features interviews with 15 unique collectors. "In our research for this film we found that 30% of the American population collects, and has more room and space to fill with their collections than any other country in the world. Because of this unique set of circumstances we decided to focus on American collectors," says Krantz. "The film was crafted in a Cinema Verite style that lets the viewer come up with his own conclusion of why this behavior occurs," adds Ridgley. " After watching this film you will see some interesting repetitions in how they see themselves and why they do it."

To see the trailer of this film go to the website, AMERICAN COLLECTORS, a film about people who collect things.

AMERICAN COLLECTORS Film at the Tacoma Art Museum

American Collectors film will be screening at the 2009 Tacoma Film Festival Sunday, October 4^th, 12:15pm at the Tacoma Art Museum

Location: Tacoma Art Museum
1701 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402

www.americancollectorsmovie.com

AMERICAN COLLECTORS FILM Trailer is up on Indieflix

Indieflix has posted the American Collectors film trailer, please check it out. http://www.indieflix.com/Films/AmericanCollectors1

They are offering the best price on this DVD! A film about people who collect things.

Bobbing Head Collector In American Collectors Movie

More bobbing heads then you have ever seen in one place. This collection has 25 years in the making and about 1000 in number. The focus is on character bobbing heads, from the 50's and 60's the age of plaster instead of plastic heads. Bob the collector mentions that they did not last because of the plaster heads would break easy, of course becoming very collectable. You can see Bob's bobbing head collection and 15 other collectors and their objects of desire in American Collectors Movie, a film about people who collect things. www.americancollectorsmovie.com