Novel Signature Collection Offers Glimpse into Celeb Psyche

JENSEN BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eyebrows of rare book and signature collectors will rise this fall when an extraordinary collection with a tender mission will be available for an online and live auction beginning November 9-24, 2009 (www.eBay.com ). Dubbed The Little Auction That Could (www.littleauctionthatcould.org), the 70+ collection includes signatures from some of the most iconic figures of our time, including President Barack Obama, John H. Glenn, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling and Tiger Woods.

“Owning one or more books from this eclectic collection would be the cornerstone of anyone’s collection.”

Volunteer mom Karla Preissman wanted to foster a love of reading among children living at Jensen Beach, Florida-based Hibiscus Children’s Center who have suffered from abuse and neglect. First, she helped create a library within the non-profit shelter and filled it with books and resources. To insure the resources would be replenished and the library maintained, she came up with an idea. Why not ask famous people what books inspired them as a child and ask them to simply sign their names in a copy that would be auctioned for the benefit of the shelter?

What started off as a simple request has mushroomed into a wildly varied and fascinating glimpse of what some of the most famous people on the planet believed to be a motivating book from childhood. Other iconic figures, such as President Barack Obama, signed a book symbolic of his time in office -- a first edition pop-up White House children’s book. The top 12 books will be auctioned live November 20 at the Lyric Theatre in downtown Stuart, Florida with author Carl Hiaasen headlining the event and nationally renowned book expert Nicholas Basbanes presenting.

Author and poet Maya Angelou submitted three signed books, one coming from her personal library called Story of Phillis Wheatley detailing the life of a slave turned poet during the American Revolution. How do you place a value on a collectible item like that?

According to the Professional Autograph Dealer Association (www.padaweb.org) website, the following key elements will determine the price: authenticity, condition, content, rarity and demand. For example, nearly 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln signed for the declaration of war against the south and today the document is on the market for $850,000. Flash forward 100 years, and John F. Kennedy’s signature accepting his nomination for the Liberal Party in 1960 is on the market for $40,000. Imagine 100 years from now, what will be the value of the signature of our nation’s first African American, Nobel prize winning President while he was in his first term of office? Anyone’s guess.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based antiquarian book dealer and appraiser Robert Hittel believes, “Owning one or more books from this eclectic collection would be the cornerstone of anyone’s collection.”

For the complete listing of signed books and information about bidding, go to www.littleauctionthatcould.org. To see the collection firsthand, visit the exhibition at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, Florida (www.elliottmuseumfl.org) beginning November 6 through November 29, 2009.

A sampling of celebrity signed books:

Celebrity	Book	Inscription

Jane Goodall	Tarzan	If only Tarzan had married the right Jane.
Maya Angelou	Story of Phillis Wheatley	To the winning bidder at Hibiscus Children’s Shelter, Joy! Maya Angelou; July 24, 2009
Jason Taylor	Tom Sawyer	Read & grow!
Sean Connery	Treasure Island	Best wishes
Philip Knight	The Kid from Tomkinsville	Just do it!