THE 24 WORDS below, crafted through a collaboration of several dozen of our managers, express how we envision Our Mission here at Heritage Auctions and The Intelligent Collector:
To be the world’s most trusted and efficient marketplace and information resource serving owners of fine art, collectibles, and other objects of enduring value.
One of Heritage Auctions’ two predecessor companies (parts of which merged in 1982 to form Heritage Auctions) was located in Boston, Mass., directly across the street from Fidelity Investments, with whom we maintained an excellent relationship. Fidelity was a wonderful firm even then, but much smaller than today.
In the 1970s, most American families invested only in bank CDs or saving accounts and equity in their homes. Some owned bonds or mutual funds. Few purchased stocks or similar investments.
Securities were hard to understand, and expensive to buy and sell; prospective stockholders had to navigate a sea of misinformation and trudge through a jungle of predatory salespeople “advising” them to buy shares of the wrong companies at inflated prices, or to sell whatever shares they had, at what now seem like ridiculously high commissions.
Fidelity, along with a few other firms, pioneered making the stock market understandable, available and profitable for mainstream Americans.
Stock investing isn’t perfect even today, of course, and predators still lurk in the thickets, but securities are much safer for the average person than they were in the 1970s.
Today’s collectors find themselves in a position similar to that of prospective stock buyers in the 1970s: Many are interested, yet rightly fearful. All want to buy intelligently, but intelligent buying requires expertise and many cannot spare the time to become experts.
Which brings us to Heritage Auctions. Like Fidelity, Our Mission is to build a level playing field, a more transparent platform through which both buyers and sellers can conveniently research and learn enough about assets they own, or wish to own, then consistently make intelligent transactions.
At Heritage Auctions, we believe that owning collectibles, like stock investing, can be both enjoyable and a wise financial diversification. We hope to be at the forefront of a worldwide effort to bring collecting mainstream, both as a prudent diversification of wealth and as a source of pleasure, mental stimulation and pride.
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Recognized for Editorial Excellence
▸ 2015 Pearl Award, Bronze: Best Print Magazine
▸ 2015 Eddie Award, Finalist: Best Overall Editorial
▸ 2015 Numismatic Literary Guild: Best Article
▸ 2011 Pearl Award, Silver: Best Overall Editorial
▸ 2011 Maggie Award, Finalist: Editorial Excellence
▸ 2010 Pearl Award, Gold: Best Overall Editorial
▸ 2010 Eddie Award, Gold: Best Single Article
▸ 2010 Numismatic Literary Guild: Best Dealer Publication
▸ 2010 Maggie Award, Finalist: Editorial Excellence
▸ 2009 Eddie Award, Bronze: Best Overall Editorial
▸ 2009 Apex Award for Publication Excellence
From Our Readers
“Heritage Magazine for the Intelligent Collector is a big, beautiful publication with writing that is both entertaining and informative and photos that are glorious to behold.” Tony Isabella, Comics Buyer’s Guide
“Heritage Auctions … publishes a beautiful, glossy printed magazine about coins and collectibles called Heritage Magazine. The masthead subtitle tells us that this magazine is ‘for the intelligent collector,’ and based on the issue I looked at, I can certainly say that some very intelligent people are writing and publishing this periodical. The articles are all very well-researched and written, and the magazine is loaded with high-quality color photographs.” About.com
“I have been a collector and had antique shops for a long, long time. I never had a reference type magazine like yours, which I would have loved. It taught me a lot in just one issue. I always mark the pages in magazines that I want to look back on and reread. Almost every page in your magazine has my marker on it. I shall be busy reading for a long while.” Jeanne Lynch
“Thank you for putting out one of the best collectible magazines I have read in a while. Being a collector of 40 years and a dealer for 20 years, I have seen a lot of antique trade publications come and go. This is one of the few magazines that I read every article. I like the wide variety of collectibles your writers cover.” Jeff Jaeger