Collectors Gene Radio

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Mario Andretti - Racing Legend & Collector of 111 Wins Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

Today’s guest is none other than the racing legend Mario Andretti, widely regarded as the greatest race car driver in the history of the sport.

Mario Andretti was born in Italy and didn't emigrate to the United States until age fifteen. At 19, he began racing stock cars in Pennsylvania and that was the start of an illustrious career that saw him compete and win in every discipline he entered. He won races in sports cars, sprint cars and stock cars – on ovals, road courses, drag strips, on dirt and on pavement. He won at virtually every level of racing since he arrived in America from his native Italy.

His achievements became legendary: The world watched as he won the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and ultimately the Formula One World Championship, taking home an unprecedented trifecta. No other race car driver has ever won all three titles and Mario took the checkered flag 111 times during his career – a career that stretched five decades and across six continents.

Today, in his retirement from racing, Mr. Andretti is still one of the most respected voices in motorsports and has received hundreds of awards and recognitions, like being named Driver of the Century, he was knighted by his native Italy, and the Library of Congress in Washington DC added him to its Living Legends list. And on the lighter side, but undoubtedly affirmation of his charisma and popularity, he was in the first Pixar Cars movie voicing himself and GQ Magazine named him one of "The 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time".

So with great honor, this is Mario Andretti, the greatest race car driver of all time, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Mario Andretti - https://marioandretti.com/

Justin Gruenberg - Curating, Collecting, & Cultivating The Tapestry of Refined Taste Mar 20, 2024

Show notes

Sometimes you can look at a collector and just know that they have the gene. And that couldn’t be more true than with today’s guest, Justin Gruenberg. The last name rings through Beverly Hills as his family has been in the business for years and Justin is no exception as his two brands The Keystone and LoupeThis happen to be some of the most influential in the watch industry. As cofounder of both, Justin’s collecting philosophies render right through the ethos behind both platforms. Aside from rarity, he is a “what meets the eye” type of collector and it doesn’t stop at watches. Having grown up going to museums, it was inevitable that his interests wouldn’t align with art and design, of course in true collectors fashion. He’s a tastemaker with a pulse on what’s next for him, not everyone else. So without further adieu, this is Justin Gruenberg, for Collectors Gene Radio.
The Keystone - https://thekeystone.com/
LoupeThis - https://loupethis.com/
Justin's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/justin.gruenberg/?hl=en

Rory Tait - Building A Stock Market For Collectors Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

Today’s guest is Rory Tait, one of the earliest employees at the company Rally. Rally is revolutionizing the way people invest in collectible assets, offering a platform where investors can buy and sell equity shares in items ranging from classic cars, rare books, and even dinosaur skulls. While all of those items seem terribly expensive to collect, that’s where Rally takes the wheel. Everyday investors like you and I are able to go onto Rally’s platform and buy and sell shares of all of these collectible items that they acquire. For example, in August of 2020, Rally IPO’ed a 1985 sealed copy of Super Mario Bros for Nintendo for $150k at $50/share. Just a year later the asset was acquired for $2m dollars giving their investors a more than 1200% return on their investment. So even if you just bought one share at $50, your investment would have gone to just under $667. Now, that’s only one side to the collecting journey, but what I love that Rally is doing is that they are preserving the nostalgia of these items through stories and their in person museum in New York where you can visit these items to see them for yourself and I urge you all to do so. Alright, without further adieu, this is Rory Tait, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Rory's Website - https://roryctait.com/
Rally - https://rallyrd.com/
24 Heures du Montauk - https://www.24heuresdumontauk.com/

Susan Feldman - Ageless Style & Artful Collecting: From One Kings Lane to In The Groove Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

Today’s guest is Susan Feldman, founder of One Kings Lane & In The Groove. She’s a born collector with retail blood and when it comes to collecting, she loves nothing more. After starting One Kings Lane in her early 50’s, she got exposed to working with some of the best designers around who opened her eyes to the beauty of traveling and vintage sourcing. A host and an entertainer, she’s collect a closet full of napkins, and dish sets, and boxes, and the list goes on. But these days, she’s doing more curating of her collections and focusing on the things that matter. After selling One Kings Lane, she’s started her next venture In The Groove targeted at inspiring women 50+ to own their age and style. As a collector, she’s curating content for this demographic and there's no one better for the job. So without further adieu, this is Susan Feldman, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Susan Feldman's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/susankfeldman/?hl=en
In The Groove - https://getinthegroove.com/

Mr. Chow - The Artful Palate of a Culinary Maestro & Masterful Collector Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

Michael Chow may not sound familiar to you, but what may sound familiar is Mr. Chow, the name of his highly luxurious and booming restaurant chain. Mr. Chow is a collector of art, art deco furniture and objet, and just about anything that is part of his day to day, all the way down to his thoughts and expressions. Name the first shot of any movie and he can tell you everything. He’s as sharp as it gets. Everything he does he relates back to art and theater, it’s truly a piece of who he is. He is one of the most eccentric (in the best way) and fascinating people I have ever had the chance to speak with. He’s the type of collector who wills what he wants into his ecosystem. Everything he does is based on repetition and collecting. Sound like a true collector to you? Mr. Chow did not have the most conventional upbringing in China, with his father being at the top of stardom, of which is still celebrated in China today, and having left at a very early age. Mr. Chow eventually opened up his restaurants, and when he opened his first one in New York, it quickly became the hotspot of the likes of Warhol, Basquiat, and many others that will probably keep your jaw open for an uncomfortable period of time. In fact, Basquiat once created a piece for M and had it delivered right to his apartment. An artist himself, he has turned his passion for collecting into a personal hobby. He’s got stories beyond belief and you can see it all in his new HBO documentary AKA Mr. Chow. With honor, Mr. Chow for Collectors Gene Radio.
aka Mr. Chow - https://www.hbo.com/movies/aka-mr-chow
Mr. Chow - https://www.mrchow.com/
Michael Chow Art - https://www.m-michaelchow.com/copy-of-theater-of-painting

Jonathan Sposato - The Maverick Symphony Of A Collector & Serial Entrepreneur Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

Today’s guest is serial entrepreneur and collector Jonathan Sposato. After starting companies like Geekwire, PicMonkey, Joysauce, and selling a few others as well, Jonathan is at a stage in his career where collecting has truly never been more important. Of course this ties into his multifaceted collections like old fighter pilot jackets, Saville Row Suits, cars, watches, back to apparel from brands like Ralph Lauren and even rare hand painted leather punk rock jackets. But when it comes to his companies like Joysauce, Jonathan is curating and collecting some of the very best content in the AAPI space and he approaches it the same way he does when it comes to his personal collections. The name of the game here is a common theme on the show, which is “buy what you love”. The collectors gene couldn’t be more present than in this episode and Jonathan has the passion and knowledge to back it. Alright, let’s dive in. This is Jonathan Sposato, for Collectors Gene Radio.
GeekWire - https://www.geekwire.com/
JoySauce - https://joysauce.com/
Jonathan’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jonathansposato/
Time To Wear Book by John Goldberger & Alessandro Squarzi - https://watchprint.com/en/books-on-watches/546-time-to-wear-john-goldberger-alessandro-squarzi.html

Chase Pion - Beyond the Bezel: Unveiling Tech Innovation with the Co-Founder of GetBezel.com Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

It’s not often that a collector starts a company within the hobby they love the most. Although it seems commonplace, for many of us, collecting is what we love to do when we have some free time. But that hobby turned business couldn’t be more true than with my guest today, Chase Pion, co-founder of Bezel, the online watch marketplace that secured investment from the likes of John Legend, Kevin Hart, Steve Aoki, Michael Rubin, and many more. But as a lot of entrepreneurs do, Bezel started out of vexation. Chase and his co-founders were quite exhausted from the lack of transparency and authentication services in the watch industry, so they sought out to fix it. Needless to say, their personal collecting continues on, now with the helping hand of the platform they built. Alright, this is Chase Pion, co-founder of Bezel, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Bezel - https://shop.getbezel.com/

Lori Hirshleifer - Chanel, Maximalism, and a 100 Year Family Business Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Today’s guest is Lori Hirshleifer, and if the name sounds familiar, that’s because her and her family run Hirshleifers, which has been in business for over 100 years. Hirshleifers has been described as the “last great department store” and that’s because it is. There’s something different about Hirshleifers when you walk through the front doors, and maybe it’s the Kith Treats outpost, or the fact that they have the only non-Chanel owned boutique in the US, or maybe it’s the vintage watch drops mixed with their new Sporty & Rich partnership, coupled with a Youngs Farm cafe. Whatever is, the 4th generation team has it figured out. And as for Lori? Being that she heads up the buying and merchandising, you can just imagine that her taste is pretty impeccable. From handbags and shoes, to jewelry and watches, and even a Chrome Hearts ephemeral collection, she’s a maximalist and does it with the utmost class and elegance. Like all of us, she’s constantly on the hunt and I always look forward to seeing what sneaks its way into her collection. So without further adieu, this is Lori Hirshleifer, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Hirshleifers - https://hirshleifers.com/
Lori's Instagram - @lorihirshleifer

Tristan Walker - Vintage Cartier, Black Cool & the Edge of Culture Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

Tristan Walker may be new to the collecting scene, but if the name sounds familiar, well, that’s because he sold company Walker & Company (makers of the grooming brand Bevel) to Procter & Gamble and sits on the board of companies like Shake Shack and Footlocker. Tristan’s approach to collecting is very similar to the way he runs his companies, and consistency is the name of the game. His passion for collecting is ever growing and he’s making the right relationships along the way. Our text chain is nothing short of a year's worth of watch purchases, books, and some good banter between the two of us. My favorite part about Tristan’s collection? If you put 10 collectors in a room, not a single one of us would ever guess what’s sitting in his watch box, and I have the pictures to prove it. It’s not just what’s sitting at home that makes him a great collector, it’s the fact that he has a great eye for design and you can see it in the products he’s created. At the end of the day, the guy just gets it. Alright, I am excited and honored to introduce to you, my friend, Tristan Walker, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Tristan's Instagram - https://instagram.com/tristanwalker?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Bevel - https://getbevel.com/
Walker & Company - https://walkerandcompany.com/
How I Built This w/ Tristan Walker - https://www.npr.org/2019/09/25/764355017/live-episode-walker-company-tristan-walker

Jake Mueser - Bespoke Tailoring Leads To Tailored Collecting Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

Perched right on Christopher Street in the West Village, you’ll find J. Mueser, the namesake bespoke tailor that’s been featured in GQ, Vogue, and WM Brown Magazine, just to name a few. We chat a lot about the usual suspects, like his vinyl and watch collection, but we also talk about the nuance behind collecting and how it relates to bespoke tailoring, and J. Mueser specifically. Jake touches on how the design process and collecting share a lot of the same attributes, and in this case, all in good taste. If you’ve ever felt unsure about your decision to own multiple iterations of the same item, this ones for you. Alright, please enjoy, Jake Mueser, for Collectors Gene Radio.
- J. Mueser - https://jmueser.com/

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