The Franklin Mint, makers of commemorative plates, figurines and snow globes, admitted Thursday that its "Average Joe" line of collectible plates, hasn't increased in value and probably never will.
The plates were first introduced in 1979 as part of their "Tribute to America" series. There were 49 plates released, one for every state, except New Jersey. The first plate released featured Bob Anderson of Appleton, WI; you probably wouldn't know him. And ended with the plate of Sue Nelson of Fort Wayne, IN being delivered by mail to Agnes Sarcussi of Brooklyn, NY. Neither person is someone you would have any reason to know.
Surprisingly, when we visited Miss Sarcussi, she had all 49 plates plus the bonus "Our Gang" plate proudly displayed on her dining room wall. "Who the hell are these people?" asked Agnes' long suffering husband Tony, "I've been staring at these damn plates forever, I'm done with it!" Defeated, Tony sulked off to the kitchen and popped open a can of Schlitz before heading into the den to watch "Wheel of Fortune."
When asked if she read the fine print where it clearly stated that the plates, "May or may not increase in value." Mrs. Sarcussi answered, "It seemed like such a sure thing. The nice man on the phone told me they were a much better investment than gold."
Using the original packing slip and the internet, we were able to track down the salesman from 1979, a man named Don Tarsco. I reached Mr. Tarsco at his home in Sunnyside Acres, a retirement community on the outskirts of Des Moines, Ia. A pleasant man, I asked Don Tarsco what he could tell me about The Franklin Mint and their collectible plates. "The damn chicken pot pies are all stuffed with dark meat!" The seemingly confused, former plate pusher yelled at me through the phone. When I tried to explain that I was doing a story on collectible plates, he cut me off mid-sentence, yelling, "I know you've been snooping around my tool shed!" getting nowhere, I said goodbye to the senile salesman and told Mrs. Sarcussi to hang in there with the plates. "Oh I will, they've become like members of my family," she said as she wiped the plate of Stewert Rolley from Portland, Or before adding, "Stewert's such a nice boy."
Taking that as my signal to leave, I poked my head into the den and bid farewell to Tony, who was yelling, "Buy a vowel ya' dumb broad!" at a television set that had clearly seen better days. As I stepped outside and into the fresh air, the smell of old peoples' house was quickly washed away.
Little did I know it would soon return tenfold when I arrived to check the status of Donna Lee Mitchner and point out the tiny "not legal tender" on her New York Mint commemorative coins.
The plates were first introduced in 1979 as part of their "Tribute to America" series. There were 49 plates released, one for every state, except New Jersey. The first plate released featured Bob Anderson of Appleton, WI; you probably wouldn't know him. And ended with the plate of Sue Nelson of Fort Wayne, IN being delivered by mail to Agnes Sarcussi of Brooklyn, NY. Neither person is someone you would have any reason to know.
Surprisingly, when we visited Miss Sarcussi, she had all 49 plates plus the bonus "Our Gang" plate proudly displayed on her dining room wall. "Who the hell are these people?" asked Agnes' long suffering husband Tony, "I've been staring at these damn plates forever, I'm done with it!" Defeated, Tony sulked off to the kitchen and popped open a can of Schlitz before heading into the den to watch "Wheel of Fortune."
When asked if she read the fine print where it clearly stated that the plates, "May or may not increase in value." Mrs. Sarcussi answered, "It seemed like such a sure thing. The nice man on the phone told me they were a much better investment than gold."
Using the original packing slip and the internet, we were able to track down the salesman from 1979, a man named Don Tarsco. I reached Mr. Tarsco at his home in Sunnyside Acres, a retirement community on the outskirts of Des Moines, Ia. A pleasant man, I asked Don Tarsco what he could tell me about The Franklin Mint and their collectible plates. "The damn chicken pot pies are all stuffed with dark meat!" The seemingly confused, former plate pusher yelled at me through the phone. When I tried to explain that I was doing a story on collectible plates, he cut me off mid-sentence, yelling, "I know you've been snooping around my tool shed!" getting nowhere, I said goodbye to the senile salesman and told Mrs. Sarcussi to hang in there with the plates. "Oh I will, they've become like members of my family," she said as she wiped the plate of Stewert Rolley from Portland, Or before adding, "Stewert's such a nice boy."
Taking that as my signal to leave, I poked my head into the den and bid farewell to Tony, who was yelling, "Buy a vowel ya' dumb broad!" at a television set that had clearly seen better days. As I stepped outside and into the fresh air, the smell of old peoples' house was quickly washed away.
Little did I know it would soon return tenfold when I arrived to check the status of Donna Lee Mitchner and point out the tiny "not legal tender" on her New York Mint commemorative coins.
1 comment:
except New Jersey! Very nice!
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