I posted this yesterday in my weekly e-mail club (2700 members) and am posting it here as well for any non-club members who knew John Parnum.
It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of legendary
collector John Parnum (on July 12th). Since the 1960s John collected
exclusively horror/sci-fi/fantasy items from all years, and unlike some of
the other major collectors who focus mainly on posters, John loved all
sorts of movie paper, and had extensive collections of vintage stills,
pressbooks, and lobby cards in addition to his posters. And John did not
discriminate against "lesser movies" or against re-releases. If an item
was horror/sci-fi/fantasy related, there was a place for it in John's
collection!
John was fortunate to have started collecting decades ago, when prices
were much more affordable, but unlike the vast majority of collectors from
that time, John resisted the impulse to "cash in" on his collection as
prices went higher. I have encountered numerous "old-time" collectors who
have told me "if only I had held onto what I had back then". John was the
exceptional person who DID hold onto what he bought decades ago. Even more
surprising, John continued to pursue items that had eluded him, even as
prices rose. Most collectors can't bring themselves to buy items for
hundreds of dollars, if they remember seeing them years before for a
fraction of that amount, and that fact alone often hastens the end of their
collecting.
But John continued to actively pursue the few titles missing from his
collection, and he was more than willing to pay above "market price", for
he more than anyone knew just how rarely offered certain items are. When
you only see an item offered once in 20 years, you know you should make an
extreme effort to get it, for it may be many years before you see it again.
Unlike many collectors, I don't think John was in any way motivated by the
"investment" side of collecting. He truly loved his collection. There
were many times when he acquired an inexpensive item for his collection
from my auctions or sales lists, and he would let me know how very happy he
was to get it, and he would communicate that with the type of excitement
one might expect from someone who had just made a "great buy", and yet it
often was an obscure $10 item that few people but John cared about. To me,
John epitomized the "true collector", someone who loves what he collects,
and would probably be happy if prices on what he collected went far lower,
for then he could afford to buy that much more.
But more important that being a great collector, John was a really great
guy! I had dealings with him by phone, mail, and e-mail for many
years. Usually he was buying from me, but on some occasions we bid against
each other, and when I outbid him, he sent me a nice congratulatory e-mail,
showing only joy for my winning, and no trace of bitterness or regret. I
knew the depth of his knowledge of horror movie paper, and a few times I
asked him for help in identifying a still (or giving his opinion as to its
originality) and he always was quick to help and never had any thought of
wanting something in return.
I only met John once in person. That was five years ago when I was
auctioning an item he had looked for for decades. He called me before the
auction and asked about phone bidding. I told him how it worked, and he
said he just couldn't stand the thought that he could get cut off (even
though I assured him this was a remote possibility) and he said that he
thought he had better come out and be there in person. Besides, he told
me, this way, once he won the item, he could hand carry it back home and
not have to wait out the days after the auction to make sure it arrived safely!
At the auction, John came in and introduced himself. He was just as he
had been those times on the phone, a sweet down-to-earth likable guy. As
he previewed the item, he said, "I finally am going to get this after all
these years" and I cautioned him that he might not get it, for you could
never tell who might end up bidding against him. He just looked at me and
said, "I am going to get this", and the way he said it, I believed him! I
was very happy when he got it for a somewhat reasonable price (true
rarities never go for bargain prices, so getting a reasonable deal is all
one can hope for). After the auction ended he came over to me and
apologized for disturbing me, but said he just wanted to thank me for being
instrumental in helping him get what he had wanted for so long! He was
just that kind of guy. To me, that is the true definition of being "classy".
On occasion John's name would come up in conversation with other
collectors or dealers, and always I heard the same kind of comment ("what a
nice person!", "what a down-to-earth guy", etc, etc). I would bet there is
not a single person in this hobby with anything but nice things to say
about him!
John was 68 years old. For the last few years he battled a debilitating
illness, and yet he stayed sweet and kind and completely unchanged in our
communications, even to the very end. Those of you who are under 30 are
probably thinking that he lived a long life, but as I get older, I realize
that 68 is far too young an age for life to end. I am sad that John did
not get many more years in which to keep pursuing those last few elusive
titles he was searching for. He will be missed by many in our hobby.Bruce Hershenson eMoviePoster.com
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