Philip J. Merrill
Philip J. Merrill is a historian, consultant, and founder and CEO of Nanny Jack & Co., LLC, an African American heritage consulting firm with thousands of artifacts from the 1700s to the present day. He served for eight seasons as an appraiser for Chesapeake Collectibles (PBS Maryland Public Television), for six seasons as an appraiser and Black Americana specialist for PBS’s Antiques Roadshow, and is an expert contributor for the Discovery Channel’s Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America. His previous books include Images of America: Baltimore and the Civil Rights Movement (2023) and Images of America: Old West Baltimore (2020).
Ten Things I Can’t Do Without
- My family
- Turner Classic Movies Channel (I love old black-and-white movies)
- Twizzlers
- Colorful socks
- First cup of morning coffee
- Funky eyeglasses
- Apple pie
- Quality pair of loafers
- A good massage
- Homegrown vegetables
Hello,
My name is Darryl Collins and I have been collecting African American Memorabilia for about 8 years now. My collection consists of about 80 pieces or so. I concentrate on the period of 1900-1930’s. I specifically focus on things that exemplify black excellence, so that excludes most Americana. My collection includes items such as autographed books (i.e. Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen), theatre and movie autographed items (i.e. Paul Robeson, Nina Mae McKinney), Music (Ella Fitzgerald, Sissle & Blake), recently I am going in to Military (Harlem Hellcats medal), and Sports. I am trying to get a fair value appraisal and seeking advice on how to go about doing that to insure my collection, to both preserve and protect for future generations. I live in Houston, Texas and would appreciate any advice on how to go about getting the collection appraised. My phone number is 832-264-1200 and email is Darrylcollins2004@yahoo.com