Annual Southern Gentleman 2024 Issue
By Rachel Studebaker / Photography by Hacker Medias
While collections come in all shapes and sizes, all are driven by an interest for the items at hand. Here, five local collectors with impressive and storied collections showcase the variety of this universal hobby and provide insight into their interests. From artwork and wine to coins, cars, and more, read on to learn more about the art of curating a collection.
Collects Comic Book Art
Decades spent acquiring any item will result in an impressive collection, and this is certainly the case for Rick Rader. An avid comic book art collector for 40 years, Rader’s interest in this art style began when he was a boy.
“Like many young kids, I first gravitated to reading comic books for the stories and the characters. Somehow, I became fascinated by the artwork. The unique styles of the various artists and how they depicted action and backgrounds became a focus of my interests. I found myself collecting comics not for the content but for the artwork,” he recalls.
Rader points out that admiration for this artistry, from the skill that goes into figure drawing to the details that distinguish each artist, hasn’t always been commonplace in the comic book industry, explaining, “For years, the artwork was a secondary consideration. The artists were unknown to most people; the limelight was on the writers.”
Since he began collecting, however, much has changed. “I have seen the appreciation of comic book art grow from a small band of collectors to its recognition as a true artform. The original comic art drawings were once swept up at the end of the day and now command space in museums and galleries,” says Rader.
These days, Rader rarely adds to his collection and instead enjoys the fruits of his efforts. Dozens of his favorite finds are displayed on a wall in his home, ranging from sketches and final prints to rare concept art for comics that were never realized.
“I have a collection that reflects my favorite artists. I am at the stage where I am reaping the benefits of years of active collecting,” he shares. “Despite the fact that they have been displayed for over 20 years, I never get tired of them or take them for granted. Plus, it seems that I am always discovering some overlooked details of the artwork.”
While Rader’s collection contains many a valuable item, for him, the true value lies in his love for the art and the ability to view it every day. “Don’t think of collecting as ‘investing,’” he advises. “The dividends are the ongoing enjoyment of what you have acquired.”
Collects Antique Pedal Cars
Philip Rader is a car enthusiast. He makes repairs in his workshop, attends car shows, and takes pride in his collection of antiques. These are no ordinary cars, however. Rader collects pedal cars, toys that have been delighting children for over a century and are now a valued collectible item. Highly knowledgeable about this niche, Rader says he has been collecting “since I was old enough to fit into my first pedal car, many decades ago.”
He acquires new additions by attending toy and car swap meets, connecting with other collectors, and “of course, the internet.” His favorite find? “The Austin J40 built in the 1950s. It is all original, has a great patina, and is a favorite of kids to sit in when we bring them to shows.”
In addition to collecting, Rader is devoted to restoring well-loved pedal cars to their original glory, driven by his love for “the design, level of craftsmanship, and the history of these cars.”
He is joined in these efforts by his brother and fellow collector, Rick, who often accompanies him in the garage that serves as his home base for housing and working on the pedal cars. “We work together to repair and restore the cars. We also share this hobby with adults and children by bringing these cars to antique auto shows as well as antique toy shows. It brings us closer together as we spend time (sometimes too much time… ask our wives) working on our hobby,” shares Rader.
Attending these shows has allowed Rader to connect with fellow pedal car connoisseurs and provided plenty of stories along the way. “At a well-known car show, we convinced the chairman of the show to let us display the car as a ‘real car’ alongside other antique cars … and yes, we won an award,” he recalls.
Having chosen a hobby with its fair share of involvement, Rader advises anyone considering taking up a collection to keep in mind how much work they are willing to do. For him, however, he wouldn’t change a thing as he pursues his passion for preserving pedal cars and lets their histories live on.
Collect wine
For Matt Hullander and his wife, Jenny, a shared appreciation for wine has turned into a curated collection of 800 bottles from around the world. The couple has been actively collecting wine for the past five years, with every new addition bringing a special memory to mind.
“Each bottle can have its own story, from the vineyard it came from to the circumstances of how I was introduced to the wine,” shares Hullander. “My wife and I have often met the owners of the vineyards, and knowing their story and having met them personally adds to the enjoyment of the wine.”
The Hullanders’ differing palates have produced a varied wine collection, which they enjoy sampling with friends and fellow connoisseurs during tasting parties or by bringing unique bottles to dinners. “Introducing them to a wine they haven’t tried and seeing their reaction is fun,” says Hullander. “Sometimes they love it, other times it doesn’t suit their taste.”
When asked which wine is his favorite, Hullander jokes, “That’s like asking which child is your favorite. I only have one child but many favorite wines. It can change, but a few of mine are Schrader, Morlet, Revana, different Brunellos, and my current favorite is a cab from Del Dotto Caves.”
To house their collection, Hullander built a custom cellar that offers benefits beyond storage. “Keeping the wine climate controlled lets you keep the wine longer and enjoy it years, sometimes decades, later depending on the quality, varietal, and vintage,” he explains.
These many facets fuel Hullander’s fascination with the beverage. “It’s interesting to learn about the different wine making processes and traditions, the regions the grapes come from, and the history behind the wine. The vast range of wine styles, regions, and vintages offer a lifetime of learning and discovery,” says Hullander.
While collecting is half the fun, Hullander advises, “If you have great wines you don’t have to save them all for a special occasion. It doesn’t have to be your anniversary. The occasion may just be a Tuesday night. Drink the wine.”
Collects International Currency and Shot Glasses
Collecting has been a part of Salman Nayab’s life since he was a boy. Though his childhood currency collection was left behind when he moved to the United States, his interest in the hobby would prove to be far from over.
Rebuilding his collection has been a process over 20 years in the making and has involved keeping an eye out for rare U.S. coins, exchanging currency with international friends that come to visit, and converting cash during his travels.
These efforts paid off, as Nayab’s collection now contains coins and binders full of bills from countless countries, including rare currency no longer in circulation. He is well-versed in the histories of the currency he owns and how each item’s value has changed over time. He shares, “Some currencies are obsolete and some have a high valuation as being ‘rare’ now. It is fascinating!”
While currency remains his favorite collectible, Nayab also began collecting shot glasses in 2007, inspired when a coworker gifted him one from the Philippines. “I thought it was pretty cool and such a unique and fragile item to collect from different places,” he recalls. Today, shelves lined with hundreds of decorative shot glasses chronicle Nayab’s travels, each a conversation piece with a story to tell.
Though his two collections each have a character of their own, Nayab is equally fascinated by “the different cultures and values that are imprinted on the currencies and shot glasses of the world and the stories behind them.”
Nayab is joined in his love for collectibles by his wife, Amna, and their two children, each gravitating toward their own interest. “My wife shares this passion of collecting mementos from our travels. She collects magnets and keychains; my son collects hats and stickers; and my daughter collects pebbles from different places of different colors and hat sew-ins. We are a family of collectors!” he shares.
For those new to the hobby, Nayab offers a wise reminder that even the most impressive collections begin with one item. “You have to start somewhere,” he encourages. “So, start small, and if you are passionate about it, it will grow into a larger collection before you know it! It becomes a second instinct.”
Collects Vintage Photographs
Local historian Sam Hall’s collection was born from a passion for preserving vintage photographs. Looking for a way to display high-resolution historical images online, Hall created Chattanoogahistory.com in 2014, a public resource that includes photos, documents, and maps, all local to the region.
“Most of my collection are not physical objects but loaned and digitized unique historical views. Many people want to share but not part with the items. I do own many photos and documents, but ownership is not my primary goal,” Hall explains. The majority of the Chattanooga History collection comes from contacts who reach out via his website, though Hall also keeps an eye out at estate sales and online resale shops for pictures he can preserve. As more locals have become aware of this avenue to preserve their family’s history, the collection has only grown.
“Finding previously unseen views and identifying the people and places in photos is a passion,” says Hall. “I’ve uncovered many stories that have been lost or forgotten. Most people don’t realize how good the photography was over 125 years ago because they’ve never seen it presented in full resolution. Printed media is, by design, low resolution. Anytime I can cause jaws to drop in amazement makes me happy,”
To transform original documents into high-quality digital images, Hall operates from a workspace that covers two rooms of his home. “This includes computers, scanners, video digitization equipment, file storage, file conversion hardware, and physical media storage, as well as a growing library of books,” Hall describes.
While Hall digitizes photographs in all forms, his favorites are from glass plate negatives, which he explains were the popular method of capturing photos prior to film. By processing these negatives, he is able to share the impressive quality of images taken over a century ago.
“My favorite story is when I identified 40 of 47 students in an amateur glass plate negative scene,” shares Hall. “They turned out to be from the 1899 graduating class of Chattanooga High School. One student was Alice Fletcher, who married Spencer J. McCallie – co-founder of McCallie School… I take great pride in adding a photo to her memory.”
