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About The Club Gallery Autographs
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The Club Gallery Autographs is located in my Restaurant and I have been selling unique and custom framed authentic autographs for the past 20 years.
I have satisfied customers from all over the United States and many overseas. All of my autographs are professionally matted and framed and ready for display at your special locations.
view article: Local newspaper
Writings On The Wall
Elmira restaurant sells autographed memorabilia.
Strictly business column by G. JEFFREY AARON
Star-Gazette
If you think Bob Spaziani knows a lot about running a restaurant, just get him talking about his favorite hobby, which is now a part of Lib's Supper Club.
Bob Spaziani, co-owner of Lib's Supper Club, shows some of the memorabilia he has collected over the years. Spaziani has opened a gallery in the restaurant to sell some of his vast collection of autographed photos and celebrity items.
Spaziani and his brother, Joe, have operated the family-owned eatery at 106 W. Fifth St. in Elmira since 1981. But get Bob Spaziani to walk you past the new display cases he has hung on the walls, cases that hold finely detailed statues of boxers, golfers, quarterbacks, outfielders and members of the crew from the Starship Enterprise. There's even one of Ozzy Osbourne.
Have him talk about the autographed pictures of famous people he has collected during the past 20 years, such as the late John "Dapper Don" Gotti, Laurel and Hardy, Bela Lugosi or the cast of television's "The Munsters."
Spaziani can tell you about these items because he owns them, has them all on display at Lib's and is selling them to other avid collectors. In most cases, the prices -- ranging from $200 to $2,500 -- aren't cheap. For example, John Wayne's autograph goes for $795 while Mark Twain's sells for $100 more.
Spaziani recently opened The Club Gallery in the Italian restaurant his uncle, James Spaziani, opened in 1954. Henry Spaziani, James' brother, took over the restaurant operation in 1977. Current owners Bob and Joe Spaziani took command after Henry.
Combining a sport and autograph gallery with a popular restaurant is a growing trend in larger metropolitan restaurants, Bob Spaziani said. Being able to view bits of local history, television and movie lore, pictures and statues of popular athletes and public figures completes the dining experience, he said.
Apparently, he's right. The next time you visit Lib's, just watch the customers. Discussions with their dining partners are interspersed with casual glances at the items on the walls. Sometimes, a patron gets up from his table for a closer look at something that's caught his attention.
The Club Gallery actually got its start 25 years ago, when Bob Spaziani -- a member of The Manuscript Society and the Universal Autograph Collectors Club-- Registered Dealer # 291 -- started to collect baseball cards. His hobby then progressed to autographs, lifelike statues and other collectibles he now owns.
As the collection grew, Bob Spaziani displayed it at his home or stored parts of it in boxes. Over one hundred items are now located throughout the restaurant.
The autographs were authenticated through a detailed analysis by professionals in the authentication field. The limited-edition statues, made by companies including Art of Sport, Salvino and Sports Impression, came with their own certificates of authenticity.
Bob Spaziani will provide similar documentation for the items he sells. Autographs will be sold with a money-back guarantee of authenticity if they are returned undamaged. Statues will be sold with a 30-day refund policy. He warns that the Club Gallery's inventory will be ever-changing.
Jeffrey Aaron is the business writer for the Star-Gazette
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