Specialist Spotlight: James E. Smith

Specialist Spotlight: James E. Smith

Join us as we spotlight James E. Smith, Associate Vice President, Head of Department, Sports Memorabilia, ahead of our summer Sports Memorabilia auction, now open for bidding until June 27th. Learn about his journey in the sports industry, notable achievements at Freeman’s | Hindman, personal collection favorites, and highlights of our upcoming sale. 

 

 

Freeman’s | Hindman: What was your first sports-related memory? 

 

James E. Smith:In 1978, Muhammad Ali fought Leon Spinks for thesecond timeto regain his heavyweight championship. My introduction to Ali was months beforethrough a Saturday morning cartoon titled “I Am theGreatest: TheAdventures of Muhammad Ali”. Becauseof thecartoon, I believed Ali was a superhero and was amazed to seethebout and discover hewas a real person. My admiration for him only grew — it’s great to know that sometimes heroes can bethereal thing. 

FH: What is your favorite piece of sports memorabilia that you own? 

JS:A hand-drawn pieceby Muhummad Ali that features him fighting JoeFrazier, surrounded by a crowd of spectators. Thedrawing was gifted to meby thechamp himself, which makes it incredibly personal and meaningful. Ali was the son of a sign painter in Louisville, so his artistry in thering carried over to thecanvas with paint and brush. 

FH:What drew you to becoming a specialist and translating your passion into your career? 

JS:As a longtimebuyer of sports memorabilia, working on this sideof our industry felt right. I had served 30 years as a journalist. I was shifting careers when I realized I could offer a very specialized knowledgeand skill set dueto my lifelong passion for collecting sports memorabilia. I was given an incredibleopportunity to join Freeman’s | Hindman and learn theins and outs of theauction world, then launch thesports memorabilia department with a solid foundation. 

FH: Describe a typical workday for you at Freeman’s | Hindman. 

JS:Thelion's shareof my day is dedicated to connecting with clients, reviewing collections, and placingestimates. Oneof themostessential duties is facilitating items for authentication. In this category, third-party authentication is paramount to maintaining our business's integrity, and wework closely with theleading third-party authentication companies toensurethis. 

FH: Can you describe a collection of sports memorabilia you are proud to have brought to auction? 

JS: Discovering an unopened box of 1986 Fleer basketball cards in a client's collection. A piecelikethis is oneof the grails in sports memorabilia, as this box contained at least four untouched Michael Jordan rookiecards. I was onsiteinitially to review other material in thecollection. Discovering this box and achieving anexceptional pricefor the client was truly gratifying. 

FH: Freeman’s | Hindman’s Sports Memorabilia auction is now open for bidding through June 27. Can you tell us about some of your favorite lots in this sale? 


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