By Eric Czarnik BIRMINGHAM — Historians are often the ones who determine the value of a president’s name. But one Birmingham man says he has no problem making a business out of selling signed memorabilia of former President George H. W. Bush. Patrick Van Tiem of Birmingham is an autograph enthusiast who owns a business called Legends of History. Through his company, he said, he has persuaded Bush to sign items during private sessions in 1995, 1997, 2006 and, most recently, in January 2008. “I consider this is very unusual for a president to do this,” Van Tiem said. “They generally do not do any private signing sessions like this.” Bush was America’s 41st president, serving from 1989-1993, and is the father of President George W. Bush. Van Tiem said many autograph collectors want presidential signatures because they tend to become more valuable over the years. Because Bush played baseball at Yale, baseball collectors also seek certain items from the former president, he said. Prior to selling Bush collector items, Van Tiem got into the autograph business about 20 years ago and did signings with athletes like Gordie Howe and Denny McLain. “This is (my) first foray into the political arena,” Van Tiem said. The Bush relationship began in 1995 when Van Tiem contacted Bush’s Houston office and successfully arranged a private signing session over there. Van Tiem said he pays a “substantial” honorarium for the signing sessions, though he added that the former president gives the money to charity. While Bush signs baseballs, bats and jerseys, one of the most popular items is an autographed picture of Bush meeting Babe Ruth in 1948. “All items that I do are generally very limited edition,” Van Tiem said. “It’s not like we did a thousand of them.” Van Tiem said he has developed a rapport with Bush over the years. Bush once gave him a gift — a rare copy of a photo with Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford and Nixon all posing together. “It’s highly sought after,” Van Tiem said. “When he gave me the photo, I was just dumbfounded.” Van Tiem’s secretary, Betty Killiany, said she oversaw a Bush signing session in 2006. “We went up to the Bush (presidential) library, and we spent a day up there just looking at all the artifacts that were around,” she said. “The following day, we went to his office. The president came in. He was very, very friendly, made you feel completely at home.” Van Tiem said that while former presidents like Bush receive criticism from many quarters, they often do kind deeds under the media radar. “It’s just stuff that he does very quietly,” he said. “He doesn’t want any fanfare about it.” For more information on Legends of History, call (248) 767-4401. You can reach Staff Writer Eric Czarnik at eczarnik@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1058. |
