Collectors Gene Radio

Today I’m sitting down with Ray Azoulay, founder of Obsolete, one of the most well known and coveted antique furniture stores around. Ray got his start in the fashion world, ultimately becoming a director at Macy’s & Liz Clairborne. He made the decision to buy 40 acres in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and started collecting furniture, art, and photography. Ray’s always had a good eye, so he decided to take his talents to Los Angeles and open up Obsolete. Over the years, Obsolete has been a second home to A-Listers like Cheryl Crow, Ellen Degeneres, Barbra Streishand, and many more. In fact, Ellen once told Ray that his phone number was the only one she’s remembered by heart. He’s been featured in 1stDibs and many other publications showcasing not only the items he collects and sources, but his hand picked interior design projects. But what gets Ray really excited to continue sourcing furniture and the obscure, is that whether it’s you, the collector, or someone in the public eye, we continue to put our trust in his taste. Oh, and he has a 3 digit bonsai collection. So please enjoy, this is Ray Azoulay, for Collectors Gene Radio.

Obsolete - https://www.obsoleteinc.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/obsoleteinc/?ref=badge

Collectors Gene Website - https://collectorsgene.com/

Today I’m in East Hampton, New York to sit down with arguably one of the greatest collectors of all time. In fact, his career has revolved around collecting as the Head of Vintage, now consultant, for Ralph Lauren and we can attribute our love for western and layered looks to him. Doug Bihlmaier is my guest today, and for his first ever video interview and podcast, I was more than thrilled to sit down with him in his home and spend the day together with him and his wife. Growing up in Kansas, Doug fell in love with denim and began collecting early on. But it’s not that simple. Doug noticed Levis’ started to change their fit, so as one collector does, he starts hunting for the old stuff. But that’s what has made Doug the person we all look up to today.

He’s always had the foresight as to what’s next, which is exactly what happened when he was introduced to the Ralph Lauren brand early on. Doug has spent his career traveling the world hunting for vintage goods for the stores and had anyone looked behind the curtain of the early days at the RRL store, you would have seen Doug curating one of the most impressive collections around. He recalls going to warehouses in the UK and finding old equestrian and oil paintings in gilt frames that no one wanted, and riding boots, and wool blankets from the 20’s and 30’s, and just about everything else that makes up the Ralph Lauren brand today.

However, it’s not just searching the world for objects that makes Doug, well Doug. His design, architecture, and merchandising prowess have all played a big role in why we all admire Doug, and you can feel, touch, and breathe that when you walk into any Ralph Lauren and RRL store. As for Doug, well, his home is filled and layered with wool blankets, vintage denim and flannels, Native American jewelry and objects, books, you name it. And he can tell you everything you need to know about each of them.

I truly feel honored to share this interview with you all, but even more grateful to call Doug a friend. So without great honor, this is Doug Bihlmaier, for Collectors Gene Radio.

YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/O-dEkHd01gQ?si=ys_nbCdiXy9vvgy-

Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful is my guest today. The Shark Tank star and collector truly needs no introduction. He’s become a collector extraordinaire getting the stamp of approval from envy-worthy brands and artisans ranging from Simon Brette and FP Journe, to Fender & Montblanc. We talk about the importance of relationship building, the nuances between all the things he collects, and how brands should be looking at their future customer base. He’s a story teller, investor in many ways other than the conventional, and always there to tell you like it is, in true Mr. Wonderful fashion. And to top it all off, we did it inside the walls of a place my Grandfather built. So without further adieu, this is Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, for Collectors Gene Radio.

YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/6vJPc2qOkHw

CollectorsGene.com - https://collectorsgene.com/
Cameron's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cameronrosssteiner/?hl=en
Collectors Gene YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7fZDvQUNBCunvCe_ieXeYA
Kevin O'Leary's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinolearytv?lang=en
Kevin O'Leary's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kevinolearytv/
Kevin O'Leary's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/KevinOLeary

Manhattan Motorcars - https://www.manhattanmotorcars.com/
Edited by Rego - https://www.instagram.com/r.ego?igsh=bzR6eWVhZGhpcGQz  
Filmed by Enock Brothers - https://www.aenock.com/

Today I’m sitting down with Goldin Auctions founder and The King Of Collectibles Netflix star, Ken Goldin. Ken and his company Goldin Auctions have been highly regarded for a long time as the go-to auction house for sports memorabilia, and more recently getting acquainted in other spaces like pop-culture and historical artifacts. But Ken and his team have staked their flag as a go-to for a reason. See, Ken has the knowledge, enthusiasm, and tenacity of a specific trait that all of his biggest clients have, and that’s being a collector. Ken’s been collecting and dealing sports cards since he was a little kid, learning how to make money from the hobby early on. His parents' support pushed him to where he is today both as a collector, and founder of one of the largest and fastest growing auction houses around. Goldin has sold the rarest of the rare, from the original T206 Honus Wagner cards, to game used bats from the greats, and most recently, the highly sought after Shohei Ohtani 50/50 ball which has 15 days left on the auction with a current bid of 1.5 Million. They’ve done over a billion dollars in deals and we’re recently acquired by ebay. Ken’s been seen with the likes of Drake doing card breaks, where he happened to stumble upon three Jordan rookie cards, and sitting down with the greats like Ken Kendrick to review arguably the greatest card collection of all time. He’s a collector himself, with possessions like a game used Babe Ruth bat and other Smithsonian-worthy provenance pieces. At the end of the day, he’s the guy you want to buy memorabilia from, simply because he has the collector mindset. So without further adieu, this is Ken Goldin, for Collectors Gene Radio.

Goldin Auctions - https://goldin.co/

Ken Goldin's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kengoldin?igsh=MXIyb2I3dmYzYXFtNQ==

Goldin Auctions Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/goldinco?igsh=c2d5eXd2aWRzdG9l

Shohei Ohtani Auction - https://goldin.co/item/sept-19-2024-shohei-ohtani-becomes-first-member-of-50-50-club-actual-553vh1?queryId=eyJxdWVyeUlkIjoiNmNjMWFjZGFjOGVlZGJiNmUxMGQzOWU4NThiYWE3MTUiLCJjYXJkSW5kZXgiOjl9

Sitting down with me today is artist and designer Josh Young. Josh’s new book, Artful Home just launched and it’s a masterclass in authenticity. He’s been collecting and curating since he was 5 years old, and growing up next to a small auction house didn’t hurt either. After studying art in Milan, Josh garnered the art of mixing old and new. His neo-classical meets contemporary portraiture became widely known to collectors and designers, forging a path to work with some of the biggest names in the industry. Josh’s collections range across multiple different categories, but they all have one thing in common, cohesiveness. So without further adieu, this is Josh Young, for Collectors Gene Radio.

Josh Young - https://www.joshyoungdesignhouse.com/

Josh Young x Williams Sonoma Home - https://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/design-inspiration/josh-young/?cm_ven=afshoppromo&irgwc=1&clickid=xY3z2gyYUxyKT9I2Qh2KvSx-UkCUR-38N1btWI0&cm_ite=Landing&cm_pla=ir&cm_cat=5747747&irpid=5747747

Josh's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jyoungdesignhouse?igsh=NTBxamNhMzM5cGlx

Josh's Book - https://www.amazon.com/Artful-Home-Josh-Young/dp/084783039X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12LV0V2F0STYA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6hlwSN6xLccRxgo4CsfVXR_J-uu4VetEgi3hcEmxI0jXCCQUtfouJnonzlA9FJE0MDcnOiyNd61sX9KyocAZXo_BBKRkG9HETmrnKRQrYmGFvpU_PKxjonxpAvG3EY6BsPIGaqGu1IVb9qhQVlNtAzfZA7Thpc_FmejxuoQsA6cDvuAZtj4npHaEUibiny9y4enCd2KC47rChcp-AYe7JzUxWLGbhFM0gNhCdChpG4g.SbCN_U8GyKlKG01piRjdvrJO7Fss1_eKQXK1PKresuY&dib_tag=se&keywords=artful+home&qid=1727820243&sprefix=artful+home%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1

Today we’re hearing from plant designer and rare plant collector, Rob Moffitt. He founded his company Haus Plant just a few short years ago, on the rare occasion that he didn’t previously collect plants at all. Fast forward a few years and Rob’s a go-to in the plant design world, sourcing and collecting rare plants for some of the biggest interior design projects. These aren’t just your typical nursery plants, either. Rob’s sourcing from some of the most esteemed plant collectors, estates, and even plants that come from the jungles of Brazil and Southeast Asia. It’s not just about finding the right plant though. Rob is known for manipulating roots to be more architectural and displaying them in more organic materials and vessels. This is a first for the show, so without further adieu, this is Rob Moffitt, for Collectors Gene Radio.

The Haus Plant - https://thehausplant.com/

Haus Plant Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thehausplant?igsh=NXprbGVzYWs1ZGNy

Rob Moffitt's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rmoffitt?igsh=c2MzYmhmaXB1cmY3

Jason Saft is my guest today, and as the proprietor behind the award winning firm, Staged To Sell Home, it’s not often I get to chat with a collector whose job is to well, collect. Jason’s company Staged To Sell home is responsible for helping sell some of New Yorks most prominent real estate. His firm has risen to fame for their beautifully staged interiors, good enough for New York's wealthiest buyers. His job is to take a stale home and turn it into something a potential buyer can see themselves living in. We chat about the amazing case studies on his website which showcase how homes sat on the market sometimes for two years before his team comes in, subsequently selling in less than a week by the time he’s done with it, and usually over asking. As for his collecting, there’s a new 23000 square foot warehouse that holds the ever growing collection of furniture and objet, all of which he gets to look at on a daily basis. So without further adieu, this is Jason Saft, for collectors gene radio.

Staged To Sell - https://www.stagedtosellhome.com/

Case Studies - https://www.stagedtosellhome.com/casestudies

Staged To Sell Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stagedtosellhome?igsh=MW8wNmk5Yjh1ZXd2NA==

Jason Saft's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasonsaft?igsh=MXV5NXVkZ21udGZmZg==

Artist Michael McGregor joined me today, right on the heels of launching his new book, Room Service, a collection of still life drawings on hotel stationary. We spoke about soaking up inspiration from everyday objects, and why it’s ok to reinvent yourself in your 30’s. Michael’s a collector of many things but nothing sits on a pedestal. In fact, a lot of what he collects shows up in his art. We chat about his other book, The Greece Notebook and how he manages to tell a story through the things that most of the world disregards. Cool, calm, collected, and a knack for finding the moment in the mundane is McGregor’s m.o., and we’re here for it. So without further adieu, this is Michael McGregor, for Collectors Gene Radio.

Michael's Website - https://mcgregor.world/

Drakes Interview - https://us.drakes.com/blogs/news/michael-mcgregor-artist-interview-drakes?srsltid=AfmBOorVZ4OK84IlSvCUwfTUpfk_bh3NDArjD05g7XzfH4G03G4by0h2

Michael's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/themcgregor/?hl=en

Room Service - https://a.co/d/gsShjCU

Roy Davidoff is no stranger to the watch community, so I figured it would be great to sit down, and understand more as to why that is. Roy’s love for watches is no accident, having discovered his passion for them early on, eventually making a career out of it. However, luxury things are in Roy’s blood, as his family were prominent wholesale gem dealers several decades ago to some of the biggest names in the game. After Roy’s father gifted him his Omega Speedmaster, his love for the brand took off, earning him and his brother, conveniently named, Davidoff Brother’s, a spot as a go to for the brand. They’ve sold as many as 150 Speedmasters in a year, and even wrote a book on them. They’ve since expanded their inventory across multiple brands and categories, and are still after the good stuff. At the end of the day, it’s all about passion and their roots. So please enjoy, this is Roy Davidoff, for Collectors Gene Radio.

Roy's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/roydavidoff/

Davidoff Brothers - https://www.instagram.com/roydavidoff/

David Brothers Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidoffbrothers/?hl=en

Today I’m sitting down with Douglas Friedman, to discuss the commonalities between a collector and one of the most sought after photographers in the residential architecture space. His name commonly shows up on Architectural Digest’s top articles and there’s a good reason for it. Friedman always used his gut instinct, whether it was studying anthropology or discovering Marfa, Texas as a place to call home. But I wanted to know how he thinks about creating a story from the photographs he chooses to use from a shoot, and how he preserves moments in time through his work, much like us collectors do respectively. At the end of the day, Douglas wasn’t sure whether he was a collector or not but I think we worked that out. So without further adieu, this is Douglas Friedman, for Collectors Gene Radio.

Douglas's Website - https://www.douglasfriedman.net/

Douglas's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/douglasfriedman/?hl=en

Douglas's Latest Work - https://www.architecturaldigest.com/contributor/douglas-friedman