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Boston, Massachusetts His collection is part Cooperstown, a shot of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame with a big twist of the Smithsonian, to a Beatles soundtrack. But when Jeff Figler watched the wildfire flames nibbling the shrubbery at his San Diego home and museum, he had some decisions to make. What would he hastily pack into the car if he and his wife Linda made a run for it? What about the greatest hits of his priceless presidential collection – which include letters written by every US President beginning with George Washington and including Confederate chief executive Jefferson Davis, and the ultra tough William Henry Harrison. Would he make off with Wilt Chamberlain's rookie uniform or autographed pieces from hockey icon Wayne Gretzky? What about the items from the great Babe Ruth? Or the all-star jersey of his boyhood idol, St. Louis Hawk's Hall of Famer Bob Petit? Would he pocket some of his Beatles rarities, including the spectacles John Lennon donned on the cover of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band?" He could easily snatch the original script of what would become Bogart's signature film, Casablanca, but the late Christopher Reeve's cape from his first Superman film would be of no service to Figler if the flames prevailed.  Collector Extraordinaire Jeff Figler "Well, I did secure my Honus Wagner baseball card, that's for sure," says Figler, one of the nation's most prodigious and astute collectors – whose San Diego estate includes a bona fide museum. The Wagner card is Figler's single, most valuable item in his extensive collection. With only some 20 such cards in existence, according to most experts, this Mona Lisa of collecting passed the $2.8 million mark recently by an anonymous buyer in California. "The Wagner is the Holy Grail, always the talk, the buzz in the collecting culture," says Figler. Not surprisingly, as the new collectibles editor for HOFN, Figler's first column next week takes a look at the 1909 Wagner rarity. And in case you wondered, the Poway Fire Department quelled the flames, and the wildfires took no toll on Figler's collection save for a slight char of the landscaping. Figler did not plan on becoming one of the world's most prestigious collectors. His zeal was kick-started by his mother who had the foresight not to toss away his boxes of baseball cards. Fast-forward to the present, and Figler is a man whose simple joy in the acquisition of bits of culture and history parlayed into a charitable mission. As entrepreneurs in the information and data business, Jeff and Linda have dovetailed the success of the museum into their greater philanthropic intentions. The charitable Figler Foundation underwrites initiatives in health care and community projects, especially those for children. The word is out on Figler, and more and more collectors are making the pilgrimage to his Poway, California home for a peek into American culture and one man's passion. And even more listen to his weekly radio show – Collecting With Jeff – every Tuesday at 10:00 AM. Pacific Standard Time on SignOnRadio.com, as well as Sunday mornings as a guest on Ron Jacober's "Sports on a Sunday Morning" on KMOX in St. Louis, Missouri. But for Figler, collecting is not about money or things, but the human stories behind every item. "That's the joy of it, the feelings, the energy that inanimate object can stir," he says, "They have a life of their own." As the new collectibles editor for HOFN.com, Jeff Figler's first column next week takes a look at the 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card. John Budris is the editor of HOFMAG.com.
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