Father To Sell Massive Memorabilia Collection To Help Daughter
OAKLAND PARK (CBS4) - A South Florida father is trying to raise enough money to pay for his daughter's medical bills.
To do it, he's holding an auction this weekend, to sell what could be the largest collection of autographed books in the world.
He showed CBS4 his collection in Oakland Park.
"Here's one of the most valuable books I have. Nelson Mandela, his autobiography, signed during the 1995 world Rugby matches," said collector Ken Kallin.
It could be a world record. He's got nearly 7,400 signed books. And that's not all. What about a signed Yogi Berra baseball card?
"Some people collect one genre, but I collect them all," said Kallin.
It's taken 35 years of work to collect signatures from people like Michael Jackson, Bette Davis, President Ronald Reagan, and even Britney Spears.
He says it's worth about $4 million.
But now his daughter is the only face on his mind.
His daughter, Julie Susi, is battling a severe form of Lupus. She takes 16 pills a day. Now Ken wants to sell his collection to have enough money to cover her medical bills.
"The disease is eventually going to be fatal. So I want to make sure that in her last segment, anything she needs, she gets," said Kallin.
Susi pays $2,200 a month in health insurance and in just the past year, has had a mini stroke and heart failure. She has a broken foot because her bones are weak, and she's undergoing chemotherapy. She's thankful for her family's support.
"Cause this is a hard disease, nobody understands it," said Susi.
Just days before Ken sells his treasures, Susi has a message for her father and mother Jenny.
"I love him. I love you dad, you have been my inspiration. I'm just so happy for you, you and Jenny, and I love you guys," she said.
If you want to participate in the auction, contact the J. Sugarman Auction Corp at 954-946-9951 or visit www.jaysugarman.com.
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