Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2010 - 16

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)
Value Collector
St. Paul collector Phil Kostolnik knows the value of
golf collectibles is greater than their price.
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S
ome say the value of a collectible
is as much as someone is willing
to pay for it, but Phil Kostolnik,
a golf collector since the 1980s, believes it's
more than that. " A collectible is really something
that should have intrinsic value to you, "
says Kostolnik, the immediate past president
of the Golf Collectors' Society (GCS) who
has been a member since 1991. He spoke
with Minnesota Golfer about the GCS and his
hobby of golf collecting.
as postcards. I like to find early architectural
features on postcards that represent an era
of experimentation in early golf architecture,
particularly in the United States, between 1900
and 1930.
Phil
Q: How did you get into golf collectibles?
A: I went to a business meeting at the
La Quinta resort in Palm Springs, Calif. I wandered into an antique
shop there that was half antique jewelry and half antique
golf memorabilia. I was fascinated by what I saw. I later looked
in the want ads for old, wood-shafted golf clubs and bought my
first clubs. After that I joined the GCS. I found there were a lot of
people who had a passion about golf history and golf collecting.
Kostolnik
Q: What is the history and purpose of the GCS?
A: It was formed in 1970 by two friends with a mutual interest
in golf collecting-Joe Murdoch and Bob Kuntz. They created a
list of friends who they knew had an interest in golf collecting and
sent out a newsletter. About 25 replied and became the nucleus of
the GCS. Today, there are 1,200 members scattered throughout
15 countries.
The GCS really has five stated purposes:
s 0ROVIDE A FORUM TO INTRODUCE GOLF COLLECTORS TO ONE ANOTHER
s %NCOURAGE MEMBERS TO MEET AND CORRESPOND
s $ISSEMINATE GOLF COLLECTING NEWS AND INFORMATION
s 3HARE THE ENJOYMENT OF GOLF COLLECTING
s %DUCATE MEMBERS CONCERNING THE HISTORY OF THE GAME
We have a Web site-golfcollectors.com-and the GCS Bulletin is
issued four times a year. There are annual and regional meetings,
education sessions, trade shows and tournaments with hickoryshafted
clubs.
Q: What do you collect?
A: My focus is mainly on books and other paper ephemera, such
14
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2010
Q: Do your collectibles have a big monetary
value?
A: There is some [monetary] value to them,
but to me the value is more about what it
means to you as an individual than a price you
could get at an auction. There is not a lot of
value in postcards, per se, but one of the most
beneficial aspects of golf collecting is you gain a
perspective on all aspects of the game-from mental and physical
aspects to architecture and equipment-and this really enhances
appreciation of the game.
Q: What is your prized possession?
A: I have a book written by Bobby Jones called Golf is My Game.
My copy is called an association copy, meaning there is usually
an inscription that associates an event or two people. This one
IS INSCRIBED h&OR " ERNARD $ARWIN WITH MY WARMEST REGARDS " OB
Jones. " You have the greatest amateur player of the 20th century
inscribing this book to a person typically celebrated as the greatest
golf writer of the 20th century. Just knowing that these two
people had this book in their possession at one time creates the
value for me.
Q: What should people do if they have potential collectibles?
A: Visit the resource page on golfcollectors.com for starters. Also,
learn more about the history of the item by visiting golf museums
and reading reference books. One of the most extensive collections
exists at the USGA (see usgamuseum.com), and I encourage
people to go to the golf museum at the new Arnold Palmer Center
for Golf History at the USGA in Far Hills, N.J. The actual artifacts
they have are superb.
Phil Kostolnik is a member of North Oaks GC, an MGA director and
sits on the USGA's Museum and Library Committee.
( Ask the Expert
www.mngolf.org
PHOTO BY JOSEPH OBERLE
http://www.golfcollectors.com http://www.usgamuseum.com http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2010

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