Dear Rick (and Jo),
I'm deeply touched by what was written, but my Aspergers forces me to make two, admittedly small, corrections:
A. Rick, we met and became friends in 1980, at the ICSBS New Orleans convention. With the late Bill Griswold, we became an inseparable trio in Honolulu in 1981, with the late Virginia Rice tagging along (and a fun gal to drink with! Though I was only drinking Coke or fruit juices - remember my pineapple and cranberry juice 'cocktails'?!)
B. Without being falsely modest, I'd be happy if I were considered among the top 10 living contributors to knowledge and love of snuff bottles.
But thank you both.
Best to all,
Shabbat Shalom,
Joey
While I rarely post anything of consequence, I feel the need to briefly interject at this point.
Joey and I have been good friends since 1981. Still, I am one of the "looney left" having become politically active in the Kennedy/Johnson eras. Nonetheless, with vastly divergent political opinions we have remained friends. Joey is an intelligent and dedicated collector who has contributed more to the knowledge of snuff bottle collecting than any other living person. He has contributed financially and intellectually to every area of our hobby. He has donated copies of his books to any institution with an interest in the subject. He is a most generous individual in many other areas.
I am delighted that the posts on politics have been deleted and hope that we can keep our discussions germain to the subject. There has been so very much wonderful information posted on this site, so much help to fellow collectors, that I think we should all focus our efforts on educating and helping each other. While most never hear from me, this forum has been a delight and I deeply want it to continue.
Best wishes,
Rick