Who is Harry Rinker?  The inside scoop...

National antiques and collectibles authority, editor, author, columnist, educator, appraiser, consultant, lecturer, curmedgeon, private collector, and dedicated accumulator.

Rinker is a principal in Rinker Enterprises, Inc., a firm specializing in providing consulting, editorial, educational, photographic, research, and writing services in the antiques and collectibles field.  The company’s headquarters is located in the former Vera Cruz (Pennsylvania) elementary school.  In addition to a staff of six qualified researchers, Rinker Enterprises draws regularly on the expertise of advisors located throughout the United States and Canada.

Rinker is a prolific antiques and collectibles writer.  He serves as editor of the House of Collectibles’ Harry L. Rinker The Official Price Guide To Collectibles, America’s leading price guide to objects made after 1920 and now in its second edition.  He also directs Rinker Enterprises’ preparation for House of Collectibles’ The Official Price Guide to Antiques and Collectibles.  Both titles are revised annually.  Between 1981 and 1996 Rinker edited fifteen editions of Warman’s Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide and seven editions of Warman’s Americana & Collectibles. 

Rinker has authored Antique Trader’s Guide to Games and Puzzles (1997), Collector’s Guide to Toys, Games, and Puzzles (1991), Hopalong Cassidy: King of the Cowboy Merchandisers (1995), The Official Price Guide To Flea Market Treasures, 5th Edition (1999), Rinker on Collectibles (1989), a compilation of his weekly newspaper columns, How to Make the Most of Your Investments in Antiques and Collectibles (1988), and Warman’s Furniture (1993).  He also is the author of a three book series Dinnerware Of The 20th Century: The Top 500 Patterns (1997), Silverware Of The 20th Century: The Top 250 Patterns (1997), and Stemware Of The 20th Century: The Top 200 Patterns (1997).

He co-authored Warman’s Paper (1994) with Norman E. Martinus, Snow Globes:  The Collector’s Guide to Selecting, Displaying, and Restoring Snow Globes (1993) with Connie A. Moore, Garage Sale Manual & Price Guide (1995) and the first three editions of Warman’s Country Antiques and Collectibles (1992, 1994, and 1996) with Dana G. Morykan, and a cartoon book about collectors and dealers entitled The Joy of Collecting with Craven Moore (1985) with Frank Hill.

“Rinker on Collectibles,” a weekly syndicated column, appears in trade and daily periodicals from coast to coast.  In addition, his research articles and special feature columns have appeared in Antique Week, Collectors News, The Magazine Antiques, Maine Antique Digest, Warman’s Today’s Collector, and numerous other periodicals and newspapers.  Rinker’s “Show and Tell” column is a regular feature in Country Home.

Whatcha Got, an antiques and collectibles call-in show, appears weekly on KFGO–AM in Fargo/Moorhead (ND/ MN) Saturdays between 10:00 and 11:00AM Central Time, on WSAU–AM in Wausau (WI) Tuesdays between 10:00 and 11:00AM Central Time, on KLTF–AM in Little Falls (MN) Wednesdays between 9:00 and 10:00AM Central Time, on WGEE–AM in Green Bay (WI) on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month between 10:00 and 11:00AM Central Time, on KROC in Rochester (MN) on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month between 10:00 and 11:00AM Central Time, and on WNPV in Lansdale (PA) Wednesdays between NOON and 1:00PM Eastern Time.   KFGO’s Whatcha Got is broadcast live on the Internet at www.fargoweb.com/kfgo.

Rinker is a frequent television and radio guest.  His television credits include Oprah, Home Matters, Inside Edition, Wall Street Journal Report, the NBC–TV Today show, the ABC–TV Good Morning America show, the CBS This Morning show, CNBC–TV’s Market Rap, and MPT Wall Street Week With Louis Rukeyser, along with many regional and local talk shows.  WWDB (Philadelphia), WCCO (Minneapolis), and WOR (New York) are among Rinker’s hundred plus radio credits. Rinker on Collectibles, a twenty-six week half-hour television show focusing on post-1945 collectibles, aired between Spring 1994 and Summer 1995 on WFMZ–TV, Channel 69, in Allentown, PA

Rinker is often quoted in the nation’s leading magazines and newspapers such as Business Week, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, Newsday, U.S. News and World Report, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Your Money Magazine.  Feature articles about Rinker and his collections have been circulated to the newspaper media by the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, and Knight–Ridder services.

In 1991 Rinker founded the Institute For The Study Of Antiques & Collectibles.  Its seminars, conferences, and other educational programs, held at Rinker Enterprises’ Vera Cruz headquarters, are designed to increase the skills and expertise of auctioneers, collectors, dealers, and others within the field.

Rinker conducts antiques and collectibles seminars nationwide.  In addition, he makes numerous guest appearances at antiques shows, trade shows and exhibitions, educational institutions, and museums and historic sites where he lectures and/or conducts verbal appraisal clinics.  He also leads an occasional antiques and collectibles seminar cruise.

In 1996 Rinker and James Tucker co-founded the National Association of Collectors.  NAC’s objectives include providing affordable insurance for collectors, educational opportunities, and printed information designed to enhance the collections and collecting skills of its members.

Auction, Internet, insurance, and publishing companies, along with corporations and private individuals are the principal clients for Rinker’s consulting activities.  He serves as a consultant to the Alderfer Auction Company and Kaleden Online Ventures Corporation.  Rinker works within the insurance industry to develop and promote fine arts coverage and to combat fraudulent claims.  Publisher consulting ranges from author recruitment to manuscript content review.  Finally, Rinker works with a select group of corporate and private clients in the areas of collection management, valuation, and market analysis.

Rinker is a dedicated accumulator, acquiring material in over 250 categories.  His principal interests are Pennsylvania German material, objects associated with the Moravians, memorabilia of the American canal era, TV cowboy heroes with special emphasis on Hopalong Cassidy, and jigsaw puzzles and associated ephemera, a collection that now exceeds 5,000 examples.

Items from Rinker’s private collection have been featured in a number of exhibitions among which are: “Hopalong Cassidy:  King of the Cowboy Merchandisers” (American Museum of the Moving Image, New York, 1994–95; Cowboy Hall of Fame, Oklahoma City, 1995), “Hoppy, Gene, and the Lone Ranger” (Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Los Angeles, 1991), “The Pennsylvania German Influence” (Philadelphia, Houston, and San Francisco, 1982), the 1976 “United States Bicentennial Exhibition” in Moscow, and at numerous museums, historical societies, and antiques shows.

Rinker was graduated from Lehigh University and did additional graduate work at Washington University of St. Louis and at the University of Delaware.  His distinguished twelve-year career as a museum professional began as director of archival research for Historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and culminated as executive director of several major historical societies and sites.