If the shelves in Heritage Coins & Collectibles could only talk

by Sara Hill

Fifty years ago, Russ James’ grandfather put a coin in his grandson’s small hand. It was a penny from 1865 – the year Lincoln was assassinated. Instead of quickly handing the coin back and running off to play, James cupped it in his hand and studied it carefully, noting its size and appearance, and imagining what stories the coin could tell.

“He pointed to the coin in my hand and told me, ‘That coin could have been in Lincoln’s pocket that night!’” James said of his grandfather. “It was really that moment and what he said to me that stayed with me and brought history to life.”

James hasn’t stopped studying coins, and other historical items, since that day a half century ago with his grandfather, retorting that he’s been a collector since he was “knee-high to a grasshopper.”

A lifelong hobby turned into a business venture last year when James and his wife, Sandy, opened Heritage Coins & Collectibles in Brecksville. To say their shop is a treasure trove is putting it rather mildly – the cozy spot at 7660 Chippewa Rd. has certified coins that date back to before Christ, baseball cards worth nearly $100,000, gold from 1315, and numerous other items of vast historical and cultural significance. Heritage Coins & Collectibles also operates on eBay.

“Collecting isn’t about having the object, it’s about having the history of the object. If it doesn’t have history, it’s just stuff,” James said.

Items are acquired from local, national and international coin shows, estate sales and walk-in customers. James takes ample time reviewing objects brought in, being mindful to tell people what they “actually have,” noting that his business does not take a “smoke and mirrors” approach. His main concern is being fair – James has even done counterfeit detection work and spent more than a decade as a board member of a national coin collecting society.

“There are coin shops everywhere and for the most part, the shops around me are very knowledgeable,” James said. “When selling in a shop, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. No one is 100 percent knowledgeable. I’ve got friends literally all over the world and I can put my questions on a coin community forum and have answers in minutes.”

James notes that there are treasures in everyone’s home, and although not everything may have significant dollar value, sometimes the value is more about the smile it puts on your face. But many items can be of dollar value, James said, including modern coinage, sports memorabilia, figurines, and cultural items like a 1922 Coke tray featuring an original Norman Rockwell image or newspapers from the day Kennedy was assassinated.

“If it’s a collectible and it’s interesting, we’ll take a look at it and buy it,” James said. “We have a nice table that people can sit down at. We call our shop our happy spot because half of what you’re doing as a collector is shooting the breeze with other folks like you and being a part of a community that has real intellectual curiosity.”

James’ wife, Sandy, didn’t immediately share her husband’s deep love and appreciation for coins and collectibles, but like many marriage partnerships, eventually found her way and discovered her passion for unique items.

“My husband got me interested in these things and now I help out with different items and figurines, cleaning them and preparing them for eBay sales,” Sandy said. “Many times, people will just come in here to look around and you just get to talking and strike up conversation. It’s a lot of fun.”

Heritage Coins & Collectibles is open Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and by private appointment. Contact them at (440) 630-9264 and find them on eBay by searching Heritage Coins & Collectibles. ∞