THE JAG FILE

THE PRICE OF HISTORY?

Too often, I hear collectors or read comments on forums about the ethics of making a profit off of historical memorabilia or vehicles. Most often, these comments are made by buyers of historic relics who feel that the dealers are somehow denigrating history by making a living through buying and selling its relics.

Generally, when I hear these arguments, I just roll my eyes and chalk it up to some very naïve interpretations of who is entitled to “own” historic memorabilia. If forced to comment, I generally shrug my shoulders and say, “What price can you put on history?” Until today, that was a rhetorical question.

THERE IS A PRICE — $69 MILLION

While scanning the