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Collecting has always been in Tom Slater’s blood. At the age of six he began with sea shells, and soon graduated to coins, the “gateway drug” to so many other fields of collecting. By the age of ten, Tom’s Dad would drop him off at coin shows within driving range, picking him up at the end of the day. All the dealers knew Tom, and they would give him coins to shop around the floor with the hope of making a small commission. Usually he was able to make $50 to $100, no small sum in the early 1960s, which of course was promptly invested in his collection.   When Tom was 12 he rented space in his barber’s shop and set up a display case, selling coins on weekends.  A year later he formed a partnership with one of his customers, and the pair opened their own coin shop. When Tom eventually left for college his partner continued to operate the shop for some 20 years.   But the turning point in Tom’s collecting journey came when as a high school student he by chance discovered the then-infant hobby of political campaign collectibles. An avid reader of anything to do with U.S. history, especially that of the presidents, he was instantly hooked!  Tom published his first political memorabilia sales list at age 19, and founded a major mail order auction at 25.   Somehow he managed to find time to graduate from Yale with honors, and brief experiments with law school and a corporate sales position were but minor detours. In 1976 he became a full-time dealer and auctioneer, and maintained a robust business in political and other collectors’  items until his company, Slater’s Americana, was absorbed by Heritage in 2004. Since that time Tom has served as Director of Americana auctions and Senior Historical Specialist for Heritage Auctions.