Scripophily in the News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Diane Murphy
Tel: 202.662.1280
Cell phone: 202.255.6649
Scripophily.com Sells Thousands of
Old Collectible Stock and Bond Certificates
- Public Demand Increases For Scarce, Rare Collectible Certificates -
Falls Church, Virginia (July 15, 1999) – Scripophily.com,
a leader in the Collectible Stock and Bond industry, announced today that demand for its
products – collectible stock and bond certificates -- has increased tenfold during
the last year. The increase in demand is directly related to an expanded product line of
more than 1,000 different certificates from around the world coupled with the scarcity of
these popular products in the marketplace.
"We have seen a dramatic increase in sales during the last year
resulting from our Internet awareness campaign that included major improvements in our
website at www.scripophily.com, expanded product
lines, major participation in auctions on Ebay™, Amazon.com™ and Yahoo™, as
well as our cross promotion campaign with Encyberpedia™ and Windows2000™,"
said Bob Kerstein, Chief Executive Officer of Scripophily.com. "We are very excited
about our growth this year and will continue to reinvest our profits into expanding our
inventory to provide our customers with the most valuable choices for their
collections."
SCRIPOPHILY (script-a-fil-ly), the collecting of cancelled old stocks and
bonds, started as a hobby in the mid-1970s as a result of a contest conducted by the Financial
Times of London in 1976. The word is half English and half Greek. "Scrip"
represents an ownership right and the word "philos," means to love. While some
of the thousands of worldwide collectors consider Scripophily a hobby, there are many who
consider Scripophily an excellent financial investment and others who admire the beauty of
older stocks and bonds that were printed in various colors with fancy artwork and ornate
engraving.
For Kerstein - a former Chief Financial Officer of American Mobile Satellite Corporation
and McCaw Cellular, and executive at Warner Brothers and Orca Bay Sports &
Entertainment - Scripophily is one of the most fascinating areas of financial history.
Millions of companies have needed to raise money over the years, and company founders
either issued stock for equity securities or bonds for debt securities. However, there are
many variations of equity and debt instruments. "You just don’t see the printed
paper certificate any more" says Kerstein. "Everything is being done
electronically. These certificates are authentic pieces of history that can never be
replaced." Just as each company is different, each certificate is different as well.
The color, paper, signatures, images, dates, stamps, cancellations, borders, industry,
stock broker, name of company, transfer agent, printer, holder name all add to the
uniqueness of the hobby.
Scripophily.com was founded by Bob and Susana Kerstein in 1996, and grew out of their business, Monte Cristo Antiques of Falls Church, VA, founded in 1990. Scripophily.com offers certificates and provides research advise to help determine the value of old certificates. Bob has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1978 and has more than 20 years experience in the financial, communications, and entertainment industries, including cellular, satellite, communications, internet development, cable TV, motion pictures and professional sports. He also is the founder of Encyberpedia.com, an award-winning internet reference informational website, and Windows2000.com, a popular Web Cam Site, as well as other internet related sites. He is also one of the founders of Angel Technology (broadband.com). Senior positions held by Kerstein include chief financial officer at McCaw Cellular Corporation (now AT&T Wireless), American Mobile Satellite Corporation, Falcon Cable TV, senior VP and director of financial reporting at Warner Brothers, and chief information officer at Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment (owners of the Vancouver Canucks and Grizzlies). The Kersteins own the Monte Cristo Gold Mine in the Angeles National Forest located ten miles north of Pasadena, CA.
-end-
NOTE TO EDITORS: Scripophily.com, Encyberpedia and Windows2000 are the property of Encyberpedia. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective companies.