Biography/Collector Statement

I have been collecting kaleidoscopes since 1986. My first scope was a gift of a Chesnick-Koch interchangeable piece we saw in a unique collectibles shop in Aspen, CO. It became a significant spiraling passion from there. Not only did i start acquiring scope after scope, I designed special kaleidoscope built ins for a large house we built in Oakton, VA. Several Brewster members had visited that home when i held a breakfast reception when the National Convention was held at the Strathmore outside of Washington DC in early 2000s. After catching the bug and acquiring my first hundred scopes through the mid-1990s, I began to get much more selective with most of my acquisitions being limited editions, one-of-a-kinds and pieces of historical of craftsmanship significance. Many of my later acquisitions were pieces of note by the artists themselves. I also developed a relationship with Cozy Baker, who lived less than 40 minutes from me. I ended up purchasing a number of pieces from her collection. For a number of years I attended every convention, meeting and developing friendships with many of the artists and industry players. Of course in addition to the pieces of significance, I continued to add pieces regularly to my collection that I simply just liked. My acquiring scopes slowed down appreciably after Cozy's passing and the effects of 2008. For better or for worse I now am in the process of retiring and downsizing. Thus, I need to divest much of my collection. I am happy to share my list of available scopes with interested parties. fred@gumbinner.com. 703-577-6696