Profile – Ray Nugent Jr.

Watch a welcome video from Ray

Although I couldn’t see it at the time, in a subtle way, I guess my early years prepared me for what I do today. Bear with me while I see if I can make this palatable: grew up in Atlanta, graduated The Citadel and served in the military in the Korean years. War over, joined the civilian corporate world climbing the usual ladder. Nothing special there except got to sit in meetings with the likes of Ford, Iacocca, and Knudsen.

Now, just short of forty and willing to search beyond my grasp, I quit and entered private industry in the retail book business, eventually growing an unmanageable chain of stores.  Opportunity soon knocked in the 70’s and I moved from the Philadelphia area, leaving behind those retail headaches in someone else’s hands and moved to Naples. Ever the slow learner, however, and intoxicated by Naples’ balmy breezes, I jumped right back into the bookstore frying pan; this time, however, I took on the whole enchilada of used, new and rare books.

Rare books led to appraisals, professional accreditation, years of endless schools, and finally expansion into all areas of personal property.  While all this was going on, I continued to grow my expertise in the appraisal ‘niche’ field, eventually attaining an accreditation as a senior-level accredited appraiser in rare books, documents, manuscripts and antique maps. Our firm has since expanded to include hundreds of different types of personal property items.

In addition to appraisals, I personally have accreditation as a Conservator, and an Archivist, which helps put us in the crosshairs of many interesting assignments. Our clients have included many of this country’s well-known families (media-hyped divorces and quiet donations); private investors; federal/state government departments (IRS, Immigration, Customs, Wildlife); state archives, college and university special collection libraries; Library of Congress; The Smithsonian; and, the collections of several high profile politicians.

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