Mr. H is tall, bald, white and 45 years old. He is personable, soft-spoken and curious. He lives comfortably, with his girlfriend, mostly in central California. His wealth derives from collecting: watches and diamonds, jewelry and art, gold and silver and coins. He travels the state visiting jewelry stores, secondhand stores and antique stores, looking for rare finds or buying whole estates. The vast majority of his purchases hold no historical significance. They are, as he puts it, “someone else’s treasures.”
On a typical day in an atypical life, Mr. H and his partners will spend between $10,000 and $50,000.