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James Comisar Screen Gems

The former screenwriter reigns as the king of TV memorabilia

James Comisar among his collection of iconic TV artifacts Gregg Segal . Nobody cared about this stuff back then. So I filled my apartment with these TV treasures. Then I couldn't park in my garage because I had a spaceship from My Favorite Martian inside. I later got a storage unit and eventually 10 more. Now the Comisar Collection conserves about 10,000 objects in two warehouses. Why? I am documenting our shared experience. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Each piece has a story. The famous bottle from I Dream of Jeannie is actually a recycled 1955 Jim Beam Christmas decanter. Cindy Brady's costume came with a marble in one pocket. And I found Colonel Klink's monocle from Hogan's Heroes at a rural auction house in Wisconsin. Things once considered junk have now become priceless treasures in a white-hot art market. It's a great honor to have them, but it's also a giant responsibility. I make money for the collection by buying and selling pieces that are not essential to the TV-collecting mission, such as the Cowardly Lion costume from , which I sold for $3 million in 2014. It bothers me that some people refer to classic shows as comfort television. I find that pejorative. , , All in the Family, I Love Lucy — they've endured because they're timeless, quality entertainment. We're making progress toward building a Museum of Television to make the collection available to the public, and I hope these pieces can live on to tell their stories. —As told to David Hochman James Comisar, 50, is a memorabilia dealer and an adviser to auction houses and museums. MORE FROM AARP AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS