Collector Profile: Nelson Shaffer

Local History News  |  Posted by: Tedd Long  |  06/22/2021

All Toledo collectors have a unique story about how they got their start and what attracts them to certain Glass City memorabilia. For Nelson Shaffer, a local bank executive, it's being connected to the early days of Toledo's iconic Jeep brand that keeps him inspired and hitting the auction scene. Over the years, his eye has been drawn to Willys/Overland/Jeep items and he's built an incredible collection. He also has an excellent eye for local businesses and buildings. Shaffer's collection exudes authenticity and nostalgia. We recently caught up with him; here's his story.

Tell us a little about yourself and what you like to collect?

My name is Nelson Shaffer, and it has been said that I have a collection of collections. Over the last 10 years, the focus of my collections has become Toledo history.

How did you get started in collecting?

My interest in collecting started early in grade school with coins, baseball cards, and beer cans, all of which have a presence in my collections today. Over the years, my passions included: classic, muscle, and collector cars; Boy Scout history and memorabilia; vintage toys and action figures, especially Evel Knievel. Currently, I am most focused on items relating to Toledo history and companies, which include: Pythian Castle, Spitzer Building, Buckeye Beer, Toledo Club, Spicer Manufacturing, Toledo Scale, Camp Miakonda, Champion Spark Plug, DeVilbiss Company, Doehler-Jarvis, and Willys/Overland/Jeep.

What has been your single biggest success as a collector, or your greatest ever find?

My single biggest success has been preserving family treasures, and memories. One of the greatest rewards from collecting has been meeting other passionate collectors and developing friendships with others that care about the history of the Toledo area. As I became known as a collector, various local museums and organizations have reached out to me to include me in their missions. The Toledo Club did an article on my collections a few years back in their Topics magazine.

We’ve heard there are three categories of Toledo collectibles. “Oh,” Oh, my” and “Holy Toledo!" How do you know when you see something in the third category?

For me, the "Holy Toledo" category is anything related to Willys/Overland/Jeep. I am participating in Jeep Fest this year, and the bank I work for is a sponsor. There is so much history to the evolution of this brand, and it still exists today.

What is the most surprising or outrageous collecting story you have heard?

The thing that has amazed me most about collectors is the depth of their passion. Collecting is a way of life. Collectors will travel long distances, spend a significant amount of money and time making acquisitions, and then spend even more on buildings to display and store their treasures. No matter where a collector goes, or no matter what he is doing, his eye is always looking for the next treasure.

If you had to pick one item or group from your collection to designate as your favorite, what would it be?

The part of my collection that is my favorite dates back to when John North Willys purchased Overland Motors in 1908 and the Pope Motor Car Company in 1909. Items dating this far back are hard to find, but I have started there and collected what I could find going forward.

If you could have one item out of someone else’s collection, what would that be?

The John North Willys home in the Old West End.

How has the collecting scene changed since you got started?

The younger generations seem less interested in collecting than I was at their age.

What advice would you give a new collector starting out today?

Collect things that you truly enjoy and that you find interesting. Do it for yourself, and don't worry about collecting things just because they have a monetary value. If your collection gets too big, you can always downsize and refocus. There is a collector for almost everything.