A westward expansion is in the works for Steve Geppi’s Diamond
International Galleries. The company’s two major auction houses – Hake’s
Americana & Collectibles and Morphy Auctions – and its sister firm, Geppi’s
Memorabilia Road Show – are joining forces to produce annual sales in the Los
Angeles metro area starting next year.

“The plan is to hold
three-day auctions, with each of our companies holding its own sale on a
different day,” Geppi said. “We’ve signed a contract with the
Burbank Airport Hilton Hotel & Convention Center and locked in our first
dates: February 15, 16 and 17, 2007. The plan is for the Road Show to hold its
sale on day one, Hake’s on the second day and Morphy’s on the third
day.”

Geppi said California-based sales will address the needs of
many of the Diamond companies’ existing West Coast customers while, at the same
time, showcase their services to potential consignors. “Many collectors
would love to consign to us because they’ve seen the prices realized in our past
sales, but they want to be assured of the service they’d be getting – and quite
rightly so. At the Burbank auctions they’ll be able to see for themselves how we
handle consignments, how professional our staff members are and how attentive we
are to our customers. We’ve hired Jim Maley, a full-time antique dealer in
Anaheim (Calif.), to serve as our West Coast contact. Among other things, he
will be responsible for shipping all items purchased in our Burbank sales via
eBay Live.”

Geppi said his team personally inspected and lodged at
the Burbank Airport Hilton before settling on it as the venue for future
auctions. “We were very pleased with the management and staff, and the
hotel was very clean and spacious.” A sleek, modern building with floral
gardens and palm trees on its grounds, the Hilton is a mere 100 yards from
Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport. The auctions will be conducted in the hotel’s 4,000
square ft Junior Ballroom, which opens to a comfortable lounge area and dining
facilities.

“We’ve planned for more than ten years to reach out to
collectors on the west coast as part of our overall effort to encourage
awareness about the history of popular culture, and it’s great to reach this
stage,” said John K. Snyder, Jr., President of Diamond International
Galleries. “With the general public’s increasing interest in our world,
this event will improve our ability to connect with history in an exciting,
tangible way.”

Previews for the Burbank sales will be held over a
two-month period at Morphy’s Adamstown Antique Gallery in Denver, Pennsylvania,
followed by a preview in California. The 2007 sale series will feature
approximately 400-500 lots per day. Additional details will be released later
this year.

For more information on Morphy Auctions, visit www.MorphyAuctions.com.

For more information on Hake’s Americana & Collectibles, visit www.Hakes.com.

For more
information on Geppi’s Memorabilia Road Show, visit www.GMRS.com.