A very brief summary of my engagement with Stewart (Stewie) Blay.

In the mid-late 90’s I made a bit of a name for myself on Ebay. This is long before Ebay became the manipulative greed and control-based cesspool it is now. I’ve always enjoyed varieties and I’d developed a way to post spectacular (for that era in time) macro images of variety coins I had listed for sale. This led me to become very close with and a supplier of coins for great past collectors like Tom Mershon and Gerry Glaser. I built a reputation for calling things as they are and standing behind my products with unconditional 100% satisfaction guarantees. Of course most everyone knew and knows who Stewart Blay was.  

I believe it was 1999 or 2000 that I was at the Long Beach show. There was a man sitting, all alone, at a bare bourse table in an empty booth. He had one roll of Lincoln cents and was looking at them one at a time. It was an odd site. I stopped and asked “are you looking for gems or varieties”. He responded “gems, who gives a shit about varieties”. I loved his candidness and charisma so much that I reached out my hand and introduced myself. I said “I’m E. J. Scott”. He shook my hand and said “So…you’re E. J. Scott” (as if I were someone) and said “I’m Stewart Blay”. I nearly crapped myself!

We sat and discussed Lincoln cents and integrity for quite some time. A friendship had begun.

From that day through to his passing we were never “hang out buddies”. But we shared a very strong bond of integrity-based mutual respect. The one thing we both knew we’d receive from the other is the truth. We shared our personal paradigms of calling a spade a spade, regardless of societal stigmas or corporate blackballing.

Anyone that was granted access to really get to know Stewie understands he was a very interesting man. Some liked him. Many didn’t. But in my personal, first-hand experience the ones that disliked him did so out of insecurity based jealousy. They were threatened by his honesty. Many that didn’t like him were coin dealers that were frustrated because they couldn’t sell him a label or an asinine sticker. Stewie had a passion for coins. Not labels, stupid stickers or a stroked ego through external validation by simply owning a shiny bobble. He pursued perfection, not attention.

Stewie was a lot of things. But the one thing he was, above all else, was a man with the balls to call it like it is. In my personal experience I never witnessed him kissing a single ass! In point of fact we share the same level of disdain for those that do. He lacked tact at times, as do I, but he never lacked honesty! He was a TRUSTWORTHY MAN!

In the numismatic word Stewie collected “coins”. When he was acquiring an item he didn’t give a crap what a label on a holder stated. We’d laughed together endless times over the completely asinine stupidity of the “opinion of an opinion” purchased sticker charade. Stewie was also very honest and open about when it’s time to sell he’ll optimize a label and pursue a stupid sticker simply because the ignorant will pay more for the coin. A place he and I differ, but I respected his candor.

Over time I coined the phrase “Blayworthy” when discussing or pitching a coin to Stewie. I’m very proud to say that a couple years before he passed he told me “any coin you think is Blayworthy, just send it to me”. I’m also very proud to say that he told me I’m the only person in numismatics he completely trusts. From that day forward he purchased every coin I sent him. Often at prices far exceeding the “label”.

About six months or so before his passing Stewie confided in me he didn’t have much time left. He stated that he’s selling his collections to Ian. We were, once again, discussing the asinity of the stupid sticker bullshit and I said, somewhat tongue in cheek, “if you had a sticker for what you think of a Lincoln I’d give that value”. This sparked an idea…

I designed a sticker that is the same size as the lame-bean sticker and had a few sheets printed up and sent them, unannounced, to Stewie. Here’s the sticker:
   

When Stewie received the stickers he went bananas (in a fun way). It was sooooo fun to hear him so excited. He immediately asked me to send more.

Towards his end he confided in me how sad and emotionally hurt he was because of the shunting he’d received by the numismatic “money machine” network. He was truly scarred by his realization that he was punished simply for having high standards and for remaining true to “coin” collecting and not “label and sticker” collecting.

I find it interesting and highly educational to note that after all the shunting and criticism he received from the numismatic greed machine because they couldn’t knock him off his center, that his “coins” command such a premium!

Stewies coins command a premium because the man stood up for right, wouldn’t allow his confidence in his own judgment to be manipulated by the greedy and he never abandoned his integrity.

Love ya buddy!