About Us

About the Raab Collection

The Raab Collection is an international firm specializing in the buying and selling of important historical documents and autographs. Founded by attorney, author, and collector Steven Raab as an outlet for his love of history, the business has since its inception discovered and carried some of the most important historical documents, advising public and private clients worldwide, with clients on every habitable continent.

The firm focuses on the quality, not the quantity, of historical documents, assessing their authenticity, importance, and beauty. This requires an in-depth knowledge of history and decades of experience, as well as relationships with institutions, media, historically tied families, and collectors, all built over time.

The firm counts among its clients many of the most historically passionate collectors, those forming great private collections, and also collecting institutions, among them the Library of Congress and the British Library.

Customer Satisfaction and Guarantee Policy

Every item purchased from the Raab Collection, LLC is guaranteed to be authentic, without time limit, to the original purchaser.

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Some Basic Advice

Buy fewer things, but make them the highest quality you can.

We give this advice regularly and devote the better part of our time searching out the finest and most interesting manuscripts, ones that cannot be found anywhere else, many of which themselves played a formative role in the chronicles of their times. It is the hunt for these treasures of history that has turned a passion into a business, a passion we enjoy sharing.

Quality defines value.

We have decades of experience measuring the caliber of an item’s content or importance, and that assessment is crucial. How can you measure something as subjective as the degree to which these factors are present? We have developed guidelines, and with some common sense added in, we apply them and share them with clients and those interested in this fascinating field.

Who We Are

Meet the experts at the Raab Collection, who have collectively over a century of experience in the field of important historical documents.

Who We Are

Our Customers

Our customers include many of the great historical document-collecting institutions.

Educational Institutions

Governmental Organizations

Museums

Private Collectors

Private Institutions

Historical Societies

Presidential Organizations

Major Historical Sites

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More Than a Century of Combined Experience Helping Serious Collectors Build World-Class Collections

Many documents are acquired by private buyers worldwide, who love history. It is a hobby of passion and brings us closer to the people we admire from the past. Our customers live on every habitable continent and speak many languages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to buy and sell historical documents, advice for preserving your collection, how we assess authenticity, and more about the experts at Raab.

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Our sellers hail from all over the world.

They include serious collectors, heirs who have inherited their documents, and people who have found a document whose import and value they are looking to determine.

We also routinely acquire our material from prominent historical families, including descendants of scientific greats, owners of old European chateaus, great generals from America and Europe, and Civil Rights trailblazers. Among the historical figures whose families and heirs have sold us their treasures are pictured. Click to explore their collections.

Sell With Raab

Among our sellers are the direct descendants of:

William Henry Harrison

Andrew Jackson

OUR DISCOVERIES

We have handled many of the notable historical documents to reach the market in the past three decades.

George Washington

His original presidential address to Congress, stating his zeal for the public good will be unrelenting

John F. Kennedy

The long-lost and much-searched-for Air Force One tape from his assassination, which we discovered

Thomas Jefferson

His foundation letter of the Library of Congress collections, signed by him and in the hand of Meriwether Lewis

Winston Churchill

His hand-held speech to Parliament warning of the onrushing World War II and asking Britain to awake

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Raab History

Decades in Business Helping Private and Institutional Collectors Build World-Class Collections

What began in 1960 as a hobby has become a company with customers worldwide – private collections, as well as major institutions. This online exhibition charts the early years and founding of the firm created by Steven and Susan Raab, as it grew into the international business it is today.

The Beginning

This image, from an Asbury Park newspaper, dates from 1960 and shows 11-year-old Steven Raab with his sister, Robin. Steven is showing off his collection.

Steven's First Autograph

In 1958, Steven’s mother took him to a live performance of the Three Stooges, and after the show he met them and obtained their autographs. These were the first he would own.

Collector

In this letter from Joe Rubinfine, Steven places an autograph order 2 years before the start of the business.

The Origin of the Raab Eagle

Steven chose an early Civil-War era stationery eagle to form the inspiration for the Raab Eagle, which remains the logo today.

1989-1990, Launching the Firm

In 1989-1990 Steven opened his business and began advertising in local trade publications. Long before the Internet became common, he placed print ads touting his documents and early catalogs. Steven chose as his business name "Steven S. Raab Autographs," a name the firm retained until the early 2000s.

Early Advertising

Abraham Lincoln has always inspired Steven, and this early advertisement attests to that inspiration.

Early Orders

This is one example of the very first catalog orders that came in early 1990.

Steven's Quill

This antique writing quill and ink reservoir sat on Steven's desk in the early years, and remains in the office today.

Early Catalogs

The early catalogs were constructed by Susan Raab and, before the widespread use of page-building software, were printed, pasted and copied, before being sent out for formal printing. This one shows the editorial markings Steven made during the process.

Technical Operation

Susan kept all her files meticulously organized on floppy disks, long before she began the practice of using an external hard drive. This, which contained catalog 6, was in the early 1990s and fit her Apple IIgs

Early Inventory

Today's website bears little resemblance to early print ads, like this one, which featured his inventory.

Message to Susan

This note card shows not only a communication with dealer Charles Hamilton but also a request from Steven, written to Susan, to call Bob Batchelder. Both men have since passed away.

The Wilson Plaque

This Woodrow Wilson-themed marble, framed block was a mainstay during the early years, where it adorned Steven's office.

The First Website

Steven and Susan launched the first website for the firm, featuring fully illustrated, color listings, in 1996. This website might seem primitive by today's standards, but it was a major step for the industry at the time, where printed catalogs were still the norm. This was a period in which Neil Lanigan worked with Steven and Susan.

The Raab Collection

In 2005, Nathan Raab joined the business, and the name changed from Steven S. Raab Autographs to The Raab Collection. A letter was sent to each customer announcing the switch.

The Second Generation

In 2015, Karen Pearlman Raab, Nathan's wife, joined the firm. Today's leadership consists of Susan, Steven, Karen and Nathan Raab.

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About Raab

News & Stories

The Book

About the Raab Collection

Customer Satisfaction and Guarantee Policy

Some Basic Advice

Buy fewer things, but make them the highest quality you can.

Quality defines value.

Who We Are

Meet the experts at the Raab Collection, who have collectively over a century of experience in the field of important historical documents.

Our Customers

Our customers include many of the great historical document-collecting institutions.

More Than a Century of Combined Experience Helping Serious Collectors Build World-Class Collections

Many documents are acquired by private buyers worldwide, who love history. It is a hobby of passion and brings us closer to the people we admire from the past. Our customers live on every habitable continent and speak many languages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our sellers hail from all over the world.

They include serious collectors, heirs who have inherited their documents, and people who have found a document whose import and value they are looking to determine.

Among our sellers are the direct descendants of:

OUR DISCOVERIES

We have handled many of the notable historical documents to reach the market in the past three decades.

Raab History

Decades in Business Helping Private and Institutional Collectors Build World-Class Collections

The Beginning

Steven's First Autograph

Collector

The Origin of the Raab Eagle

1989-1990, Launching the Firm

Early Advertising

Early Orders

Steven's Quill

Early Catalogs

Technical Operation

Early Inventory

Message to Susan

The Wilson Plaque

The First Website

The Raab Collection

The Second Generation

Join Us

Explore the world of raab

Search The Collection.

Join Us