Alan Kaplan discusses discusses the rivalry between Paul Hollister and Paul Jokelson. Oral history interview with Alan Kaplan by Barb Elam, conducted via telephone, April 25, 2019, Bard Graduate Center. Clip length: 01:34.

Alan Kaplan: We knew Paul Hollister and Paul Jokelson from the very beginning. And the two of them used to have this friendly competition. You know, listen as I said, when you’re a dealer, you never take sides on anything. Everybody’s your friend, and everybody’s your customer, so—you sort of stand on the sidelines and watch the goings on. I mean, we certainly know of the rivalry, and it was always there. I don’t know if it was the fact that each of them wrote books, and each of them considered themselves the top, you know, expert in the field? I mean, Paul Jokelson was the one who founded the Paperweight [Collectors] Association and basically subsidized it for all the early years. I think that was ’54, his first bulletin. And the same thing, it didn’t cost anything to join. He would subsidize the conventions, himself, but, you know, I mean say what you want. Yes, he did import weights, so it was self-serving somewhat. He had loved the whole thing. And Paul Jokelson came over here as a ‘war bride’ after the second World War. You know, he married an American nurse—and came over. But why? I don’t know. It just could be that each one wanted to be the center of attention in the paperweight universe. That would be my guess. But they certainly, you know, they were always cordial to each other in public. But they certainly would dig their nails in in private over each other.