About University Archives

What does the name University Archives mean? Everyone asks. Our founder, John Reznikoff, embarked on a college career at Fordham University in 1978 while simultaneously launching what would become University Archives. Having “University” figure prominently in the company name appealed to the young 19-year-old entrepreneur, who was then working his way through school. Ishmael in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick proudly stated that “[a] whale ship was my Yale College and my Harvard.” In a similar way, John was educated at the School of Autograph Collecting: in the antiques shops, flea markets, and rare book fairs of New England.

The Company Specializing In Everything

At University Archives, our expertise is wide-ranging. Our strongest collecting areas, however, include Early American/Colonial; Revolutionary War; Declaration and Constitution Signers; American Presidents and First Ladies; Civil War; both World Wars; World Leaders; Science; Space; Literary; Music; Art. University Archives monthly online auctions offer a cross-section of most of these categories, so our buyers expect the best examples from each, and never leave disappointed. In addition, University Archives themed sales will highlight specific collecting interests, such as the Kennedy Family.

Company Founder John Reznikoff

Our founder, John Reznikoff, first discovered the world of baseball cards, philately, and autographs in 1969 as a precocious nine-year-old. Ten years later the ambitious young businessman first established and incorporated University Archives.

John Reznikoff

John has now been in business for over 40 years. In that time, he has examined, cataloged, appraised, purchased, and sold hundreds of thousands of documents related to American, European, and world history. His expertise in handwriting authentication has brought him to the Library of Congress, and to the offices of many branches of law enforcement. He is as equally comfortable on the set of the History Channel’s Pawn Stars as he is at international book fairs in Brooklyn, Boston, Manhattan, California, and London.

John’s reputation as a handwriting expert in the autograph industry is unparalleled. In addition to serving as an authenticator and questioned document examiner, he is also a respected collector, dealer, and auctioneer. He is the only expert to opine for both accepted third-party authentication services PSA and JSA. John is frequently asked to evaluate the authenticity of items by Christie’s, Sotheby’s, RR Auction, and largest rare book dealer in the world, Bauman Rare Books. CBS News called John’s expertise “the best in the world.”

Learn More