tom fontaine

Tom Fontaine is a true pioneer in the collection of music and entertainment artifacts. It all began innocently at the early age of five, in 1963. A gift was given to Tom, knowing and understanding the importance of history by collecting it all. Those instincts, then and now, have led Tom to amass one of the largest, rarest, and valuable collections in the world spanning five decades.

Almost every imaginable legendary recording artist and band of the 20th century, from The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen, to entertainment legends Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and the movies and television have been collected by Tom with many rare and previously unseen historic gems amongst his portfolio.

In the 1980s, Tom started branching out into autographs, performance contracts, personally owned and stage clothing, as well as handwritten lyrics. Although he primarily concentrated on music, he also collected movie and television memorabilia.

Over the last 55 years, Tom has emphasized the importance of research, education, sound judgment, and common sense. He has consistently collected the provenance and stories accompanying the assets he acquired, including the history or circumstances surrounding the acquisition, event dates, autograph analysis, and established their authenticity in each case.

Over the years, Tom has become one of the most respected collectors in the industry, advising, authenticating, and appraising for fellow collectors, dealers, and auction houses. In 2004, he published a study of The Beatles’ autographs, featured on worldwide websites.

www.autographworld.com/beatles/sigstudy1.asp

Tom has also been featured on a variety of media channels over the decades, from newspapers and magazines to radio and TV, including appearances on CNN, PBS, and the BBC in London, among others.

Tom is also a co-founder of the IEF (Indiana Entertainment Foundation), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, researching, archiving, and displaying Indiana’s rich entertainment history in music, film, and broadcasting. Something he is very proud to be a part of from his home state.

His book, “Rare,” represents his life’s work, encompassing personal stories, photographs, and events that occurred over the last fifty-plus years, from childhood to adulthood. His second publication, “The Beatles and Their Solo Years”, has also received many glowing reviews. In 2025, Tom released two new books: “The Beatles: Looking Back, The Final Trip” with a forward by Chris O’Dell and “Sharon Tate: Every Picture Tells Her Story” (A celebration of her Life, Family, and Career through his personal stories and his one-of-a-kind collection).

He has built collections and traded for five decades, creating a ‘once in a lifetime’ company that possesses some of the rarest and most important music artifacts from the 20th and 21st centuries, along with many of the world’s most valuable memorabilia assets from Hollywood and beyond. All carefully managed and preserved, providing history as an ever-growing asset-rich business.

Tom is the CEO and Owner of RARE MAE INVESTMENTS LLC and is actively looking to take the business in new and exciting directions.