Episode Details

Zach sits down with antique dealer, picker, and bestselling author Duane Scott Cerny (Selling Dead People's Things) for a conversation that swings from delightful to deeply human. Duane recounts his most treasured find — a photo of three-legged circus performer Frank Lentini, discovered by chance in a pile of picture frames — and opens up about his love of John Waters and Divine memorabilia. The conversation turns thoughtful as Duane and Zach discuss the overlooked history of gay antique dealers, what belongings reveal about the people who owned them, and the harder side of the business: hoarding, home shopping addiction, and the toll dementia can take on a person's relationship with their possessions. It's a episode that's equal parts fascinating, funny, and unexpectedly moving.

• Duane's origin story: hunting for wooden picture frames at a rural Wisconsin farm sale
• The incredible find: an 1880s cabinet card photo of circus performer Frank "The Great" Lentini, bought for $5
• Duane's connection to John Waters and his extensive Divine memorabilia collection
• How his book Selling Dead People's Things hit #1 on Amazon three times in the antiques/collectibles category — and why resold copies now go for a premium on eBay
• What personal belongings reveal about the people who owned them (with privacy always protected)
• The history of gay antique dealers, from Christopher Street and Bleecker Street to today's Instagram shops
• Surprising items the gay community collects (hint: it's not what you'd expect)
• Real hoarding stories: garbage in backpacks, dryer lint collections, and homes torn down due to mold and neglect
• The connection between hoarding, home shopping networks, and cognitive decline
• Where to find Duane: sellingdeadpeoplesthings.com and his Substack, plus his monthly column in the Village View

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977

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