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East Valley Tribune October 7, 2016

The Mesa corporate headquarters of Michael Pollack seems ordinary enough from the outside.

Inside is another matter. In addition to the opulent offices of the real estate mogul, the building houses three extraordinary museums, one a contender for the Guinness World Records.

Pollack’s 8,000-piece collection of three-dimensional advertising memorabilia in the Pollack Advertising Museum is said to be the world’s largest and has pieces dating from the 1700s. It also houses 156 animated Baranger jewelry store window displays of the mid-1900s. It’s estimated that 165 total were made.

His other two collections—meticulously restored collections of antique wheeled slot machines and three-reeler slot machines—are no less unique. Some of the wheel machines date to the 1900s and would dispense gum or candy or would play a song so that saloon owners could circumvent the illegality of gambling.

The three-reelers include slot machines carved in the 1950s by Arizona cowboy artist Frank Polk.

“I think it’s history, and I’m fascinated by history,” Pollack said.

Pollack submitted an application for the world records book after a Guinness representative toured the three-dimensional advertising museum. He’s awaiting a response.

It’s a one-horse race.

“There isn’t another place that has that many pieces of one type,” Pollack said.

Until 2009, the collections were open to the general public and counted nearly 300 daily visitors. It was hard to keep up and required extra resources. Nowadays, it’s open during charity fundraisers and by appointment to Pollack’s friends, acquaintances and serious collectors.

If you manage to wrangle an invite, it’s best to walk the rooms of any of the three displays with the collector himself. In the absence of introductory plaques and devoid of the stories to give them context, the objects may seem just a collection of antique toys. It’s easy to forget that most of these objects were made before the Walt Disney Company was even founded.

So what’s there?

Advertisements featuring an elephant (Hamlin’s wizard oil—“great for pain”), tea (Lipton), airlines (Air India), shipping lines (Hamburg), a wooden ship (Cutty Sark), a bear twirling on a motorcycle (Hamm’s Beer) and the Old Crow flapping his wings and moving his head while pedaling on a unicycle (Old Crow bourbon whisky). There’s a green-shirted Squirt boy, Buster Brown with his shoes and a life size Esso tiger, just to mention a few.

One of Pollack’s favorites—he uses the word dozens of times—is the life-size Bosch man used to advertise the well-known battery in gas stations during the Nazi years in Germany. At the time, Allied forces were bombing the stations to prevent gas from being transported. This particular statue was discovered in a basement of an excavated building in East Berlin; it was safe inside a coffin.

Another of Pollack’s favorite finds, with an accompanying narrative, is an apothecary’s display of a terracotta figurine of a little man with a pointy beard, a cat and many mice dating to the 1800s. His is a tale similar to that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

A village in Germany hires a man to kill rats and mice that are invading, is only paid half the agreed amount. He’s called again when the mice return. This time, the man asks for what was owed to him as well more for the new job, which the desperate villagers pay. The man finally brings in several cats that destroy the mice.

“That was the story that goes with him; it’s sounded like a really good one,” said Pollack, who had to clamber up a rat-infested attic in a Berlin antiques store to retrieve the statue at the shop owner’s bidding.

Pollack is also particularly proud of his Baranger collection because the company made 165 or so machines, out of which he owns 156. Manufactured in Pasadena, California, the Baranger moving figures advertised pieces of jewelry. The machines were never sold to jewelry shops; instead, the company leased them and placed them inside the shop windows.

“There are about 10 that are pretty elusive, and I haven’t got to them,” he said. “There’s not a lot to add; we have an extremely complete collection.”

Pollack began his collection in northern California when he was about 12.

“I was fascinated by these moving, mechanical signs that were advertising different products,” he said.

He would buy items such as electric beer signs at flea markets on Saturdays, repair them at night and sell them for a profit on Sundays to antique stores.

“I actually was making money as a kid, but I was fascinated with these signs,” he said. “I liked them so much that I would try to keep one of each kind for myself. And, pretty soon, it went from a kid’s hobby to now one of the largest assemblages in the world.”

With his collector zeal, Pollack continues to scout for additions. He’s looking for the missing—and elusive—Barangers. He doesn’t have to travel too much these days, because collector’s items are listed online, and his museum is notified of any new finds because it has a worldwide reputation.

As for the future, Pollack plans to write a book to chronicle the history of the collection’s individual pieces. Although he doesn’t claim to know the story behind each and every piece, he remembers a fair amount.

“I have so much of the history memorized that it would be a shame not to preserve it,” he said.

For more information, go to pollackmuseum.com.

Phoenix Business Journal Summer 2008

Michael Pollack call his collection "nothing short of phenomenal."

The 53-year-old business mogul has amassed what may be the world's largest array of 3-D advertising pieces. The 8,000 items are on display at the Pollack Advertising Museum in Mesa.

"The largest collection next to mine in the United States has 900 pieces," he says.

Although the 7,000-square-foot facility is closed to the public, Pollack gives private tours twice a month to locals. He also welcomes collectors from around the globe who come specifically to meet him and explore the museum.

"It's the largest assemblage in the world of three-dimensional advertising, and I know this because I collaborated with the curator of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France," Pollack says. "I have a much bigger collection and many, many pieces the French museum does not have. The Louvre also has pictures of some of my pieces hanging in the museum."

Antique dealer and collector Mike Karberg of Indiana specializes in the advertising statues Pollack collects, and he has been buying and selling to collector around the world for over two decades. Ten years ago, Karberg was rounding up between five and 20 pieces a month for Pollack to buy for his collection. Now it's 40 to 60 pieces a year, because it's harder to find items the museum does not already have.

Karberg visits Pollack about six times a year, so he know exactly what his customer is looking for and the amount he is willing to pay.

Karberg says collectors and dealers of three-dimensional advertising are a small group.

"We know there are other people with big collections," he says, "but no one has a collection the size of Michael's or a museum dedicated only to advertising and motion displays."

Pollack Advertising Museum was built in 2000, at the same time the advertising buff was building a 31,000 square-foot Mesa headquarters for Michael A. Pollack Investments, which he founded in 1973. The investment firm owns, operates, manages and leases a portfolio of more than 100 commercial and industrial properties.

Pollack controls more than 4 million square feet of developed real estate in Arizona, California and Nevada, including more than 60 projects in the Phoenix area.

His penchant for advertising memorabilia started when he was 14. He bought electric beer signs on Saturdays at a flea market near his home in San Francisco, then sold them on Sundays to antique dealers around the Bay Area.

"I discovered the beer signs when I was shopping with my parents, and I thought they were really cool, so I started buying and selling them to make some money," says Pollack. "Of course, I was too young to drive myself to the flea market, so I had to pay someone to drive me. We had to get there real early, like 5 a.m., to get the best signs before they were sold."

Pollack continued buying and selling beer signs for a couple years. Eventually, he stopped selling them and started collecting beer-related products such as statues, sign and tap handles. A short time later, he began collecting all types of 3-D advertising pieces - lunch boxes, banks, motion displays and more ranging from $100 to $25,000 each.

His vast collection also includes rare life-size characters. Hamm's Beer made five "Bear on a Motorcycle" moving displays, and Pollack owns three of them. He also owns the world's only full scale character display of the Old Crow on a unicycle, valued at $25,000.

His favorite pieces are store-window displays created between 1935 and 1955 by Baranger Studios in Pasadena, Calif. Most of them were leased to jewelry stores and were changed out every 30 to 90 days. Baranger made 130, and Pollack owners 100 of them.

His museum also has a large representation of miniature mannequins, 12 to 28 inches tall, which were used decades ago to advertise clothing.

Pollack has flown all over the world to buy individual items or entire collections for his museum. On one occasion, he spent $20,000 on an extremely rare item from Cognac. The chalk statue was so old and delicate that he bought and extra seat for it on the plane to get it home safely.

Pollack's 28 year old son, Daniel, remembers traveling to trade shows with his father during his childhood. Although he's not a collector himself, he says he enjoyed sharing in his father's thrill of the hunt.

"One time, when we were traveling in Europe, we met up with a guy my dad corresponded with and ended up traveling all over Berlin with him looking for rare collectables and advertising memorabilia," Daniel says. "Back then, people didn't list things internationally, so we had to go to these countries to find what we were looking for. That's how we spent our vacations."

But this was before the museum was established, he says, so "we had a basement full of stuff."

C.O.C.A. Times November 1, 2007

It was a dry heat tour. Nearly 100 COCA members slathered on the tan lotion for a weekend of fun on July 27-29 in Phoenix Arizona. Chairman Dave Cook and co chair Teresa Johnson made sure that we all were treated to a great time. We began on Friday with registration at the Embassy Suites Hotel. This hotel was a great choice for our group as it inlcuded cooked to order breakfast every morning and complimentary happy hour every evening. Everyone received large gift bags filled with sun tan lotions, candy, snacks and bottled water. Room to room trading lasted 3 hours with lots of machines and other coin-op related merchandise available. I was surprised at the large number of slot machines and vending machines on display.

A social hour, banquet and auction followed. The bids were once again called by professional auctioneer and member Jeff Scott. Jeff was able to zip through about 175 items without a break. I know that everyone at the auction appreciated his speed and skill. Jeff was assisted by his wife Shelia and Dave Small. The auction check-in and bookkeeping was done by Marsha Blau, along with Mark and Marci Ernster. COCA owes a huge THANK YOU to this auction team. There were lots of gumball and peanut machines that changed hands. Trade simulators sold included a rare Buddick Par-ket, a Garden City Pick A Pack and Groetchen Sparks with beer strips.

There were many punch boards, mechanical banks and a good assortment of antique advertising. Most items were sold as they were very few buy backs. The auction had no buyers or sellers fees and it was a win-win situation for all.

Saturday and Sunday collection tours included the homes of David Cook, Erick Johnson, Bill Baskin and Alex Warchaw. We saw lots of great vending machines, trade simulators, cigar cutters, figural match holders, mechanical banks and other types of coin-op and related items. Thanks to Dave, Erick Bill and Alex for opening their homes to us and for their great hospitality.

Saturday lunch time was certainly one of the weekend highlights. All members were treated to lunch and personalized tours of Phoenix real estate investor Michael Pollack's collection.

Michael has amassed over 8,000 pieces of three dimensional antique advertising along with a large coin-op collection. He also has a huge game room filled with modern and classic arcade pieces. The foyer and office spaces are adorned with some very glamorous artworks. Thanks Michael for the fine food and first class tour.

Saturday evening we went to the nearby William Wrigley Mansion for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and a banquet. After the banquet Ken Rubin and Ed Mazzola officially announced that the 2008 convention would be help in September in New Your City. The evening was topped off by a murder mystery whodunit that featured many of our members in key roles.

After dinner we ventured out onto the mansion balconies for the spectacular nighttime views of the city of Phoenix. Thanks to Erick Johnson for securing the use of the mansion.

Most member were able to work in tours of the Sedona area, the Grand Canyon and many of the other great places to visit in Arizona.

Many, many thank to David Cook, Teresa Johnson, and all those that helped them put together another wonderful COCA convention.

East Valley/Scottsdale Tribune May 2, 2007

What: What's claimed to be the world's largest collection of three-dimensional advertising memorabilia.

Who: Michael A. Pollack, 52, president and founder of Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments in Mesa.

How the collection began: I bought my first piece when I was 14 years old. Initially, it was a way to make some extra money. But I have not sold a piece in more than 30 years. I've always been fascinated with ads, especially 3-D ads.

How many pieces: I'm always adding to the collection, so the count keeps going up, but I'd say we have around 8,000 items currently in the museum. E-mails come in frequently from collectors around the world. Packages with newly purchased items arrive at a constant pace. It's like Christmas every day. To keep the collection looking the best, there's a full-time restorer, curator and assistant curator on staff. Many of the items are mechanical. If they're broken, they are fixed. Other items are brought back to their original luster, or kept the same if needed.

The prized piece: Probably the life-size Bosch statue I brought back from Europe several years ago. It's a pre-World War II piece that someone in Germany had the presence of mind to protect during the war. When I found it, the piece was literally being stored in a coffin. They opened the lid, and there it was.

What else you collect: Real estate! Although real estate is my profession, I consider myself a collector with more than 100 properties currently in our portfolio. This collection of properties allows me to execute my passion for redevelopment of commercial real estate throughout Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe, Peoria, Phoenix, Gilbert and Tucson.

But by far, my greatest reward comes from observing the revitalizations and returning pride in neighborhoods and communities through redevelopment.

I also collect video arcade games, lunch boxes ranging from the 1940s to 1970s, slot machines manufactured by companies such as Mills, Jennings and Caille, and 3-D artwork, including works from Bill Mack, Charles Fazzino and Michael Wilkinson.

Antique & Collectables January 2007

Private museum holds world's largest collection of advertising memorabilia

MESA, Ariz. - Unlike many hallowed halls of preservation, the Pollack Advertising Museum in Mesa, Ariz., has a different feel. Instead of quiet halls and darkened rooms, this museum welcomes its guests with a lively collaboration of sound and motion. In this tribute to advertising and pop culture memorabilia, history still has a special place though, and what a place it is.

Familiar faces from advertising's past, such as the Jolly Green Giant and Bob's Big Boy, strike smiling, life-size poses around every turn, while up and down the aisles 6-foot-tall mechanical Hamm's Brewery and Burgie Beer displays whirl, twist, twirl and clack their way into the hearts of visitors lucky enough to get a glimpse of this private collection.

Behind the scenes is the man whose passion for collections has resulted in more than 6,500 pieces comprising the largest collection of three-dimensional antique advertising memorabilia in the world.

Michael A. Pollack is founder and president of Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investment, one of Arizona's largest independently owned commercial real estate companies. The company and its affiliated entities own and operate more than 100 commercial and industrial properties in Arizona and California; sources estimate properties controlled by Pollack to be in excess of $3,000,000.

"Our philosophy - in real estate and with this museum - is to preserve history," said Pollack, who is well known for his transformative talents in retail redevelopment. "We've built all our collections - both of commercial properties and antiques - painstakingly over time with dedication and commitment."

The Pollack Advertising Museum itself is located in one of Pollack's preservation projects - a 31,000-square-foot former furniture warehouse that also houses his company headquarters.

And although antique dealers all over the world are familiar with Pollack's penchant for advertising memorabilia, few people have actually seen the museum. Pollack unveils his treasures only on special occasions or for visiting guests, but for the most part his museum, with hundreds of rare finds from around the globe, is of the antique world's best-kept secrets.

The museum holds an impressive collection of Paul Stanely & Co. pieces from the 1940s to the early 1960s. These were large, humorous displays, usually incorporating lights and motion, used in grocery stores mainly to sell various brands of beer.

Also in the Pollack Advertising Museum, is the most complete collection of Baranger animated jewelry store window displays from the 1930's to the 1960s. Highly sophisticated for the time, these electric-powered motion displays were leased to jewelry stores and used tiny characters in themed settings to convince patrons to buy diamonds. Look closely, and you'll see detail in the characters faces, which were modeled after Baranger's employees and family members.

In one corner of the museum a dapper little uniformed man from the 1930s offers a Bosch battery for inspection. Like many of the museum's pieces, this 3-foot-tall statue has a fascinating story: it was discovered hidden in a coffin amid the rubble of a decimated warehouse in East Germany after WW II.

Many of Pollack's pieces are chronicled in the 320-page book Mom and Pop Saloons: Distillery & Breweriana Displays, which he coauthored with Richard A. Penn. Proceeds from sales of the book go to various charities. Pollack is currently working on his second book and advertising memorabilia.

Meanwhile, every day boxes from all over the world arrive at Pollack Investment headquarters, delivering new additions to his massive collection. Pollack says it's impossible for him to choose a favorite among all the pieces. "That would be like asking me to pick my favorite child," he said.

Antique Trader's Collector Magazine & Price Guide October 1, 2005

In Michael A. Pollack's world, everything old deserves to be new again. His company, Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments, puts that proverb into practice, most recently by carving its sparkling, new corporate headquarters out of a tired old warehouse.

The 31,000 sq.ft. office at Alma School and Baseline roads in Mesa, Ariz., was born out the same philosophy that built much of the company's successful real estate empire - renovation and repositioning of an ugly duckling property. Once a dilapidated furniture warehouse, the building now sports a mediterranean, Santa Barbara architectural style with pitched tile roofs.

"We could have started from scratch, but I believe it's better practice the infill redevelopment philosophy that we preach," Pollack said.

A first look at the building reveals lushly landscaped grounds surrounding a showcase entrance. The dramatic lobby features decorative Roman columns and arches, while crystal chandeliers descend from high Victorian ceilings.

Then come the surprises - ranging from a full video arcade with simulated road racers to an employee lunch room modeled after a vintage 1950's cafe. Hand painted mythical themed artworks - one figure bearing a purposeful resemblance to Pollack's grandfather - adorn domed ceilings, and personal correspondence from the likes of Vice President Al Gore and Donald Trump is prominently displayed in the hallways. In Pollack's 2000 sq.ft. office sits a baby grand piano.

Perhaps most unexpected of all is an area devoted to Pollack's passion for collecting. The result is the world's largest private antique advertising memorabilia museum which was the subject of a book published in 2001.

Pollack said the offices were designed to be fun. "From the time I was 12 years old, I'd had a vision of exactly what I wanted. For years, our new offices have existed, but only in my imagination. Pollack's employees and special guests enjoy a billiards room, complete with air hockey and ping pong tables; a workout room filled with state-of-the-art fitness equipment and a carnival game room.

The museum

In Pollack's museum of advertising and pop culture memorabilia, history has a special place.

Familiar faces from advertising's past, such as the Jolly Green Giant and Bob's Big Boy, strike smiling, life sized poses around every turn, while up and down the aisles, 6 foot-tall mechanical Hamm's Brewery and Burgie Beer displays - clowns and bear, no less- whirl, twist and clack their way into the hearts of visitors lucky enough to get a glimpse of this private collection.

Behind the scenes, responsible for amassing the more than 6,500 pieces, is a man whose passion for collections - whether they be ailing shopping centers, old-time slot machines or rare jewelry store window displays - has resulted in this: The largest collection of three dimensional antique advertising memorabilia in the world.

"Our philosophy - in real estate and with this museum - is to preserve history," commented Pollack.

Pollack unveils his treasures on special occasions. Treasures to delight any antiques enthusiast - from a U.S. Express Company display from the 1800s to a rare and whimsical 1950s revolving Hamm's Bear on a motorcycle to the largest know statuette store display (taller than seven feet) for Old Crow Bourbon from the 1960s - are numerous here.

The museum holds an impressive collection of Paul Stanley & Co. pieces from the 1940s to the early 1960s. These are large and humorous displays, usually incorporating lights and motion, used in grocery stores, mainly to sell various brands of beer.

Also in the museum is the most complete collection of Baranger animated jewelry store window displays from the 1930s to the 1960s. Highly sophisticated for their time, these electric powered motion displays were leased to jewelry stores and used tiny characters in themed settings to convince patrons to buy diamonds. The character's faces were modeled after Baranger employees and family members.

In one corner of the museum, a dapper little uniformed man from the 1930s offers a Bosch battery for inspection. Like many of the museum's pieces, this three foot tall statue has a fascination story. It was discovered hidden in a coffin and the rubble of decimated warehouse in East Germany after World War II.

Pollack is currently working on a book on advertising memorabilia which is planned to be than 600 pages.

Meanwhile, every day, boxes from all over the world arrive at the Pollack Investments headquarters, delivering new additions to his massive collection.

Pollack say's it's impossible for him to choose a favorite among all the pieces. "That would be like asking me to pick one of my favorite children," he said.

Blasts from the past

Here are some museum highlights:

United States Express Co., horse drawn display wagon, 1890s: one of the more historic items in the museum, this display features two horses, covered in real horsehide with real horse hair manes and tails, hitched to a vintage wooden wagon that still has the original logo painted on its side.

Hamlin's Wizard Oil, elephant with rider statuette, 1910s: made of papier mache, this statuette of an exotic rider atop a parading elephant touting the popular cure-all, "Hamlin's Wizard Oil - Great for Pain," is extremely rare.

Dutch Boy Paints, Dutch Boy statuette, 1925 and Majestic Radios, Eagle statuette, 1920: Old King Cole Inc. of Canton, Ohio, was one of the most prolific advertising display companies during the early 20th century. They often signed their pieces with paper labels, making their works hard to find and highly sought after today. These two papier mache pieces were commissioned by Dutch Boy Paints and Majestic Radios.

Baranger, 70 animated jewelry store displays , 1930s - 1960s: at the time they were considered a technical miracle. From 1930 to 1959, the Baranger Company produced motion display operated by mini motos - each with its own theme and story. There were about 100 models made made, with only about 20 or 30 examples of each model manufactured, and these were leased as window displays. Pollack has assembled one of the most complete Branger collections known.

Work with Purpose, Passion and Profit Worthwhile March 1, 2005

When Michael Pollack was in fourth grade in his native San Jose, California, he wrote a report stating what he envisioned for his future. He wanted a limo. He wanted to collect a lot things. He wanted a big-screen TV - even though they weren't invented yet. He wanted to run his own company.

His teacher handed him back the report and told him not to get his hopes up. "You have some great dreams," she told him, "but just remember that dreams don't always come true."

Oh, how wrong she was.

Today, Pollack, 49, does run his own company. He is president of Michael A. Pollack Real Estate investments in Mesa, Ariz., which oversees a portfolio worth more than $300 million. Known as "the plastic surgeon of real estate," Pollack's claim to fame is buying dilapidated, often abandoned shopping centers in both low-income and higher-end communities and renovating them beyond recognition. He also has the limo - stretch actually. And a collection? Among other things, "I collect shopping centers," he says simply. The big-screen TV he imagined sits in the lush, high-ceilinged conference room off his formal office.

But it is the space all this inhabits that is truly dream-defying. The 22 full-time employees enjoy 31,000 square feet of opulent wonder, which includes a 1950s-style diner complete with working jukebox and neon signs; a "carnival room" with pinball machines, a mini carousel and video games; and a game room with air hockey, a pool table and table tennis. Also housed in this adult play land of an office is an impressive collection of priceless antique slot machines, including a Dewey from 1900 valued at about $70,000, and an eclectic collection of priceless, three-dimensional artwork. A glass-walled museum displays the largest collection of three-dimensional advertising memorabilia in the world, and is a frequent destination for tour groups and school field trips.

"There's so much history in this room," Pollack booms as he glances around at some of the 4,000 treasures, which include a 200-year-old Buddha statue advertising tea and the only two Bosch battery statues in the world, one found buried in a casket in former East Germany.

As we wander through the office's maze of whitewashed halls- many including framed citations and VIP greetings from the likes of Donald Trump and Sen. John. McCain - Pollack explains the philosophy behind the whimsical world that is company headquarters. "Work is fun. You've got to love what you're doing. Coming here every day is being able to live my dream," he says. "My personality is to have fun with what I do, and the building reflects that."

Pollack has been in action since he was a teenager working with his father in the family business. He had stints as a radio disc jockey, a drummer, and auctioneer and a champion shower of Tennessee Walker horses. But even before he was aware, real estate was in his blood. "My dad took me on job sites before I could walk," Pollack explains.

Eschewing college, an 18-year-old Pollack borrowed $500 from each of 10 friends to buy his first house. While he barely made a profit when he sold it, he started buying and selling more lots, and in 1980 moved to Houston to start working in apartment redevelopment. By the time he was 29, he had renovated more than 6,000 units. "When we're done, you don't know its the same place," he says, showing before and after photos of some of his work around Arizona, where he moved in 1991 and began working in commercial real estate. "A real passion is taking what time forgot and making it new again."

But that's just part of the process, Pollack says. "I've worked in some of the toughest places you can imagine and in Beverly Hills and I'm just as comfortable in either place. "

One revamped shopping center in a community makes a world of difference, he says. " We revitalize entire neighborhoodss when we revitalize one of these corners," Pollack adds. "When the shopping center on the corner gets redeveloped, you magically see people take care of their landscape, paint their houses. Otherwise, people feel they have been forgotten."

This past year, Pollack was named Business Person of the Year by the Chandler (Ariz.) Chamber of Commerce "for his dedication to our community and his overall business success," says Becky Jackson, the organization's president.

Pollack Investments keeps much of Phoenix in its memory - the company owns or controls more than 70 shopping centers in metropolitan Phoenix totaling more than 3 million square feet. Pollack estimates he's touched some 9 million square feet in his entire career. Pollack still signs every check and lease himself. "I promised myself I would never get so big I wouldn't sign my own checks. I regret that," he deadpans. " On the first of the month, my hands feel like they will fall off."

That means ironically, Pollack rarely gets to play with his own toys. "It's more for entertaining," he explains as he sits back in a plush leather chair in the conference room, large framed photos of Pollack with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney hanging on the wall. Pollack often hosts events and fundraisers for local children, and employee's children also take advantage of the special rooms.

The game rooms, museums and other perks are valuable to CFO Shelly Paul, who often takes her stress out on some of the video games. "I like to play the shooting game," she says with a devilish smile. "You know, like when you just want to shoot somebody, well here you can."

She recalls when they first moved into the building, her favorite game was Centipede. Pollack would move in when she was done and trump her score. "When he was here on weekends, he had to be practicing," she laughs. "I'd come in on Monday and he'd say. 'You might want to check the Centipede,' and his initials would be all over {the high score board}."

"It's like a playland for grown ups - it's not like corporate America," Paul says. "It's a lighthearted environment - we work really hard here but Michael wanted to create an environment where we were rewarded for a job well-done."

Striding down the halls of the company he built, in the office he envisioned as an ambitious 11-year old, it's clear that Pollack's work has paid off.

"When you have dreams when you are young, you never know how they're going to turn out," he says. "This is the ultimate culmination of my dream."

Why He's Worthy

"God has been good to me, and we've got to give back and make a difference in this world," says Pollack of a charity list more than 65 organizations long. 'I like to see where the money goes, see the lives it touches. I'm not an armchair check writer. I go out and see what the money does for people."

Among the ways he serves his Phoenix-area community:

Every Christmas season, the opulent head quarters of Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments lights up with some 50,000 lights. In the fall of 2003, Pollack paid to revamp a 25-year-old little league field in Mesa. In December 2003, he launched an annual Michael Pollack Feed-the-Need Valleywide Food Drive, at 45 of his company's properties. He was recently named Father of the Year by the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

Scottsdale Magazine April 1, 2003

Most everyone likes to collect something. Some just do so.with far more passion and intensity than others. No one does it better than East Valley real estate guru Michael Pollack. He proudly proclaims to have gathered together the largest collection of three-dimensional advertising memorabilia in the world. One visit to his Mesa headquarters and private museum housing 4,000 displays of advertising artifacts will convince any skeptic. His collection is the envy of museum curators throughout the globe. Pollack, who has received numerous awards and honors for his work reclaiming and renovating commercial real estate in the East Valley, collects for his own private enjoyment. He is not a dealer and never sells any pieces in his collection.

"The Louvre in Paris is considered to have one of the finest 3-D advertising memorabilia collections in the world. They have only 340 pieces and I have most of the items they have," states Pollack in a quiet baritone that was punctuated with traces of a lilting dialect that betrayed his most recent buying foray to France. Pollack recalls spending four hours in the 3-D section of the famed museum when he was approached by a female host who commented on his extreme interest in their collection. After calling over the main curator for a discussion with their knowledgeable visitor, the lady told him they have a book he might be interested in Mom & Pop Saloons A collection of American Alcohol Advertising Three-dimensional Advertising Art by an American collector, Michael Pollack. Pollack, who was wearing sweats at the time and not his usual dignified suit, laughed and pointing to his picture in the book exclaimed that he was Michael Pollack, at which his new admirer exploded in astonishment, "it is not possible!"

Pollack has added 600 pieces to his collection since we visited with him last year to share his passion with our readers of East Valley Magazine. His latest find is an extremely rare, life-size Bosch battery man in mint condition. It is a five-foot tall display of a smiling man in a service station uniform that was constructed of paper mache, wood and composite material. The standing figure is holding a Bosch battery. The display was used in gas stations prior to World War 1. Pollack had only seen pictures of this piece before he heard one had been discovered hidden away in a coffin in the basement of recently excavated building in East Berlin that had been buried in rubble during the war.

Pollack started with American items of 3-D advertising art and has expanded his collection to include extremely rare and complete collections, such as his collection of the Hamm's Beer animated bear pieces. "When you realize that many of the animated pieces in my collection date back 20 to 30 years prior to the advent of Disneyland, you can begin to appreciate the ingenuity that went into the animation of these pieces," says Pollack.

European pieces are far more costly to bring to his collection than American pieces. "Shipping a metal case from France to Mesa can cost as much as the piece itself," he explains. Some pieces in his collection have been retrieved from attics where they have been stored for more than 100 years. Among his oldest items are Asian tea canisters dating back to the 1700s.

From a Hamm's Beer bear cruising in an endless circle on a motorcycle, to a fully animated rustic village promoting French chocolates, and miniature manikins displaying original French lingerie referred to as anatomical supports from as early as 1876, to a life size Esso tiger Pollack's incredible museum boggles the imagination.