National Rarities' February Employee Spotlight

We can hardly believe that February is already here. While the second month of the new year brings exciting opportunities, it also gives us a chance to reflect on the previous month.

January had us motivated to create a masterpiece out of the blank canvas that the new year presented. We strive to keep a positive attitude as we continue to transcend the limits and excel in 2021. One of the people on our staff who exemplifies this optimistic and enthusiastic attitude is none other than our Co-Founder and President, Louis Clough.

We are so thankful for our employee spotlight this month because we would not be here without him. His passion for customer service is first-rate and his eye for finding value in a wide variety of items is second to none. We are excited to showcase Louis this month!

Q1: Describe a brief history of yourself and your relevant training

When I started working as an estate buyer after graduating college, I had little knowledge in the field. Still, I quickly picked it up because of my passion for history and eye for quality craftsmanship. It has always fascinated me that each piece holds a story. Coins and Pocket watches are of particular interest to me. When I think about how many hands those coins may have passed through it excites me; someone famous perhaps? Items that are hundreds of years old always have me pondering what life might have looked like “back then.” Pocket watches are the same way. Years ago, everyone had a pocket watch, and they were passed down for generations…oh, the stories they could tell!

Q2: What does a typical day look like for you at National Rarities?

Although I still love to travel to our retail store partners and work as a buyer at our estate buying events, my time is often consumed with running a growing business. When my business partner, Denny, and I started National Rarities ten years ago, we were so focused on booking events, traveling to the events, and selling the merchandise; there was little time to focus on overall business efficiency. We now have an excellent team of 27 highly trained individuals who allow me to implement better programs for our employees, such as health benefits, 401k matching, and expanding what we offer our retail jewelers and other customers to help simplify their lives.

Q3: What is your favorite thing about working at National Rarities?

My business partner, Denny McCaffrey, and I started National Rarities in 2009. It has been such a thrill to see our business grow from our first office in my parent’s basement to our second office in Denny’s parent’s basement, to our current office in an actual office building now with 27 employees! The road was never easy, but our hard work and quality employees have made NR what it is today. We are the nation’s largest traveling estate buyers and have grown our business to include so much more than just our events. Our future is bright! Although I am proud of how far we have come, I am even more excited to see where we go from here. We have the best employees, and I am so grateful to work with so many wonderful individuals.

Q4: What is your favorite piece you have sold? What is your favorite piece that is for sale now?

With over a decade of buying experience, I have seen some very interesting items, but one of my favorites would probably be a Rolex Submariner Sealab 13. The provenance was that this watch was used by the Navy Seals during the cold war as they were building underwater habitats in case there was a nuclear war. Living underwater obviously never became a thing, but that was the goal at that time. Now we are trying to live on Mars! Sometimes the provenance of an item can really enhance its value, which was certainly the case with that particular timepiece.

We see lots of pearls, but they are not created equal. This necklace has been the nicest pearl necklace I have seen in a long time.

 EXQUISITE SOUTH SEA PEARL NECKLACE W/ 0.50 CTW DIAMOND CLASP ENHANCER #E0319-62

Without Louis, we don’t know where we would be. Thank you to our fearless co-founder for continuing to lead National Rarities to success year after year.

We are beyond lucky to have Louis and our team of "rarities" at National Rarities.

Stay tuned for our next National Rarities Employee Spotlight in March!