Keith Anthony Harmer (1945 – )

Keith Harmer (KAH) has a lifetime involvement in philately. Born in England into a Stamp Auction family, he moved to the United States before his first birthday, when his father, Bernard, was sent to the USA to man the Harmer branch in New York. After college, Keith became a US citizen to join the American Navy during Vietnam where he served as a Weapons Yeoman on a Destroyer Escort. After Vietnam, he returned to Harmers, which at this time had several offices across the globe. Keith was sent to London and the other offices to learn all aspects of the business for the time when he would take over the firm. Bernard and his right-hand man, Bill Rocher would include Keith in many of the client interactions and negotiations. In 1982, Keith and his siblings, Alison and Christopher began running the family operation. Keith ran the Harmer firm in New York until its sale in 2002. Two years later, finding himself to young to retire, he started a boutique auction firm.

For many years, Keith was the youngest member of the Collector’s Club board, he was on the board of the American Stamp Dealers Association and the Philatelic Foundation. In 1971 Keith was a key organizer in Anphilex ’71, the Collector’s Club’s 75th anniversary held at the Waldorf Astoria which brought 18 of the worlds rarest stamps to this 500-frame exhibition where only Gold Medal Winning exhibitors could exhibit 1 frame from their collection. He has spoken several times over the years at the Collectors Club, on TV and other organizations. In his spare time, he is an avid and accomplished classic car racer.