Finding value in things that are free of "eye grime"
PHAETON Yoshihito Sakaya declares, "Shopping is my life." With an astonishing collection of art, cars, watches, furniture, Bikkuriman stickers, and even earthenware, the man finds value in items that strike a chord with him. He says that public opinion is not a reason for shopping.
"I enjoy unearthing things that nobody in the world has noticed yet, and I want to keep unearthing them forever. I have a habit of secretly collecting them and hoping to one day be the first to release them. That's why I have no interest in things that have been "stained."
He started collecting before the general public began to take notice, and as a result, his collection is filled with furniture and art pieces that are now skyrocketing in price. One artist who caught his eye and secretly collected works was Saul Steinberg.
"His work is a sophisticated intelligence expressed through a single line, and biting satire. I was struck by lightning when I first saw it. He is a cartoonist and illustrator who was born in Romania, studied in Italy, and fled the Fascist regime to America. It gives off a sense of statelessness, making it impossible to tell which country the story is from. I completed my collection of his works 18 years ago, and I still own several copies of the same book.
However, every time I come across something, I have the urge to buy it. That means I love it, and there is nothing happier than the moment I buy something I love. There is no better reason to shop than love. To be honest, I don't really understand what it means to be a connoisseur, but I can definitely "smell" things that will increase in value (laughs)."
"THE ART OF LIVING"
A collection of Steinberg's early works, published in the United States in 1949. Divided into five parts by motif or theme.
"This was the first collection I ever bought. I buy it whenever I find it, and I probably have about six copies of the same one now. He is known for having influenced many Japanese manga artists and illustrators, such as Ryohei Yanagihara and Taku Furukawa, and I think he is an author who deserves recognition now more than ever." 
"I first bought it for a few dollars, but now it seems to be closer to 20,000 yen."
This collection was published in 1984 by Yarın Yayınları in Turkey. The title in Turkish is "His Art and Lines." "I like the cover photo of him with a bag on his head, which is a typical satirical image of him, but it also has a portrait inside, which is rare for a collection of his works. It's a small photo, but I was very impressed by the way he looks in his chambray shirt and black-rimmed glasses."
Steinberg, who had gained fame in Italy as a caricaturist in the 1930s, moved to the United States in 1941, and his first illustrations were published in The New Yorker magazine. "This is a poster of the illustration 'The World from Ninth Avenue,' which was the cover of The New Yorker magazine's March 29, 1976 issue. It is one of his most famous works."
