‘I’ve always been fascinated by faces’: Vancouver man collects 300 autographs of celebrities

“Have you ever heard of Kevin Bacon's 'Six Degrees?'” Sheets said, referring to the board game in which players form intricate chains of actors who appear on screen together. Newkirk was a frequent guest at his brother's girlfriend's dinner table, Sheets said. After Newkirk's death, much of his private memorabilia was given to Sheets.

Why the casting of “Hogan’s Heroes” decades later? Because Sheets liked the show. Among the memorabilia he received from the main cast was an autographed photo of Werner Klemperer (Colonel Klink) and, separately, a note that may or may not have been a joke: Did Sheets know anyone interested in meeting an aging, to hire a typical character actor? ?

Christmas in June

Sheets is a former self-employed contractor and building inspector who eventually left Central Oregon and moved to Vancouver to take a job with Bonneville Power Administration. Sheets and his wife have lived here since 2012, but no one other than family has ever seen their household's hall of fame, not even neighbors and friends nearby.

It shouldn't be a big secret, Sheets said. He's just a busy guy, even in retirement, and never thinks to mention it to anyone. But his house is increasingly filling with family these days, including his 91-year-old mother, who is ill, and his daughter and granddaughter. So his celebrities have to make some space. The Sheets' basement will soon become their daughter's family home, he said.

That's why Sheets called The Columbian for this exclusive look before anything changed. So far, no one outside of Sheets' family has seen his collection.