Profiles

July 29th, 2010

Richard Albersheim of Albersheims.com CEO/Owner www.albersheims.com info@albersheims.com 215-665-1953 With over 25 years of collecting experience in the autograph field and having spent the past 20 years as a dealer of some of the world’s rarest and most expensive autographs, Richard Albersheim is considered one of the industry’s top autograph authenticators. With so many autographs being sold today that have turned out to be fake, who can you trust? The FBI recently busted a ring of several so-called dealers and confiscated over $100 million dollars in bogus autographed material. Many of these items were sold with certificates of authenticity from so-called forensic experts. Unfortunately, their forensic experience seemed to be in authenticating forged material. Richard Albersheim has authenticated or consulted with some of the world’s top auction houses and magazines. This list includes: Lelands, Sportico, Teletrade, and Sweet Spot Magazine. In addition, Richard has written in the past for the nation’s leading memorabilia magazines, Sports Collector’s Digest and Tuff Stuff Magazine. We will never show favoritism to a dealer or collector. Albersheim always gives an unbiased opinion based on years in the field utilizing and extensive exemplar file, in addition to years of study of paper, inks, and photographic materials.
Doug Allen of Legendary Auctions – President & CEO www.legendaryauctions.com dallen@legendaryauctions.com 708-889-9380 Before joining Legendary Auctions, Doug was an avid collector. Over the years, he developed a broad knowledge of collectibles and an expertise in pre-war card issues and game used bats. In 1997, he became an integral part of Mastro Auctions by first serving as a consultant. Doug became a member of the Board of Directors in 2000. In 2001, Mastro Auctions brought Doug onboard to participate in the development and implementation of growth and operational strategies designed to aggressively steer the company’s future course. In 2009 Doug assembled a team of investors who bought out the assets of Mastro Auctions and started Legendary Auctions.As President and CEO, Doug leads the Legendary Auctions team by employing innovative ideas and bold initiatives. During his tenure in the Hobby, Doug has established the reputation of being a “road warrior.” In the past 5 years he has traveled hundreds of thousand of miles and closed dozens of million dollar plus deals including the Branca Collection, the Duke Hott Collection, the Lionel Carter collection and the 1914 Cracker Jack set that established the new record value for a card set. Doug was formerly a Managing Partner of a venture capital firm and an active member on several Boards of early stage companies. Before that he was the Vice President of Finance at Platinum Technology, a billion dollar software company. Doug received his BA in Finance from Purdue University and is a CPA.
Jon Bahner, Senior Grader, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) www.psacard.com info@psacard.com 800-325-1121 Jon Bahner started with Professional Coin Grading Service in 1986. He has had many responsibilities in his tenure at the company. For sportscards, Jon started collecting when he was 12 years old. In the early 1990s he was one of the principals of Total Sportscards, a firm that specialized in all areas of the sportscard market. Jon joined the PSA team in 1995 and is now considered one of the top grading experts in the market.
Ryan Carey of Green Jacket Auctions – Founder www.greenjacketauctions.com ryan@greenjacketauctions.com 973-627-5133 A practicing attorney by trade, Ryan has always had a true passion for all things golf. A few years ago, when searching the globe for rare golf memorabilia, it became abundantly clear that more needed to be done for the golf memorabilia industry. After brainstorming with another widely-regarded expert in golf memorabilia, Bob Zafian, Green Jacket Auctions was born. Ryan was a contributing author of the 2006 GilChrist’s Guide to Golf Collectibles. His expertise and knowledge of areas such as Masters history and memorabilia has been extensively quoted by newspapers, magazines and sports websites; his personal favorite being his substantial involvement in the cover story on Masters Green Jackets in Golf International Magazine’s 2008 Masters Preview Issue. Ryan’s golf memorabilia expertise spans an array of categories, including Masters Tournament memorabilia, golf flags, antique golf clubs and balls.
Josh Leland Evans of Lelands.com – Chairman and Founder www.lelands.com joshevans@lelands.com (516) 409-9700 A pioneer in the field, he is acknowledged by his peers as being the most knowledgeable person in the field of sports memorabilia, founded the first sports memorabilia auction house (Lelands.com), and was the first sports memorabilia dealer in America . A child of the antiques business though his parents Maxine and Stuart Evans, he started dealing in 1969 at the tender age of eight. The first legitimate sports memorabilia appraiser in America (Appraisers Association of America); he has handled such important collections as the Jackie Robinson Estate and the Charlie Sheen Collection. He is single-handedly credited for promoting the dramatic rise of vintage sports memorabilia in America over the past three decades.
Sam Foose of Heritage Auction Galleries – Consignment Director sports.HA.com samf@HA.com 800-872-6467 x319 Sam’s professional career at Heritage divides neatly into two parts. Sam joined Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc. in 1993 as an Auction Coordinator. Over the next five years, Sam ran the day-to-day auction operations, ultimately rising to Assistant Auction Director. He also first started calling auctions during these years. After serving as a Senior Manager and Consignment Director in other collectible fields outside of numismatics, Sam returned to Heritage in 2002 as a Consignment Director in time to help Heritage’s expansion into other collectible areas. In this important role, Sam travels the country assisting clients who wish to liquidate their collections of coins, paper money, decorative arts, and sports collectibles. To Sam, helping consignors make the best decisions to maximize their returns from the auctioning of their properties is the most rewarding part of his job. Sam also holds auction licenses in several jurisdictions, and has hammered in excess of $150 million in collectibles as one of Heritage’s primary auctioneers. During his elusive (but much appreciated) free time, Sam really enjoys spending time with his wife (Heather) and two children (Jackson and Caroline). His personal interests include gardening, golf, grilling, and sports.
Bill Goodwin of Goodwin and Company CEO/Owner www.goodwinandco.com bill@goodwinandco.com 314-849-9798 Since opening our doors, we have worked with over 10 thousand satisfied customers, earning the coveted Sports Collectors Digest Customer Service Award every year we’ve been in business. Company founder Bill Goodwin stands among the hobby’s elite. He is a frequent contributor to many hobby publications, a noted authority on vintage merchandise and served as the promoter for The National Sports Collectors Convention in 1995. Not surprisingly, Bill’s innovative concepts at the 1995 National helped fuel a resurgence in the event, making it more collector friendly and more exciting, thanks to a well-conceived group of promotions.
Steve Grad, Principal Authenticator, PSA/DNA Authenication Services www.psadna.com info@psadna.com 800-325-1121 Chicago native Steve Grad originally started his career in radio. His major in Broadcast Journalism at Columbia College launched him into the radio world for seven years. Grad worked as an anchor/reporter and show host with One on One Radio Network, now known as Sporting News Radio, the largest syndicated sports radio network. With his roots deep in a city immersed in sports history, it was natural for Mr. Grad to begin collecting autographs. Meeting these modern athletes and witnessing their signatures time after time proved to be invaluable! Grad’s interest in autographs spilled over into entertainment, music and politics. Through his travels in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. in the last twenty years, he has collected over 100,000 in-person autographs.Grad began setting up at shows and selling autographs in the mid-1980s. Fifteen years later he joined the sports industry’s largest auction house, MastroNet. For two years, he used his talents to assist in the authentication and acquisition of memorabilia for Mastro’s sport and non-sport auctions. In addition, Grad was one of the select writers for Mastro’s catalogs. Grad joined PSA/DNA Authentication Services in 2002. At PSA/DNA, Steve is a senior authenticator, examining millions of dollars worth of entertainment, historical, and sports autographs.
Mike Gutierrez of Heritage Auction Galleries – Consignment Director sports.HA.com mikeg@HA.com 800-872-6467 x319 Mike Gutierrez is the foremost sports autograph authenticator in the sports memorabilia business. Serious buyers require Mike’s OK before purchasing sports autographs. Mike has over 26 years experience and is one of the few universally respected authorities left standing in a field racked with fraud and forgeries. The industry has been plagued by FBI investigations of fraud and Mike is the single most respected repository of trust in the business. No other autograph expert commands the respect of Mike and his influence is best demonstrated by the auction results of items authenticated by him measured by similar items authenticated by others. Gutierrez authenticated items bring markedly higher prices. Most notably, he authenticated all the autograph material from the Barry Halper Collection sold by Sotheby’s in 1998. Through Butterfield & Butterfield, he appraised the Mark McGwire 70th Home Run Baseball for the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. Additionally, he handled all the memorabilia from The Bruce Lee Estate and appraised The Pete Rozelle Estate. This last year he appraised Muhammad Ali’s Estate of Sports Memorabilia. Currently Mike is working for Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas. He is also an autograph authentication consultant for PSA/DNA.
Michael Hattley of Touchdown Treasures – Owner www.touchdown-treasures.com mike@touchdown-treasures.com 203-532-9214 Michael Hattley of Touchdown Treasures has been the purveyor of football collectibles for twenty-four years. The company specializes in unusual & vintage football memorabilia. We also have one of the longest running websites since 1992. We offer two websites to serve our customers. The first, www.touchdown-treasures.com , is a store front website in which you can make direct purchases with a fully searchable database. The second, www.touchdowntreasuresauction.com , is an auction website which caters to the typical family of four budgets. Michael Hattley has been a long standing contributor and price guide analyst for the Beckett Annual Price Guide, contributes to the Tuff Stuff Magazine football price guide, one of the leading writers in Gridiron Greats magazine, and is well known at trade shows as ‘The Football Guy’.
Michael Heffner of Lelands.com – President www.lelands.com mikeheffner@lelands.com (516) 409-9700 There is only one Michael Heffner. “Heff” as he is affectionately known throughout the industry, is recognized as one of the top experts in the field of sports memorabilia as well as being universally well liked. His extensive work in the problems areas of autographs and uniforms has made this young man one of the most respected and knowledgeable people in the industry. He has authenticated tens of millions of dollars worth of sports memorabilia over the last two decades and has consulted for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on fakes and frauds as well as most of the top collectors and dealers in the industry. Heff started his Lelands career upon entering college almost 20 years ago and worked his way up to President and a major partner in the firm. A pleasure to deal with and a straight shooter, he is known for his inscrutable ethics as well as his trained eye for quality and condition.
John Hickey of Heritage Auction Galleries – Sales Development Manager sports.HA.com johnh@HA.com 800-872-6467 x319 Blending his extensive work experience and more than twenty years of participation in several areas of collecting, most notably in the autograph field, John is contributing to our expansion into new areas and assisting clients with collections of memorabilia in the areas of Sports, Music & Entertainment, and Historical Documents. After more than thirty years in the insurance business, primarily in a senior executive capacity, John decided to inject more fun into his work life and came to Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers as Operations Manager in 2004. He fills a number of roles at Heritage, including Collectibles Expert, Consignment Director and Project Manager.
Bill Huggins of Huggins & Scott Auctions www.hugginsandscott.com bill@hugginsandscott.com 866-462-2273 President of the Company, as well as owner of the House of Cards, the oldest sports card and memorabilia store in the state of Maryland. He has been active in the hobby, on a full time basis, for almost 30 years. A dealer at all but the first two National Conventions and a major presence at most major shows around the country, Bill has about as much knowledge of vintage sports cards and memorabilia as anyone on the planet. The store is a Gold Powerseller on eBay with over 10,000 unique positive feedbacks and a 100% approval rating.
Andy Imperato of Grey Flannel Auctions President www.greyflannelauctions.com gfcsports@aol.com 631-288-7800 Grey Flannel, with their experience and expertise, has developed into the world’s foremost authenticators and dealers of game-used jerseys. In 1994 GFC became the Official Appraisers and Authenticators for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame. In 1998 GFC was hired by Sotheby’s to authenticate the uniform collection of Barry Halper. Mr. Halper’s collection rivaled that of the Baseball Hall of Fame in scope and was offered in auction during the early part of the summer of 1999. GF entered the auction arena in the early fall of 1999. Grey Flannel Auctions to date has held 14 auctions in their 7 year history, satisfying collector needs and auctioning one-of-a-kind pieces of memorabilia with highlights like “The Called Shot” 1932 Babe Ruth Game-Used Jersey, Yankee Stadium Organ played by Eddie Layton, Jim Brown Cleveland Browns Game-Used Jersey, Pete Maravich LSU Game-Used Jersey, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame entire collection of enshrinee plaques.
Chris Ivy of Heritage Auction Galleries Director of Sports Auctions sports.HA.com civy@HA.com 800-872-6467 x319 Chris began working at Heritage in 2001 after serving as a professional grader with Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC). He was the driving force behind the inception of the Sports auction division in 2003 and today Chris serves as the Director of Sports Auctions for Heritage. In his position, Chris is responsible for the day-to-day operations, combining vision and execution with a balance of business and collecting passion, he works with consignors and recommends the disposition of the collections that come into Heritage in order to maximize each consignor’s financial return. Chris has been involved in the collectibles business his entire life and realized that his true interest was in vintage sports material at a very young age. He soon began setting up as a dealer at local trade shows at the age of 12 and collected avidly through his adolescence. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Texas at Austin and enjoys following college athletics.
Kevin Keating, Owner, Quality Autographs & Memorabilia www.qualityautographs.com support@qualityautographs.com 800-241-4809 Kevin Keating has been a lifetime baseball autograph collector since the age of ten. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1982 where he finished first in his class in Chinese language. After leaving the Army, Keating started selling some of the autographs he had received as a child, and eventually founded his company, www.QualityAutographs.com, in 1992. In 1999, he coauthored The Negro Leagues Autograph Guide (Landmark Books), and he has also published numerous articles on autographs and related topics. He has appeared on a variety of television and radio shows as a guest expert on baseball autographs and forgeries and is frequently interviewed and quoted in print media. These publications include The San Francisco Examiner; The San Francisco Chronicle; The Washington Post; The New York Post, The New York Daily News, U.S.A. Today, Baseball Weekly, The Miami Herald, among others. He has also provided authentication and/or appraising services for organizations that include nationally known auction companies, The National Sports Gallery, and many private collections. He has advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on matters related to the identification of suspected forgers, and the FBI called on him to testify as a government expert witness during the well-known Operation Bullpen investigation. Keating also received his Master’s Degree in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University in 2002. He currently resides with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.
David Kohler, President, SCP Auctions www.scpauctions.com info@scpauctions.com 949-831-3700 Since founding SCP Auctions in 1979, David has become one of the largest and most respected dealers of rare sports collectibles in the country. An expert in the field of high-grade sportscards and memorabilia, his company has handled some of the most valuable and historically significant sports artifacts in the world. Among the many record-setting sales conducted by David and his SCP Auctions staff was the sale of Babe Ruth’s Signed 1923 Bat Used to Hit The First Home Run in Yankee Stadium in 2004 for $1.265 million and the sale of the famed T206 Honus Wagner PSA 8 NM-MT Card for $2.8 million in 2007 (the highest price ever paid for a vintage sports collectible). David has appeared on and/or contributed expertise to hundreds of news outlets including USA Today, CNN Headline News, ESPN News, ESPN’s Cold Pizza, Sports Illustrated, Robb Report, ESPN Radio, The New York Times and many others. His company, SCP Auctions has handled the sales of many of the most high profile athlete estate collections ever brought to the marketplace including collections from the estates of Honus Wagner, Lefty Grove, Arthur Ashe, Pee Wee Reese, Wilt Chamberlain, Casey Stengel and Bob Cousy to name a few. David was a founding board member with the Sports Collectibles Association International (SCAI), which promoted ethics in the sports collectibles industry
Kevin Low, Authenticator, PSA/DNA Authentication Services www.psadna.com info@psadna.com 800-325-1121 Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Kevin Low has been an in-person autograph collector for over 18 years. As a youngster living just minutes from Dodger Stadium, he obtained his first in-person autograph from then Dodgers rookie, Fernando Valenzuela. The autograph bug hit him while attending a concert with his parents, where he met his childhood idol and obtained his next autograph, Henry “The Fonz” Winkler. In addition to obtaining signatures of athletes in all major sports, he began collecting celebrity autographs at filming locations, movie premieres, major awards shows, charity functions, and a host of other hot spots!With a large inventory of signed memorabilia, this full-time collector-turned-dealer built a reputation rapidly, and he began selling autographs to some of the nation’s most well known dealers. Meeting Hollywood’s elite as well as witnessing and documenting variations of their signatures in different situations for almost two decades has proven to be an important asset. No longer a dealer, Kevin now utilizes his expertise as one of PSA/DNA’s autograph experts. Specializing in modern sports and celebrity autographs, Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to autograph authentication.
Andy Madec of Andy Madec Sports Cards CEO/Owner www.amsportscards.com andymadec@aol.com 805 987-3055 Andy Madec Sportscards, Inc. was established in 1994 and is a full service dealership providing collectors and investors with the finest sports cards and collectibles in the hobby. They offer outright purchase and/or liquidation on collections of all sizes as well as offer an attractive consignment service allowing collectors to maximize on there prized collection when its time to sell. Andy Madec Sportscards, Inc. has helped build some of the hobby’s finest collections and is considered among the top dealerships in the field. According to VCBC, a widely read and respected hobby publication, Andy Madec Sportscards, Inc. ranks in the Top 1% of the hobby’s dealers. In addition, Andy Madec’s company is a PSA/DNA Authorized dealer as well as a Global Charter Member. For 10 years in a row they have received the Krause Customer Service Award. Madec has sold highly graded and rare cards of such sports icons as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Henry Aaron, Bob Cousy, Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, Jim Thorpe, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard, and many others.
Steve Van Maanen, Assistant Director of Grading, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) www.psacard.com info@psacard.com 800-325-1121 Steve Van Maanen started his career with Professional Coin Grading Service in 1987 at only age 19. He has been collecting sportscards since his childhood. He joined the PSA division in 1993 and has never looked back. He brings with him years of experience and has helped solidify a top notch grading department. On his off time Steve enjoys spending time with his wife and two beautiful daughters.
Joe Orlando President, PSA and PSA/DNA Authentication Services Editor, Sports Market Report www.psacard.com info@psacard.com 800-325-1121 Joe Orlando has been an advanced collector of sportscards and memorabilia for over 20 years. Orlando attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California where he studied communications and was the starting catcher for the baseball team. After a brief stint in the minor leagues, Orlando obtained a Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School in Southern California in the spring of 1999. During the last nine years, Orlando has authored several collecting guides and dozens of articles for Collectors Universe, Inc. Orlando has also authored two books for Collectors Universe. Orlando’s first book, The Top 200 Sportscards in the Hobby, was released in the summer of 2002. His second book, Collecting Sports Legends, was released in the summer of 2008. Orlando has appeared on several radio and television programs as a hobby expert including ESPN’s award-winning program Outside the Lines and HBO’s Real Sports, as the featured guest. Currently, Orlando is the President of PSA and PSA/DNA, the largest trading card and sports memorabilia authentication services in the hobby. He is also Editor of the company’s nationally distributed Sports Market Report, which under Orlando’s direction has developed into a leading resource in the market.
Ron Oser of Legendary Auctions – Consignment Director www.legendaryauctions.com roser@legendaryauctions.com 708-889-9380 Industry experience is the key element that Ron Oser brings to the Legendary Auctions’ team. For over 25 years, Ron has been a pivotal and influential figure in the collectibles industry. Ron’s first passion was comic books but by 1980, he was immersed in sports collectibles. Ron quickly became one of the most widely respected experts in non-sports cards and tobacco issues. In 1993, Ron founded the auction house, Ron Oser Enterprises. In 2000, Ron Oser Enterprises was consolidated into Mastro Auctions.Today, Ron handles the operation of Legendary Auctions’ East Coast office and focuses on the acquisition of consignments from this major collectibles portal. Ron’s contacts and industry expertise have played instrumental roles in securing collections from some of the hobby’s great pioneers.Before joining Legendary Auctions and operating Ron Oser Enterprises, Ron ran successful retail stores in the Philadelphia area. Ron continues to enjoy the challenges, excitement and rewards that the discovery of the next great collection will bring to the industry.
Zach Rullo, Authenticator, PSA/DNA Authentication Services www.psadna.com info@psadna.com 800-325-1121 Originally from Chicago, Zach Rullo started collecting in-person autographs at the young age of 13. The collecting bug started with the MLB All-Star game at the nearby Wrigley Field. Since then, visits to various ballparks, especially Chicago Stadium, expanded his collection. Soon enough, his interest in other sports grew as well; his collection now includes football, basketball, hockey, boxing, soccer, tennis, and golf. Meeting these modern athletes and witnessing their signatures mature from their college or rookie seasons through the years have proven to be invaluable! Rullo’s interest in autographs quickly turned over into entertainment and music. Through his travels in Europe, Canada, Mexico and all across the U.S., he has collected well over 80,000 in-person autographs. Rullo’s pursuit for autographs has provided PSA/DNA with an extensive library of exemplars and impeccable expertise in modern day autographs. Zach is a world class expert in contemporary sports and entertainment autographs, especially contemporary music autographs. At PSA/DNA, Zach examines millions of dollars worth of contemporary autographs a year.
Richard Russek of Grey Flannel Auctions CEO/Owner www.greyflannelauctions.com gfcsports@aol.com 631-288-7800 Grey Flannel, with their experience and expertise, has developed into the world’s foremost authenticators and dealers of game-used jerseys. In 1994 GFC became the Official Appraisers and Authenticators for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame. In 1998 GFC was hired by Sotheby’s to authenticate the uniform collection of Barry Halper. Mr. Halper’s collection rivaled that of the Baseball Hall of Fame in scope and was offered in auction during the early part of the summer of 1999. GF entered the auction arena in the early fall of 1999. Grey Flannel Auctions to date has held 14 auctions in their 7 year history, satisfying collector needs and auctioning one-of-a-kind pieces of memorabilia with highlights like “The Called Shot” 1932 Babe Ruth Game-Used Jersey, Yankee Stadium Organ played by Eddie Layton, Jim Brown Cleveland Browns Game-Used Jersey, Pete Maravich LSU Game-Used Jersey, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame entire collection of enshrinee plaques.
Jonathan Scheier of Heritage Auction Galleries Cataloger – Consignment Director sports.HA.com jonathans@HA.com 800-872-6467 x319 With a BA in Creative Writing from Eckerd College and an MA in Creative Writing from Florida State University, Jonathan began his career in the auction industry as Senior Copy Editor for Leland’s Auctions in New York. He has since written on a freelance basis for American Memorabilia and Sports Collectors Digest, among others. Jonathan joined Heritage Sports Collectibles in 2004. He is a die-hard fan of the New York Yankees, and counts guitar and fitness among his hobbies.
Raymond M.Schulte of Schulte Auctions – President and CEO schulteauctions.com Ray@SchulteSports.com (410) 350-6226 For over a quarter of a century, Ray Schulte has successfully positioned his marketing and management company as a dominant force in sports business arena.An entrepreneur at heart, Schulte started his New York sports marketing and management agency in 1984. While representing many of Jim Krivacs’ up-and-coming players (including Howard Johnson, Harold Reynolds, Alvin Davis and Don Mattingly), Ray also accepted consulting projects such as adidas USA’s transition to Young and Rubicam to achieve a more global marketing and advertising strategy. For a year, he played an integral role as liaison between adidas USA’s boutique ad agency and global powerhouse Y&R. 2007 was a very exciting and challenging opportunity for Schulte Sports. Key relationships with MLB licensees and other manufacturers enabled Schulte to create extensive marketing, licensing and signature opportunities for Cal Ripken’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Reza Tabatabai President, Director Of Grading, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) www.psacard.com info@psacard.com 800-325-1121 Reza Tabatabai has been a collector for over 15 years. Reza is a senior member of the PSA Grading team with vast knowledge in all areas of collectible sports cards. He has been grading professionally for PSA since 1998. Reza earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Finance from Fresno State University in 1990.
Mark Theotikos of Legendary Auctions – Vice President and COO www.legendaryauctions.com mtheo@legendaryauctions.com 708-889-9380 Mark Theotikos has the distinction of being Mastro Auctions’ first employee. He began collecting baseball cards as a kid growing up over his uncle’s candy store. Mark’s interest in collecting grew with him and went beyond baseball cards to include autographs, baseballs, and non-sports cards from the 1960′s. In 1980, Mark entered the industry full-time working with William Mastro prior to the existence of Mastro Auctions.In 1996, Mark was onboard when Mastro Auctions was conceived and realized. During the last decade, Mark has been involved in virtually every operational aspect of Mastro Auctions. His early involvement in the company and the contacts he made were critical to attracting quality consignments in the quantities necessary to place Mastro Auctions squarely on the industry map.Today, Mark supervises the processing of every auction item from intake to shipping. His broad industry experience and knowledge makes him the “go-to guy” for determining the status of an item once it enters Legendary Auctions’ system. Mark also remains active in obtaining high quality consignments especially in autographs, non-sports cards and pop culture markets. He has a degree in Finance from DePaul University.
Keith Vari of Lelands.com – Vice President/Director of Acquisitions www.lelands.com keith@lelands.com (516) 409-9700 Keith Vari comes with a resume as impressive as any in our industry. Both a collector and dealer since the 1970s, Keith has been a fixture on the show circuit and hobby scene for decades. One of the most respected uniform experts in the country, his knowledge on Yankee uniforms is without par. But the thing that makes Keith so special is his empathy for his clients. He will go to the mat for you time and time again and will make sure you get a square deal and are satisfied. All of this has made Keith Vari “The Non Pareil” of the sports collectible industry.
Josh Wulkan of Huggins & Scott Auctions www.hugginsandscott.com josh@hugginsandscott.com 510-530-1156 At the age of 36, believe it or not, Josh has been an active member from the dealer side of this hobby since 1985. He has represented the House of Cards at numerous National Conventions, among many other shows and Managed the store for over a decade. He has studied the hobby with Bill for 20 years, has a critical grading eye and is the “workhorse” of the company. He has relocated to the San Francisco/Oakland area and will be our West Coast representative. He will still be heavily involved in every aspect of the catalog. Also, if you are on the left coast and have a collection you wish to include in our auction, please contact Josh.
Bob Zafian of Green Jacket Auctions – Founder www.greenjacketauctions.com bob@greenjacketauctions.com 973-627-5133 A true pioneer in the golf memorabilia industry, Bob’s collecting interests actually started with baseball. In 1978, Bob went to work for Roy White, then outfielder for the New York Yankees. This provided him with invaluable opportunities to meet many great athletes, including Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson and others. Over the next couple decades, Bob’s collecting interest grew, and he sought-out and obtained thousands of autographs at sporting events, rock concerts, charity functions and, most notably, golf tournaments. He has personally amassed one of the most impressive golf autograph collections around. Impressed with this extensive knowledge of golf autographs, leading authenticator PSA/DNA asked Bob to come on board in 2007 as a consultant/authenticator strictly handling golf autographs. He remains in that capacity as golf autograph authenticator today.