April 25, 2023
South Jersey native Ken Goldin has made millions of dollars as an auctioneer and collector of sports memorabilia. Now, the founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions is the subject of the new Netflix series "King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch."
The series, which debuts on Friday, April 28 with six episodes, will follow Goldin and his team as they chase down some of the rarest memorabilia in the world. "King of the Collectibles" was created by Brent Montgomery, who produced "Pawn Stars" for the History Channel, and is produced by Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions.
Throughout the series, Goldin will seek highly sought-after items like Babe Ruth’s Yankees contract, a Steph Curry rookie trading card and a one-of-one LeBron James triple Logoman card, according to Netflix.
The trailer shows several high-profile guests, such as Mike Tyson, Ric Flair, Joe Montana, Drake, Karl Malone and Manning himself as buyers and sellers.
"It was a lot more difficult than I expected," Goldin told Philadelphia Business Journal. "It was a lot more involved than I expected. I thought they'd set up hidden cameras in my home and in my office, and then follow me around. That is not what it was like at all."
"Everything in the show is an actual transaction," Goldin said. "I think people will enjoy seeing how business gets done. Not everything is a success.
Viewers will also get to see some of the valuable items at Goldin Auctions, such as a game-worn Jackie Robinson jersey and the first Apple computer.
When the show was announced in March 2022, Goldin said that he partnered with Netflix because of the opportunity for outreach from the billion-dollar streaming giant.
"Over 700 million people can watch it," he said. "The show is going to be translated into 42 languages."
Goldin started collecting memorabilia as a kid, beginning with baseball trading cards at age 12 and developing the hobby over time. He now has an extensive personal collection.
This is a truly historic document that I’m honored to have in my Personal Collection.
— Ken Goldin (@KenGoldin) April 25, 2023
This is the Contract from when the @Dodgers traded Jackie Robinson to their biggest rivals The New York Giants leading to Jackie’s retirement. 👀🤯😱 pic.twitter.com/S4yvUntwXr
He opened his auction house in 2012 and, one year later, secured some high-profile items from Kobe Bryant's legendary basketball career, including jerseys and championship rings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company's profile rose as trading cards saw a huge boost in sales.
In 2021, Goldin Auctions made headlines when a Mike Trout rookie card sold for $3.84 million. That same year, the company secured $40 million in funding from investors such as Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, Deshaun Watson, Dwyane Wade, Logan Paul, Timbaland and Bill Simmons.
Goldin sold his auction house to Collectors Holdings in July 2021, but he still independently operates the business under its parent company.
