Ken Goldin
Kenneth Goldin | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 18, 1965 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Auctioneer, television personality, collector |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions; featured in Netflix's King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch |
Kenneth Goldin (born August 18, 1965) is a prominent American auctioneer, television figure, and collector of sports cards. Through his enterprise, Goldin Auctions, he has facilitated sales exceeding $1.3 billion in the realms of sports, historical artifacts, and pop culture collectibles. He is also featured in the Netflix documentary series King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.
Early life and career
Born in Philadelphia and raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Goldin developed an early passion for collecting and trading baseball cards starting in 1978, influenced by his lifelong allegiance to the Philadelphia Phillies.<ref> His parents, Paul and Carole Goldin,<ref> along with his sister Sharon,<ref> supported his interests during his formative years. He completed his education at Friends Select School, obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Drexel University, and pursued further marketing education at George Washington University School of Business.<ref>
In 1985, Goldin admitted guilt to wire fraud charges related to the use of illicitly acquired credit card information for online gaming payments, which resulted in probation and monetary penalties.<ref>
Together with his father, he co-established The Score Board, Inc. in 1986, a significant trading card company that secured exclusive autograph agreements with athletes. The business went public in 1987 with initial sales of $1 million and expanded to $20 million by 1989.<ref> After departing from The Score Board in 1997, Goldin supplied sports collectibles to television shopping channels such as QVC and HSN from 1998 until 2011.<ref>
Goldin frequently contributes expert commentary on networks including Fox Business, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and ESPN,<ref><ref><ref> sharing his knowledge of the collectibles industry. Throughout his career, he has brokered sales amounting to over $1.3 billion encompassing sports memorabilia and historical items.<ref><ref>
Goldin Auctions
Established in 2012 by Goldin himself, Goldin Auctions achieved a valuation of $102 million by the year 2020. In May 2024, the company was acquired by eBay, with Goldin continuing as founder and CEO. This transaction enhanced eBay's footprint within the sports collectibles auction sector.
Goldin's Netflix series King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch debuted in April 2023 and was renewed for a second season that premiered in June 2024. The program attained rankings of No. 4 domestically in the U.S. and No. 20 internationally, significantly boosting Goldin's brand recognition and influence in the market.
In addition to his business endeavors, Goldin holds the position of Chairman at the Camcare Charitable Foundation, which supports community projects aimed at social betterment.
He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia Museum of Sports, where he contributes to preserving sports heritage and advancing educational initiatives.