South Jersey’s ‘King of Collectibles’ has laid his hands on Messi’s childhood soccer jersey
Legendary auctioneer Ken Goldin is back on his Netflix reality show with some more rare memorabilia, including some gems from Kobe Bryant and the Sixers.
Even after selling more than $2 billion worth of sports and pop culture memorabilia, and adding celebrities like Drake, Kim Kardashian, and Shane Gillis to his client list, South Jersey’s Ken Goldin hasn’t lost the thrill of the chase.
During a visit to Japan last summer, Goldin made sure to post on social media that he wanted to meet nearby collectors and appraise their items.
Goldin’s years of collecting are evident in his office. The walls are lined with framed photos, encased music records, World Series trophies, and other prized collectibles, like signed baseball bats from Phillies legend Mike Schmidt and Reebok sneakers worn by Shaquille O’Neal.
The owner of Goldin Auctions in Runnemede said the things he has collected are invaluable heirlooms. Yes, they are rare, but they are also artifacts that carry the glory of pivotal moments in sports history, especially ones he witnessed himself.
Every time Goldin, 60, looks at the signed 1980s Phillies team poster in his office, he’s reminded of the World Series games he attended with his parents, sitting in the 500 level at Veterans Stadium.
The Phillies were playing the Kansas City Royals, and the teenage Goldin watched relief pitcher Tug McGraw tap his chest on the mound, a sign of his fiery competitiveness.
It’s those memories, not the money, that keep Goldin in the auction game, he said. They’re also the reason Netflix built a reality show around his collection and his business of selling high-value memorabilia.
“Every collectible I sell is a moment, it’s a piece of history,” he said. “And to me, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. What drives me is that I really enjoy what I do.”
On Tuesday, Goldin invited viewers back to his office to take a peek at his treasures for Season 3 of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch. “We got lucky this season,” he said.
Among the season’s biggest surprises is a soccer jersey worn, or verifiably used, by Lionel Messi as a child. The story of how it landed in his hands, he said, is almost too good for TV.
“I’m not allowed to say any more than that, except that the provenance is unbelievable and the story behind it is remarkable,” he said in an interview prior to Tuesday’s premiere.
For Philly sports fans like himself, Goldin said there will be several Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson items making an appearance on the six-episode season.
Some will be things Goldin acquired on his travels to Tokyo, where he met the “single-best Iverson collection in the world.”
Among the people who responded to his social media post was this Iverson fan who had a signed 2006 alternate blue jersey of the Hall of Fame player. It features a classic “Sixers” wordmark with white letters, and red and black trim. It was photo-matched and could be forensically linked to Iverson.
“When I saw it, I was like, ‘Whoa,’” Goldin said.
When it comes to Philly sports, certain athletes and figures transcend international lines, and Iverson is one of them, Goldin said.
“AI is one of those players who connects with everyone, whether they’re 14 years old or in their 50s,” he said. “I’ve lived and breathed Philly sports my whole life, so I know.”
On a recent Thursday afternoon, Goldin dug into his personal collection to reveal the sneakers of another legendary Philly sports icon: Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
The Converse All-Stars, worn by the revolutionary ABA and NBA star, feature his signature on both shoes. The sneakers are photo-matched to an early 1980s game that Erving’s Sixers played against Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics.
No stranger to TV-level theatrics, Goldin wore former Phillies center fielder and famed broadcaster Richie Ashburn’s 1980s World Championship ring that afternoon.
“I wear it almost never. It is set in a vault. But for this [interview], I said, ‘I’m going to put the ring on,’” Goldin said.
But sports memorabilia won’t be the only thing Goldin is dealing with this season.
To further hone in on the Philly nature of the show’s new season, Goldin promised a Rocky-related find but wouldn’t share details. The show will also showcase high-priced items like Paul McCartney’s guitar, paintings by Bob Ross, and even the alleged mummified hand of Cleopatra.
Goldin said there will also be guest appearances from Logan Paul, Steve Aoki, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and his three brothers.
He knows Sixers fans aren’t the most welcoming to Eastern Conference contenders, but Goldin makes an exception for Antetokounmpo. “I know it’s Philly, but you have to love the guy,” he said of the Milwaukee player, before signing off with something of a prophecy.
“Who knows, maybe we can get him next year.”
The new season of “King of Collectibles” is streaming on Netflix.