Goldin Auctions
Goldin Auctions is an online auction house for high-value trading cards, sports memorabilia, and entertainment collectibles, serving collectors, athletes, and alternative asset investors globally through a commission-based marketplace.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersRunnemede, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Goldin Auctions does
Goldin Auctions, founded in 2012 by Ken Goldin, is an online auction house headquartered in Runnemede, New Jersey, that specializes in high-value collectibles including trading cards (sports, Pokémon, TCG), sports memorabilia, and entertainment collectibles. The company operates a proprietary e-commerce auction platform with professional authentication and grading verification services, handling transactions ranging from hundreds to millions of dollars, and has facilitated some of the largest collectible transactions on record, including the $16.49 million Pikachu Illustrator card sale in February 2026 and the $4.39 million Shohei Ohtani 50/50 home run ball in late 2024. In 2024, eBay acquired Goldin Auctions and integrated it through single sign-on capability and a 'Find It On Goldin' promotional carousel in eBay search results, materially expanding distribution.
Goldin earns revenue primarily through transaction-based commissions on successful auction sales, with an effective take rate of approximately 18% based on disclosed commission data from the Ohtani ball sale, supplemented by advance payments to high-profile sellers (e.g., $2.5M advance to Logan Paul against the Pikachu Illustrator card). Its primary customer segments are trading card collectors and investors, sports memorabilia sellers, and alternative asset investors seeking diversification away from public markets. The company serves a global market spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, with a marketing approach centered on the Netflix docuseries 'King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,' YouTube livestreams of high-profile consignor sales, and earned media coverage of record-setting transactions.
Goldin Auctions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Goldin Auctions
- Legal name
- Goldin Auctions
- Website
- https://goldinauctions.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Goldin Auctions is an online auction house for high-value trading cards, sports memorabilia, and entertainment collectibles, serving collectors, athletes, and alternative asset investors globally through a commission-based marketplace.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Goldin Auctions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Collectibles Auction House
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sports Collectibles Marketplace & Auction Platforms (CRAMAOAI), Sports Trading Cards Retail (CRALAGAA)
Keywords
Where Goldin Auctions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Runnemede
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Goldin Auctions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Auction Commissions: Goldin earns commission on each successful sale at auction. Based on the $4.39M Ohtani ball sale generating $792,000 commission, the effective take rate is approximately 18%.
- Advance Payments to Sellers: Goldin provides advance payments to high-profile sellers against eventual sale proceeds. Ken Goldin gave Logan Paul a $2.5 million advance against the Pikachu Illustrator card sale.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Auction Commission Model |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Goldin Auctions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Goldin Auctions operates an online auction platform that facilitates the buying and selling of authenticated, high-value trading cards (sports, Pokémon, TCG), sports memorabilia, and other rare collectibles. The platform handles timed auctions for items ranging from hundreds to millions of dollars, offering professional authentication and grading verification services, advance payments to high-profile sellers, and integration with the eBay marketplace following its 2024 acquisition.
Product overview
Goldin Auctions operates as a unified auction platform for premium collectibles, with its core offering being the Goldin Auctions Platform for buying and selling authenticated rare items including trading cards (sports, Pokémon, TCG games), sports memorabilia, and Hollywood memorabilia. The company gained additional visibility through the Netflix series 'King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,' which features founder Ken Goldin and has expanded the company's reach globally. The platform is integrated with eBay following its 2024 acquisition.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Goldin Auctions Platform Premier online auction platform where collectors and investors buy and sell authenticated, high-value collectibles including trading cards (sports, Pokémon, TCG), sports memorabilia, and rare collectibles. The platform provides professional authentication, grading verification, timed auctions, and secure payment processing for items ranging from hundreds to millions of dollars.
- Authentication and Grading Verification Services Professional authentication and grading verification services for high-value collectibles, providing trust and verification critical for transactions involving items worth millions of dollars.
- eBay Marketplace Integration Cross-promotional integration with the eBay marketplace providing single sign-on capability allowing users to log into Goldin.co with eBay credentials and a 'Find It On Goldin' promotional carousel embedded in eBay search results.
Quantifiable outcome
- Record-breaking sales demonstrating ability to achieve highest prices for rare collectibles
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Goldin Auctions
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Goldin Auctions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Goldin Auctions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- eBayflagshipeBay acquired Goldin Auctions in 2024, integrating the platform into its ecosystem. New features include single sign-on capability allowing users to log into Goldin.co with eBay credentials and a 'Find It On Goldin' promotional carousel embedded in eBay search results directing buyers to Goldin. This acquisition positions Goldin as eBay's premium trading card and collectibles auction channel.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Goldin Auctions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Heritage Auctions: Heritage Auctions is the largest US collectibles auction house, handling sports cards, memorabilia, coins, comics, and rare entertainment collectibles through a similar timed-auction model. Direct competitor for premium consignments across overlapping verticals.
- PWCC Marketplace: PWCC operates a leading online trading card marketplace and auction venue focused on graded sports and TCG cards. Directly comparable to Goldin's core high-end trading card auction business with overlapping buyer/seller base.
- SCP Auctions: SCP Auctions specializes in high-end sports memorabilia auctions, including game-used jerseys, championship rings, and historic artifacts. Directly competes with Goldin's sports memorabilia vertical for trophy consignments.
- Robert Edward Auctions: REA is one of the oldest sports card auction houses in the US, handling vintage and high-grade trading cards through a similar timed-auction format. Direct competitor in the premium sports card auction segment.
- Huggins & Scott: Huggins & Scott is a long-running sports card and memorabilia auction house operating timed online auctions similar to Goldin's format. Directly comparable for vintage sports card consignments.
- Prismatic Evolutions / Pristine Auction: Pristine Auction runs online auctions for sports cards, memorabilia, and entertainment collectibles, competing with Goldin for mid-to-high-value consignments in the online timed-auction format.
Broad incumbents
- Sotheby's: Sotheby's is a global incumbent auction house that has expanded into sneakers, NFTs, and luxury collectibles, overlapping with Goldin on high-net-worth buyers and trophy consignments, though its core is fine art and luxury.
- Christie's: Christie's is a global incumbent auction house that has expanded into handbags, sneakers, and digital collectibles, serving the same HNW collector-investor segment as Goldin, though primarily focused on fine art.
Emerging players
- Fanatics Collect: Fanatics Collect is the vertically-integrated trading card marketplace of Fanatics Holdings, offering authenticated sports cards with a buy-now marketplace model. Emerging competitor with significant capital backing that intersects Goldin's sports card segment.
- ComicConnect: ComicConnect is a leading auction house for vintage comic books, original art, and related pop-culture collectibles. Relevant as Goldin publicly targets comics vertical expansion, making ComicConnect a potential direct competitor in that adjacent category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Goldin Auctions social profiles
Digital presenceGoldin Auctions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Goldin Auctions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Goldin Auctions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Goldin Auctions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Goldin Auctions
What does Goldin Auctions do?
Goldin Auctions operates an online auction platform that facilitates the buying and selling of authenticated, high-value trading cards (sports, Pokémon, TCG), sports memorabilia, and other rare collectibles. The platform handles timed auctions for items ranging from hundreds to millions of dollars, offering professional authentication and grading verification services, advance payments to high-profile sellers, and integration with the eBay marketplace following its 2024 acquisition.
Is Goldin Auctions a public or private company?
Goldin Auctions is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Goldin Auctions founded?
Goldin Auctions was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Goldin Auctions based?
Goldin Auctions is headquartered in Runnemede, United States, in the North America region.
How does Goldin Auctions make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Auction Commissions are the primary driver. The others are advance Payments to Sellers.
Who are Goldin Auctions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heritage Auctions, PWCC Marketplace, SCP Auctions, Robert Edward Auctions, Huggins & Scott and Prismatic Evolutions / Pristine Auction. Broad incumbents are Sotheby's and Christie's. Emerging players are Fanatics Collect and ComicConnect.
Does Goldin Auctions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Goldin Auctions.
What industry is Goldin Auctions in?
Goldin Auctions's product category is Collectibles Auction House. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAGAO, Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMAOAI, Sports Collectibles Marketplace & Auction Platforms. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.