Profiles In History To Join Heritage Auctions!

I see there is a lot of chatter out there amongst collectors of Television and Movie memorabilia on the news of Joe Maddalena of Profiles in History auction house along with his company are  joining the Heritage Auctions team. We were all surprised to receive the email from Profiles in History in the early hours of the morning on January 27, 2021 (3:05 am est) announcing an end of an era and the beginning of a new one. I have copied the email below on the announcement.

From my understanding based on “online chatter” is that Profiles in History will wrap up with it’s current consigners and buyers before the transition to Heritage Auctions is completed. Meaning consigners will get their payments and buyers will receive their items from the 2020 auctions. This has not been officially verified and I will update this blog post as new information is provided.

Wishing everyone a healthy and safe 2021!

Thirty-five years ago I turned a childhood passion for collecting into one of the world’s most renowned sellers of historical artifacts, from manuscripts to some of Hollywood and popular culture’s most coveted keepsakes. Creating and building Profiles in History has been one of the most rewarding journeys of my life, and not merely because of the world records we have set at auction or the friends I have made along the way.

Now, I am very excited to share with you the next step in that amazing journey. On February 1st, I will be joining Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, the world’s third-largest auction house, as Senior Executive Vice President. Heritage Auctions has long been an innovator—bringing the live auction experience directly to clients through HA.com. Their collector-focused auction experience continues to be at the cutting edge, providing a seamless experience for both bidders and consignors that extends beyond the auction itself. With offices across the United States and around the world, it has a truly global audience. Leading specialists in more than forty categories of art, collectibles, and memorabilia make world-class auctions a near daily occurrence. Most importantly, its hands-on management, all collectors themselves, have grown their business by emphasizing the thing that matters most—client experience.

 I have long been proud to call Heritage Auctions’ co-founders and co-owners Steve Ivy and Jim Halperin good friends. Heritage Auctions was founded in 1976, and what they have accomplished in such a relatively short time has been nothing less than remarkable – and inspiring. Both men are visionaries who understand the importance of popular culture collectibles better than almost anyone in today’s marketplace. Ours will be a true partnership, and I am eager to begin this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – for all of us. My decision to join Heritage Auctions was an easy one, as it will allow me to bring even more history to auction in coming years.

In recent years, Profiles in History’s business has grown exponentially, and moving to Heritage, which was hosting online auctions decades ago, will allow me to serve all of our clients far more efficiently and effectively than ever before. It will also allow Heritage to expand several of its already thriving categories, including historical manuscripts, fine art, comic books and comic art, movie posters and, of course, Hollywood and music memorabilia.

The collecting landscaping continues to evolve – at a remarkable pace of late, now including everything from video games to Pokémon cards – and I am eager to jump in. Rest assured, I will remain hands-on when working with collectors and consignors. I am not going anywhere – except to Heritage, where I hope you will join me. In the coming days you will receive an email from Heritage Auctions offering you the opportunity to join me and Heritage on this journey. Many of you are likely Heritage Auctions clients already. Those of you who are not will be excited to see what crosses the block at Heritage. If you collect it, there’s a good chance Heritage offers it in one of its more than 40 categories.

Everything I’ve done in my life, from collecting baseball cards as a young boy to producing TV shows to building Profiles in History into the world’s largest dealer of Hollywood memorabilia, has been infused with deepfelt enthusiasm, excitement and passion. My move to Heritage Auctions is no different. The time is right, because the people, the place, and the vision are right. I am eager for all of us to continue this journey together for a long, long time.

Joe Maddalena