WHY CHOOSE HERITAGE AUCTIONS?

Joseph “Joe” Maddalena joined Heritage Auctions as Executive Vice President in January 2021 following an unparalleled 35-year track record of success as the founder of Profiles in History, which he built into the world’s largest auctioneer of coveted Hollywood memorabilia and popular culture keepsakes.  Some of the iconic items he brought to market included Luke Skywalker’s light saber, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Indiana Jones’ whip and Peter Fonda’s Easy Rider chopper, along with the 2011 Debbie Reynolds auction that was highlighted by Marilyn Monroe’s Seven Year Itch “subway dress” realizing $5.52 million.  

Born into a family of antiques dealers in Rhode Island, Joe learned early on how to turn his passion for collecting historical autographs into a career.  Upon graduation from Pepperdine, he made the decision to become a full-time dealer of historical documents, and opened his first office in 1985.  Profiles in History now owns virtually every Guinness Book record for prices of original screen-used memorabilia.  Joe is a lifetime member of the Manuscript Society and is widely recognized as the nation’s leading authority on entertainment memorabilia and historical documents.  In addition, he starred for three seasons in Syfy’s Hollywood Treasure, which gave viewers an inside look at the world of showbiz and pop culture memorabilia.  

Joe brings deep and long-lasting relationships with major collectors in a myriad fields, as well as an encyclopedic knowledge of multiple categories such as nature and science, rare books and wine. His years of experience in these numerous categories and expansive role at Heritage will allow him to serve clients far more efficiently and effectively than ever.

Zach’s lifelong interest in movie memorabilia began at age 3, when he received an autographed picture from a man dressed up as RoboCop at a Blockbuster Video in suburban Chicago. After undergraduate and graduate studies at UCR and Long Beach State, he joined the team at Profiles in History.   

Some of the noteworthy auctions he curated in that position included premiere collections such as the Culver Pictures Archive, the estate of Marvin Paige, and Hollywood Book & Poster, as well as for celebrity clients such as Liza Minnelli, Debbie Reynolds, and Carrie Fisher. Immersed in the world of movie paper, film production artifacts, and entertainment ephemera for the past eight years, Zach strives to provide collectors with eclectic offerings of rare and exciting material.

Jeremy J. J. Allen Jeremy’s passion and knowledge of collectibles go way back to when he was a kid. He was born and raised in Dallas - Fort Worth, to a family of collectors. He was the kid who could happily get lost in an antique store every weekend!

His entrepreneurial spirit began in the 90s when he started selling and trading his Trading cards from his dad’s sports memorabilia shop. He then attended art school for multimedia, branding, and design, which led to his career in several marketing firms. He gained a vast knowledge of PR, advertising, and marketing while making connections that helped land prominent branding and marketing deals. He worked on projects for large companies and sports stars. His mentor was also an avid toy developer and pop culture collector, which sparked more passion for everything collectible.

In 2016, his passions for design, business, and collectibles finally merged when he decided to focus more on the collector’s world, creating his own consulting hobby company, Collector’s League. He was soaking up collectibles knowledge, attending conventions, and immersing himself in everything trading card, TCG, pop culture, and entertainment. His solid connections and immense knowledge earned him work for helping companies in the hobby world with their branding, strategy, and online presence. With an arson of knowledge in valuable collectibles, an eye for design, and experience in business development, he eventually became an advisor and consultant for several companies in the industry.   His unique skills and experience brought him to Heritage Auctions, where he was a perfect fit as Consignment Director for the new and emerging department of Pop Culture Collectibles.

Areas of Interest:
- TCG - Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Trading cards - Sports & Non-Sports
- Sneakers
- Pop Culture
- VHS
- Designer Toys
- Video Games
- HipHop
- Urban Art

Sarahjane Blum joined Heritage in 2024, bringing with her decades of experience as an art dealer, cultural historian, curator, and writer. She is an internationally acknowledged expert in the fields of Illustration Art, and photography.  

Before joining Heritage, Blum was the co-owner of Grapefruit Moon Gallery, an innovative and leading player in the fields of Illustration Art and photography. There she carved out an international reputation via media and live appearances, curated gallery shows, and online engagement. Blum has been a featured presenter at museums, academic conferences, and national collector events. Her writing on film and culture has appeared in The Brooklyn Rail, among other places. She is the co-author of The Art of Pin Up (Taschen Books, 2014) and is featured in documentaries on Pin Up Art and Glamour photography. She holds an MA in History from Georgetown University, where she completed additional PhD coursework. 

A sales professional and account manager with more than 25 years of experience, Justin Caravoulias’ enduring love for action figures started in the ’70s with a fuzzy-haired GI Joe 12-inch Land Adventurer figure his mother bought at a yard sale. His position as a Consignment Director for Action Figures & Toys at Heritage perfectly unites his extensive sales background with his lifelong passion for action figures and toys.

After attending the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Caravoulias started a successful career that encompassed advertising, telecommunications, premium domain name sales, and recruitment services. In 2019, he created e-commerce site Vitruvian Armory, a company that serves 1:18 scale action figure customizers by helping them acquire the parts and accessories to suit their individual needs. After joining Heritage in February 2023, he played an immediate key role in assembling the inaugural Ultimate Batman Collection Signature® Auction, personally cataloging over 600 lots with one of the largest and most comprehensive Batman collections from the ’60's and ’70s. 

Caravoulias’ personal collection is diverse and based around action figures. Collected since childhood, his GI Joe collection ranges from 1964 to present day, in addition to other action figure lines from the ’70s to today along with trading/sports cards, vinyl records, VHS tapes, comic books, and most recently, Japanese movie tickets.

Charles Epting joined Heritage Auctions in August 2024 after eight years in the philatelic auction industry, during which time he handled the sale of over $30 million worth of postage stamps. A lifelong pop culture enthusiast, his role as Associate Director of Posters allows Charles to combine his auction house experience with a subject matter that he is innately familiar with and passionate about. He is excited to help collectors engage with these beautiful and important pieces of our past.

Charles is the author of five books, including a biography of the silent film actress Bebe Daniels, and is the former editor of Silent Film Quarterly. The shared passion that Charles and his wife Olivia have for early Hollywood runs so deep that they even named their son Autry after the late, great singing cowboy.

Dallas native Jesus Garcia’s love for Pokémon cards started from a very young age. A Consignment Director for Heritage’s Trading Card department, he first discovered the phenomenon with the premiere of Pokémon the TV Series, an affinity that progressed to Pokémon Blue and Red and ultimately to the cards themselves.

With a background in Business Administration, Garcia joined Heritage in 2011, starting as an Operations Assistant before transitioning to positions as a Consignment Coordinator and Operations Supervisor for the Comics and Animation Art Department. As the Pokémon craze reignited, he began working on consignments in that area and was promoted to his title a year later.  

A longtime collector of Pokémon cards and Funko Pops, Garcia’s most interesting consignment came from “The Rad Dad Collection,” an exceptional collection passed down from Bart “Rad Dad" Kiser to his children on Christmas morning 1999 before he passed away in 2018. While the array of sealed base sets and booster boxes were massive in terms of quantity and value, Garcia most enjoyed personally working with the family, hearing the story of the experiences they shared as a family through the epic Pokémon collection, and sharing it with collectors during Heritage’s debut Trading Card event that realized $3.47 million in July 2021.  

Arya Salemi is a respected figure in the trading card industry, known for his Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon collections expertise. His entrepreneurial approach has significantly impacted the trading card community, blending passion with business to create a successful venture.

Arya’s journey in the trading card industry began in his childhood when he was captivated by the art and strategy of Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon. This initial interest, fueled by dedication and a thirst for knowledge, transformed into a deep involvement with the trading card community. His participation in tournaments across the globe and the development of a substantial collection were the stepping stones to his future business success, demonstrating his ability to turn a hobby into a thriving enterprise.

Arya's extensive knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit led him to venture into trading Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon cards. His deep understanding of the market and collector demands propelled him to become a recognized seller in the industry. Arya’s business, renowned for its diverse selection, top-notch quality, and customer-centric approach, has flourished through the strategic use of online platforms and networking. These efforts have cultivated a loyal customer base and set his company apart in a competitive marketplace.

With a background in music and film journalism and a lifelong passion for record stores, Jon Steffens joined the Heritage Music and Entertainment team in 2015. Starting as a cataloger, Jon rose through the ranks to become a Valuation Specialist and Consignment Director specializing in music memorabilia. In this role, he has been instrumental in curating and bringing iconic pieces to auction, including items from Metallica, Tom Petty, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Duke Ellington, The Misfits, Tupac Shakur, and many other legendary figures in popular music. 

Jon is also an accomplished author of horror and dark fiction and has contributed to The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Horror and The Overstreet Price Guide to Star Wars Collectibles.