Any devoted enthusiast of shiny dragons, forgotten treasures, and larger-than-life pop culture icons is in for a treat, as Netflix has announced the return of the riveting series “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch” for a third season. A beneficiary of its own brand of binge-worthy magic, the show has been a captivating window into the breathless, adrenaline-fueled world of collectibles and memorabilia auctions—making even the purchase of a rare piece of cardboard seem like Olympian-level sport.
Since its star-studded premiere in 2023, featuring more jaw-dropping bids than a Sotheby’s freak show, “King of Collectibles” has climbed Netflix’s illustrious Top 10 ladder, securing a prestigious Critics Choice Real TV Awards nomination for Best Business Show. While Netflix’s notoriously secretive planners have yet to share a release date, the whispering winds of the internet are already echoing with fanfare for the show’s comeback.
Ken Goldin, the charismatic ringmaster of this adrenaline circus, is ecstatic about returning to the small screen. “It is an exciting time in the collectibles industry,” Goldin declared through a swaggering grin, the pride in his empire palpable. “With new categories emerging, higher stakes and bids, and interest coming from everywhere, we love to share these incredible moments and stories with a wider audience.”
With the production once again helmed by the almighty power trio of Wheelhouse’s Spoke Studios, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, and Connor Schell’s Full Day Productions, in cahoots with the auction juggernaut eBay, season three promises more of those hair-raising, wallet-thinning thrills. And why not? Goldin itself, a delectable morsel gobbled up by eBay in 2024, has expanded beyond its celebrated realm of sports cards, now delving into new realms of pop culture memorabilia. With its recent acquisition of Studio Auctions—a house famed for its rare movie props—the landscape is nothing short of expansive.
However, not all that glitters is gold. The bustling, somewhat gossipy society of collectibles is not without its share of drama. A juicy tidbit in the financial columns—tell me, who doesn’t love a good feud?—found Goldin entangled in a quarrel with Fanatics Live CEO Nick Bell. Bell, in a somewhat rogue maneuver, attempted to hawk Fanatics’ collectible auctions right on Ken Goldin’s Instagram doorstep. It was a moment worthy of its own reality show plotline, fitting for the cutthroat world where ambition often dabbles with a bit of audacity. The fallout only further highlighted the bubbling intensity and visibility of the market, where rivals often seem as dramatic as allies in the wild west of memorabilia.
Meanwhile, the industry has set itself ablaze this past June, with trading card sales alone exceeding $32 million, contributing to a record-setting $305 million for that month alone, according to Card Ladder. Clearly, the currents of fortune favor those willing to ride the rambunctious, unbridled wave of collectibles. The shards of nostalgia fuel this fever-pitched market, with every bid, every sale, narrating a unique tale of history, legacy, and memory, each frame capturing a moment destined to be revived in the future.
So, as rabid fans polish their favorite collectibles and dust off heirlooms, without bickering too much over the manners of competitors, the third season’s promise looms large, hoping to further illuminate Ken Goldin’s sparkling domain and the broader world of collecting at large. The show, a hypnotic tapestry of human eccentricities and economic adventure, reaffirms that beneath every auctioneer’s hammer, there’s both spectacle and character—a reminder that in a world divided by digital saturation, tactile connections through collectibles can still create worlds anew.
For those hungering for more tales of derring-do and red-hot relic discoveries, the clock is ticking towards another legendary season. As anticipation builds, the scene is set, once more, for Ken Goldin and his auction house to remind us that sometimes the past is but a prologue to the riches yet to come.
