Nat Turner new CEO at CLCT

[sportscardpete]

Any surprise?

[bobbyw8469]

Just saw it. Will he be the one I contact about our missing package?

[hcv123]

Without a doubt, this message was the most difficult to write in my nearly 22 years at the company. The title, "Thank You," is about as vague as a title can get, but I wanted to keep it simple for those who chose to read it. After more than two decades at Collectors Universe, with most of that time dedicated to PSA in one form or another, I have decided to move on from something that has become such a huge part of my life. It was time for a change. In addition to spending more time with my family, I am looking forward to staying active in the hobby, my personal passion.

Long before I came to work for the company in 1999, I became a customer – one of PSA’s first – shortly after learning about the service in the early 1990s. Even though I wasn’t here at the very beginning, nor did I invent the concept, I feel like I have been with the company from the start when it wasn’t en vogue. Third party authentication and grading wasn’t perfect then, and it isn’t now, but it has been a critical component to our hobby’s growth. It will continue to be as the market moves forward, along with all the other things PSA offers, from essential content to collection management tools.

I came to PSA because I believed in the concept and what it could do for the industry, but I stayed in large part because of the people ... the people I worked with on a daily basis and those whom I worked for – our customers. The relationships are the reason. I have made lifelong friendships along the way, those I will always cherish. This includes so many current, and former, coworkers. It also includes countless hobbyists and dealers, those who continue to bleed PSA’s colors and those who have sadly passed on.

While there are those who drift in and out of our hobby, so many of you have been incredibly loyal to the brand and personally supportive during my entire career. I could never thank you enough. In many respects, I have been spoiled with a dream job since finishing school. I want everyone to know that I never forgot that. I was given an opportunity to work in an industry I love and for a company I believed in. I fully understood how rare that was and appreciated it every second of the way.

It doesn’t mean every experience was pleasant. Sometimes, I was turned into a human piñata at The National or became the target of submitter frustration by default being on the front lines. It was, however, all part of the gig. Being the referee, umpire or judge isn’t always an envious position to be in. Furthermore, playing the role of messenger can be challenging when the message isn’t always pretty, but the job was so rewarding, in every way imaginable.

I loved helping people, developing new services, providing structure to the market, building the Set Registry, writing, educating, researching, innovating, constantly learning and being immersed in the endeavor I would choose aside from the paycheck. It doesn’t feel like work if you have a real passion for what you do. That passion is what keeps you motivated each day. It could be a grind at times like any other job, but I ended up loving the grind.

In the early days, I can remember going to countless conventions. From Redding, PA, to Hollywood Park, CA, there was a time when I walked table-to-table, aisle-to-aisle, in an attempt to convince others how our services could help their business or improve their collecting experience. Some of you were at these shows too. The circuit could be grueling as you well know, but I enjoyed engaging with fellow hobbyists because we spoke the same language, shared similar experiences and could relate to one another ... even when we disagreed.

Effective immediately, Collectors Universe Executive Chairman and fellow collector Nat Turner will be stepping into the CEO role. Since our company was purchased several months ago, Nat has been extremely involved in decision making, especially as it relates to building our infrastructure. This will enable the company to scale and bring Collectors Universe closer to its ultimate vision. For years, Nat has been a consumer and supporter of PSA-certified products, so he is very familiar with our brands and the services we offer.

I am a collector, through and through. It’s how I’m wired and that’s not going to change. I can’t wait to see what the next two or three decades has in store for all of us. The hobby is continually expanding, maturing and improving. It’s a great time to be a collector, and more people that share our "gene" are being introduced to our way of life each day.

No matter what I decide to do from this point forward with my work life, I will be a collector for life.

Forever grateful,


Joe Orlando
President & CEO, Collectors Universe, Inc.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by hcv123

Without a doubt, this message was the most difficult to write in my nearly 22 years at the company. The title, "Thank You," is about as vague as a title can get, but I wanted to keep it simple for those who chose to read it. After more than two decades at Collectors Universe, with most of that time dedicated to PSA in one form or another, I have decided to move on from something that has become such a huge part of my life. It was time for a change. In addition to spending more time with my family, I am looking forward to staying active in the hobby, my personal passion.

Long before I came to work for the company in 1999, I became a customer – one of PSA’s first – shortly after learning about the service in the early 1990s. Even though I wasn’t here at the very beginning, nor did I invent the concept, I feel like I have been with the company from the start when it wasn’t en vogue. Third party authentication and grading wasn’t perfect then, and it isn’t now, but it has been a critical component to our hobby’s growth. It will continue to be as the market moves forward, along with all the other things PSA offers, from essential content to collection management tools.

I came to PSA because I believed in the concept and what it could do for the industry, but I stayed in large part because of the people ... the people I worked with on a daily basis and those whom I worked for – our customers. The relationships are the reason. I have made lifelong friendships along the way, those I will always cherish. This includes so many current, and former, coworkers. It also includes countless hobbyists and dealers, those who continue to bleed PSA’s colors and those who have sadly passed on.

While there are those who drift in and out of our hobby, so many of you have been incredibly loyal to the brand and personally supportive during my entire career. I could never thank you enough. In many respects, I have been spoiled with a dream job since finishing school. I want everyone to know that I never forgot that. I was given an opportunity to work in an industry I love and for a company I believed in. I fully understood how rare that was and appreciated it every second of the way.

It doesn’t mean every experience was pleasant. Sometimes, I was turned into a human piñata at The National or became the target of submitter frustration by default being on the front lines. It was, however, all part of the gig. Being the referee, umpire or judge isn’t always an envious position to be in. Furthermore, playing the role of messenger can be challenging when the message isn’t always pretty, but the job was so rewarding, in every way imaginable.

I loved helping people, developing new services, providing structure to the market, building the Set Registry, writing, educating, researching, innovating, constantly learning and being immersed in the endeavor I would choose aside from the paycheck. It doesn’t feel like work if you have a real passion for what you do. That passion is what keeps you motivated each day. It could be a grind at times like any other job, but I ended up loving the grind.

In the early days, I can remember going to countless conventions. From Redding, PA, to Hollywood Park, CA, there was a time when I walked table-to-table, aisle-to-aisle, in an attempt to convince others how our services could help their business or improve their collecting experience. Some of you were at these shows too. The circuit could be grueling as you well know, but I enjoyed engaging with fellow hobbyists because we spoke the same language, shared similar experiences and could relate to one another ... even when we disagreed.

Effective immediately, Collectors Universe Executive Chairman and fellow collector Nat Turner will be stepping into the CEO role. Since our company was purchased several months ago, Nat has been extremely involved in decision making, especially as it relates to building our infrastructure. This will enable the company to scale and bring Collectors Universe closer to its ultimate vision. For years, Nat has been a consumer and supporter of PSA-certified products, so he is very familiar with our brands and the services we offer.

I am a collector, through and through. It’s how I’m wired and that’s not going to change. I can’t wait to see what the next two or three decades has in store for all of us. The hobby is continually expanding, maturing and improving. It’s a great time to be a collector, and more people that share our "gene" are being introduced to our way of life each day.

No matter what I decide to do from this point forward with my work life, I will be a collector for life.

Forever grateful,


Joe Orlando
President & CEO, Collectors Universe, Inc.

[Bobbycee]

Originally Posted by hcv123

Without a doubt, this message was the most difficult to write in my nearly 22 years at the company. The title, "Thank You," is about as vague as a title can get, but I wanted to keep it simple for those who chose to read it. After more than two decades at Collectors Universe, with most of that time dedicated to PSA in one form or another, I have decided to move on from something that has become such a huge part of my life. It was time for a change. In addition to spending more time with my family, I am looking forward to staying active in the hobby, my personal passion.

Long before I came to work for the company in 1999, I became a customer – one of PSA’s first – shortly after learning about the service in the early 1990s. Even though I wasn’t here at the very beginning, nor did I invent the concept, I feel like I have been with the company from the start when it wasn’t en vogue. Third party authentication and grading wasn’t perfect then, and it isn’t now, but it has been a critical component to our hobby’s growth. It will continue to be as the market moves forward, along with all the other things PSA offers, from essential content to collection management tools.

I came to PSA because I believed in the concept and what it could do for the industry, but I stayed in large part because of the people ... the people I worked with on a daily basis and those whom I worked for – our customers. The relationships are the reason. I have made lifelong friendships along the way, those I will always cherish. This includes so many current, and former, coworkers. It also includes countless hobbyists and dealers, those who continue to bleed PSA’s colors and those who have sadly passed on.

While there are those who drift in and out of our hobby, so many of you have been incredibly loyal to the brand and personally supportive during my entire career. I could never thank you enough. In many respects, I have been spoiled with a dream job since finishing school. I want everyone to know that I never forgot that. I was given an opportunity to work in an industry I love and for a company I believed in. I fully understood how rare that was and appreciated it every second of the way.

It doesn’t mean every experience was pleasant. Sometimes, I was turned into a human piñata at The National or became the target of submitter frustration by default being on the front lines. It was, however, all part of the gig. Being the referee, umpire or judge isn’t always an envious position to be in. Furthermore, playing the role of messenger can be challenging when the message isn’t always pretty, but the job was so rewarding, in every way imaginable.

I loved helping people, developing new services, providing structure to the market, building the Set Registry, writing, educating, researching, innovating, constantly learning and being immersed in the endeavor I would choose aside from the paycheck. It doesn’t feel like work if you have a real passion for what you do. That passion is what keeps you motivated each day. It could be a grind at times like any other job, but I ended up loving the grind.

In the early days, I can remember going to countless conventions. From Redding, PA, to Hollywood Park, CA, there was a time when I walked table-to-table, aisle-to-aisle, in an attempt to convince others how our services could help their business or improve their collecting experience. Some of you were at these shows too. The circuit could be grueling as you well know, but I enjoyed engaging with fellow hobbyists because we spoke the same language, shared similar experiences and could relate to one another ... even when we disagreed.

Effective immediately, Collectors Universe Executive Chairman and fellow collector Nat Turner will be stepping into the CEO role. Since our company was purchased several months ago, Nat has been extremely involved in decision making, especially as it relates to building our infrastructure. This will enable the company to scale and bring Collectors Universe closer to its ultimate vision. For years, Nat has been a consumer and supporter of PSA-certified products, so he is very familiar with our brands and the services we offer.

I am a collector, through and through. It’s how I’m wired and that’s not going to change. I can’t wait to see what the next two or three decades has in store for all of us. The hobby is continually expanding, maturing and improving. It’s a great time to be a collector, and more people that share our "gene" are being introduced to our way of life each day.

No matter what I decide to do from this point forward with my work life, I will be a collector for life.

Forever grateful,


Joe Orlando
President & CEO, Collectors Universe, Inc.

His last line he should have said: "That stuff about 'never get cheated'. Yeah, I was just kidding!"

[pclpads]

Originally Posted by hcv123

Without a doubt, this message was the most difficult to write in my nearly 22 years at the company. The title, "Thank You," is about as vague as a title can get, but I wanted to keep it simple for those who chose to read it. After more than two decades at Collectors Universe, with most of that time dedicated to PSA in one form or another, I have decided to move on from something that has become such a huge part of my life. It was time for a change. In addition to spending more time with my family, I am looking forward to staying active in the hobby, my personal passion.

Long before I came to work for the company in 1999, I became a customer – one of PSA’s first – shortly after learning about the service in the early 1990s. Even though I wasn’t here at the very beginning, nor did I invent the concept, I feel like I have been with the company from the start when it wasn’t en vogue. Third party authentication and grading wasn’t perfect then, and it isn’t now, but it has been a critical component to our hobby’s growth. It will continue to be as the market moves forward, along with all the other things PSA offers, from essential content to collection management tools.

I came to PSA because I believed in the concept and what it could do for the industry, but I stayed in large part because of the people ... the people I worked with on a daily basis and those whom I worked for – our customers. The relationships are the reason. I have made lifelong friendships along the way, those I will always cherish. This includes so many current, and former, coworkers. It also includes countless hobbyists and dealers, those who continue to bleed PSA’s colors and those who have sadly passed on.

While there are those who drift in and out of our hobby, so many of you have been incredibly loyal to the brand and personally supportive during my entire career. I could never thank you enough. In many respects, I have been spoiled with a dream job since finishing school. I want everyone to know that I never forgot that. I was given an opportunity to work in an industry I love and for a company I believed in. I fully understood how rare that was and appreciated it every second of the way.

It doesn’t mean every experience was pleasant. Sometimes, I was turned into a human piñata at The National or became the target of submitter frustration by default being on the front lines. It was, however, all part of the gig. Being the referee, umpire or judge isn’t always an envious position to be in. Furthermore, playing the role of messenger can be challenging when the message isn’t always pretty, but the job was so rewarding, in every way imaginable.

I loved helping people, developing new services, providing structure to the market, building the Set Registry, writing, educating, researching, innovating, constantly learning and being immersed in the endeavor I would choose aside from the paycheck. It doesn’t feel like work if you have a real passion for what you do. That passion is what keeps you motivated each day. It could be a grind at times like any other job, but I ended up loving the grind.

In the early days, I can remember going to countless conventions. From Redding, PA, to Hollywood Park, CA, there was a time when I walked table-to-table, aisle-to-aisle, in an attempt to convince others how our services could help their business or improve their collecting experience. Some of you were at these shows too. The circuit could be grueling as you well know, but I enjoyed engaging with fellow hobbyists because we spoke the same language, shared similar experiences and could relate to one another ... even when we disagreed.

Effective immediately, Collectors Universe Executive Chairman and fellow collector Nat Turner will be stepping into the CEO role. Since our company was purchased several months ago, Nat has been extremely involved in decision making, especially as it relates to building our infrastructure. This will enable the company to scale and bring Collectors Universe closer to its ultimate vision. For years, Nat has been a consumer and supporter of PSA-certified products, so he is very familiar with our brands and the services we offer.

I am a collector, through and through. It’s how I’m wired and that’s not going to change. I can’t wait to see what the next two or three decades has in store for all of us. The hobby is continually expanding, maturing and improving. It’s a great time to be a collector, and more people that share our "gene" are being introduced to our way of life each day.

No matter what I decide to do from this point forward with my work life, I will be a collector for life.

Forever grateful,


Joe Orlando
President & CEO, Collectors Universe, Inc.

Yawn . . .

[Johnny630]

Thank You for your service Joe Orlando.

[chriskim]

Joe got forced out and anything Nat touched will become 10s.

[prestigecollectibles]

Customer service was not Joe's strong point. At least on Twitter and Instagram Nat has been quite responsive about the needs and concerns of customers.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Reading, PA though...

[peanuts]

Originally Posted by prestigecollectibles

Customer service was not Joe's strong point. At least on Twitter and Instagram Nat has been quite responsive about the needs and concerns of customers.

FWIW, I randomly messaged Nat on Instagram to ask about using Genamint as a potential additional step to track forged autos/resubbed cards. Responded to me, and even directed me to one of the team leads on the Genamint integration.
Dude walks the walk. Very interested to see how PSA changes during his tenure as CEO.

[Santo10Fan]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

Just saw it. Will he be the one I contact about our missing package?

Orlando must have heard about your submission and threw in the towel.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by Santo10Fan

Orlando must have heard about your submission and threw in the towel.

LOL....this is actually a small submission in the grand scheme of things. 123 cards. Definitely not a 4SC submission. Still some very cool vintage that it sickens me to think that they are lost.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

LOL....this is actually a small submission in the grand scheme of things. 123 cards. Definitely not a 4SC submission. Still some very cool vintage that it sickens me to think that they are lost.

With a million or two million card backlog the place is probably a logistical nightmare. My guess is it is there and will turn up.

[maniac_73]

The only way to solve the problems right now are through computer grading. Grading is the perfect use case for machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The more graders PSA hires, the more errors slip through the cracks because you aren’t getting highly skilled people. It’s going to become an assembly line of low prices workers. Grading isn’t an assembly line skill level job, it’s very precise and you can’t just train every Tom, Dick and Harry off the street to do it.
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning software is the way of the future in grading.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by maniac_73

The only way to solve the problems right now are through computer grading. Grading is the perfect use case for machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The more graders PSA hires, the more errors slip through the cracks because you aren’t getting highly skilled people. It’s going to become an assembly line of low prices workers. Grading isn’t an assembly line skill level job, it’s very precise and you can’t just train every Tom, Dick and Harry off the street to do it.
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning software is the way of the future in grading.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AI might be great for modern and automating that aspect of grading but using it, in its present state, leaves much to be desired for assessing vintage. I do not believe the technology is there for accurately identifying and disregarding nuances or anomalies in the vast array of vintage paper.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

AI might be great for modern and automating that aspect of grading but using it, in its present state, leaves much to be desired for assessing vintage. I do not believe the technology is there for accurately identifying and disregarding nuances or anomalies in the vast array of vintage paper.

I've seen some astonishingly low grades recently that made zero sense to me or the guys getting the cards back. Maybe this is the explanation.

[maniac_73]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

AI might be great for modern and automating that aspect of grading but using it, in its present state, leaves much to be desired for assessing vintage. I do not believe the technology is there for accurately identifying and disregarding nuances or anomalies in the vast array of vintage paper.

It definitely needs someone to take the horns and put the resources(people and money) towards it. The technology to create something is available but nothing has been created specifically yet thats worth its salt. Genamint is not the answer