Joe Maddalena of Profiles in History has joined Heritage
- by Bruce E. McKinney
Joe Maddalena has joined Heritage
Heritage’s news release explains it this way:
“Joe Maddalena, the founder and CEO of Profiles in History, has joined Heritage in the role of Executive Vice President. When Joe reached out to us to explore the possibility of working with us at Heritage, we were immediately excited by the potential to enlist this talented former rival as our new colleague.”
The auction business has been seeing significant change as changing tastes, Covid-19 and internet efficiencies have been turning a very traditional field into a quite different experience for buyers and sellers. Welcome to the new world. Many auction houses are thriving but the costs to stay up-to-date, with what is becoming principally a software experience, will thin the ranks of the leaders. Many Profiles in History sales were highly important and Mr. Maddalena’s contributions in particular created the Hollywood/Entertainment category. He’s a significant addition to Heritage’s already formidable resources.
How and whether Mr. Maddalena’s team at Profiles in History at Calabasas, in California will be integrated into Heritage’s plans remained to be clarified.
Heritage is becoming dominant in its many categories and has offices today in Dallas, New York, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong.
I’m sharing with you the announcement provided by Jim Halperin, Co-Chairman of Heritage Auctions:
Dear Bruce,
Nearly forty years ago, as two rivals in the rare coin business, Steve Ivy and I joined together to form Heritage. Drawing on the strength found in our different approaches to the same business, the energy we once expended in competition as rivals was quickly applied to creating an innovative auction experience for our clients. Ever since that initial partnership, we have applied the same principles to unlock the same potential: finding and developing colleagues and allies who possess a collector's passion in order to help us build Heritage into the best possible resource for collectors.
Since that time, Heritage Auctions has grown to become the third largest auction house in the world. As we've grown and developed new categories, we've done so under this guiding principle, always confident that the best possible results come from those who value relationships and who understand our business as collectors. Along the way, we have turned rivals into trusted colleagues and alliances across categories, from coins and currency, to comics and comic art, to historical memorabilia, to movie posters. Each of these new opportunities has brought not only new categories and expertise to Heritage but also more innovation across the company.
We are excited to announce that Joe Maddalena, the founder and CEO of Profiles in History, has joined us at Heritage Auctions in the role of Executive Vice President. When Joe reached out to us to explore the possibility of working with us at Heritage, we were immediately excited by the potential to enlist this talented former rival as our newest colleague. Throughout his thirty-five years at Profiles in History, Joe has demonstrated an infectious curiosity and passion for all kinds of entertainment, historical, and popular culture memorabilia. Joe has often been among the first to highlight new and emerging areas of collecting and is eager to grow the collecting community by sharing his knowledge, insights and discoveries with a broader audience.
Most of all, Joe will now be an invaluable addition to our team and resource to both bidders and consignors as we continue to innovate the auction marketplace and bring a better auction experience to our clients.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
