PSA Sales

Seasoned hobby veteran Sean Skeffington joined PSA in the Spring of 2018 as the company's Business Office Manager for its New Jersey location. A native of the Northeast and long-time executive in the authentication and grading industry, Sean brings a wealth of industry experience to his position at PSA. "My passion lies in making our customers’ involvement both positive and rewarding," he said. "I'm always willing to share my knowledge to help educate and inform PSA's customers in an effort to make their hobby experience all it can be."

A diehard fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Sean enjoys many aspects of his job including the fact that each of his co-workers share a similar passion for the business. "PSA is the standard in the authentication and grading business. Its brand recognition is unmatched in the industry," he said. "But what I truly love about working here is knowing the possibility of seeing the next treasured collectible could happen at any moment."

Barry Valentino was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., so his choice of professional teams was set early on. "The Mets, Jets and the Rangers," he said.

An industry veteran, Valentino has served for the past two years as PSA's Customer Relations and Sales Representative. With his vast knowledge of autographs and cards, he now knows he's in the right place. "What I enjoy most about working at PSA is meeting collectors and sharing stories because in our business everybody's got a story," he said. "Whether it's a great find or a lucky pull from a pack of cards."

Having previously worked for a sports memorabilia company, his role at PSA provides him with a different outlook on the industry. "Seeing the reaction from collectors when their items pass inspection or when they get their card back and it's graded PSA Gem Mint 10, it makes their day," he said. "What we do here is make people feel like kids again. "

Asked what separates PSA from the rest of its competition, Valentino doesn't hesitate. "The brand," he said. "We've been around since 1991. We are the founding father of authentication and grading."

Orange County, California, native Brandon Bush is a born sports fan. From an early age he loved playing multiple sports, meeting professional athletes, and collecting sports memorabilia. His all-time favorite team remains the USC Trojans football squad.

He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Northern Arizona University and migrated back to So Cal following graduation. He loves the chance to meet new people, as well as teach and even coach those around him.

One of his college professors, quoting Confucius, once told him: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Working at PSA has never felt like a "job" to Brandon. "I enjoy going to work every day and helping my clients achieve their goals," he said.

Brandon has held various positions at PSA and was recently promoted to Manager on the Sales team.

"PSA always stays ahead of the curve by reinvesting in its employees," he said. "The company is always trying to find new ways to incorporate technology with its operations, which helps keep us a cut above the rest."

Vaughn R. Casey III is a native Southern Californian who attended Lutheran High School of Orange County before graduating from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in Business Administration. His favorite pro sports teams are the L.A. Dodgers and L.A. Chargers, and he always enjoys getting in a round of golf when time permits.

Although a collector since 1999, dabbling mostly in Pokémon cards as well as signed jerseys, his job as account specialist at PSA represents his official foray into the industry. It’s a position where he feels right at home.

“My favorite part of the job is connecting collectors to a system that identifies, analyzes, and protects their possessions,” he said. “Helping others understand how to submit [their collectibles] properly and efficiently as well as helping them grow their businesses to their desired goals is my mission.”

Securing a position with an industry leader has been eye opening for Vaughn. “As the premier authentication company, PSA continues to expand and enhance its processes,” he said. “I can see how everybody here is striving to be number one in the eyes of our clients.”

His personal collection includes sports cards, autographed mini helmets, bats, even some Star Wars cards. But his most prized possession remains a Clayton Kershaw autographed Dodgers jersey. “I got it signed in person when I was 12,” he said. “It was his first season.”

Mike Nelson was born and raised in Anaheim, California, and his loyalty runs deep for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Angels. A graduate of Katella High School who studied screenwriting and video production at L.A. City College, Mike is a PSA/DNA Sales Representative who specializes in autographed memorabilia.

“What I truly enjoy most is helping our customers as they preserve their collections,” he said. “And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t envious of some of the amazing items I get to see every day at work.”

A collector at heart, Mike enjoys the pursuit involved in every piece he acquires. “It brings me back to my childhood days,” he said. “Even in this digital age, there’s nothing like searching endlessly for that holy grail item, only to one day finally obtain it and then just imagine all the history behind it.”

Basketball cards and memorabilia make up most of Mike’s personal collection and his prized possession remains a 2003 Topps LeBron James #221. “I purchased it raw years ago and submitted it to PSA last year and it came back a Gem Mint 10!” he shared. “This one’s going to my son one day… maybe.”

Andy Gonzalez grew up on the sand, surf and waves of Huntington Beach, California. He graduated from Fountain Valley High School before moving on to study sociology at Santa Ana College. A former member of PSA’s customer service team, he now serves as a PSA dealer service representative.

“The most rewarding aspect of my job is meeting new – and returning – customers and building a bond with them that goes beyond the hobby,” he said. “I come into contact with priceless items every day on the PSA/DNA [autograph] side, so being able to help out customers who are new to the industry is what excites me.”

Not a collector per se, Andy does root for the Pittsburgh Steelers every Sunday.

He attributes PSA’s industry-leading position to its amazing staff. “We stay one step ahead of the competition because the people here put in countless hours to make sure we meet and exceed the expectations of our customers, dealers and first-time submitters alike.”

Zach Bell grew up in Half Moon Bay, California, where he attended high school. A pitcher, he went on to play baseball for William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, before eventually graduating from San Francisco State University with a business degree. A native of northern California, he’s always rooted for the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, Golden State Warriors and the Stanford Cardinal.

An avid collector, he takes great pride in owning one of the scarce 2017 Panini Shining Armor Patrick Mahomes #104 short print rookie cards that’s ever been graded PSA GEM-MT 10. Now, as a PSA account specialist, he hopes to make other collectors’ dreams come true.

“I enjoy talking about the hobby with just about anybody,” he said. “And since I know how it feels to get graded a 10, in a PSA slab, I want to help other collectors get their cards graded by PSA and achieve that same feeling.”

Asked what separates PSA from its competition, Zach doesn’t hesitate with his answer. “I think it’s the wide range of services PSA has to offer,” he said. “You can do so much with your cards at PSA; grading, crossover, reholder, you name it. PSA does it all, and with the highest integrity.”

Alfonso Borja grew up in Cerritos, California, and graduated from Artesia High School in nearby Lakewood. He then attended California State University, Dominguez Hills where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology.

Assertive, he went to work for Enterprise before accepting a sales manager position for Verizon. Nowadays he serves as an Account Specialist at PSA. It’s relatively new territory for Alfonso but he welcomes the opportunity.

“It’s my first job in the [collectibles] industry,” he said, “but I’m excited to meet collectors that have old, valuable items and cards because every one of them has a story to tell.”

A lifelong soccer player and fan whose favorite teams include Manchester United and Barcelona, he names central midfielder Andrés Iniesta as his favorite player of all time.

Asked what he enjoys most about his role at PSA, Alfonso responded: “I really enjoy helping clients submit and preserve their collectibles, all the while providing them with great customer service.”

He believes hard work is the reason PSA ranks as the premier authentication and grading services company in the world. And though new to collecting, he’s excited for the future.

“I’m just waiting on the day when I pull my first big hit,” he said.

A native of southern California, Michael Diaz grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire. His favorite teams include the UCLA Bruins (any sport), the L.A. Dodgers and the San Francisco 49ers.

After graduating from Chino High School, Michael set off on a career in the fitness industry. He even started his own personal training studio, which blossomed into multiple locations. After 10 years, it was time to try something different.

“I decided to pursue my true passion and work toward opening a sports cards and memorabilia store,” said Michael, who has spent ample time volunteering at marketing events and autograph signings along the way. Some of the athletes he’s worked with include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joe Montana, Cody Bellinger, Hulk Hogan and Mike Tyson.

When COVID-19 hit and shows shut down, Michael made another move – to PSA. Originally a member of PSA’s Research department, he was promoted to Account Specialist. “I enjoy helping out clients and giving them peace of mind. I’m a collector myself so I treat their submissions as if they were my own,” he said. “They trust us with thousands of dollars’ worth of cards and I want them to feel at ease. I want them to trust me and our process.”

A collector at heart, he counts his three autographed 1981 Topps rookie cards of Joe Montana and four signed 1986 Topps Jerry Rice RCs amongst his most prized possessions. “They all have different inscriptions,” he said. “My love of autographs came from my dad. He took my two brothers and I to a lot of games where we often stayed late to get autographs.

“I like to say my childhood hobby has turned into my adult obsession.”