Collectors Universe

Collectors Universe helps price and sell sports memorabilia, coins, stamps, and autographs. The company charges a fee (usually between $8 and $40) to determine the authenticity, quality, and worth of an item -- primarily coins and sports cards. Collectors Universe also publishes price guides, market reports, rarity reports, and other information in print form, as well as on its Web site. In an effort to reduce its auction operations and focus on its core grading and authentication services, the firm sold auction divisions Bowers and Merena, Kingswood Coin, and Superior Sports to Greg Manning in 2004 for $2.5 million. President David Hall owns about 29% of the company he founded in 1986.