Raised in New Jersey, baseball was never far away from Dean, and like many collectors, his earliest memories of baseball cards date back to elementary school. From the age of 15, Dean was a fixture at local sports shows, setting up regularly alongside one of the leading hobby figures of the day. Those experiences fed Dean's passion for sportscards and memorabilia, turning it into a career in 1992 with Greg Manning Auctions, a publicly-traded, multi-discipline auctioneer specializing in coins, stamps, and sportscards. After a decade with GMA, Dean joined REA in 2003 as the Auction Director, responsible for the production and implementation of the company's annual auction, including a partnership with eBay shortly after his arrival at the company. Dean served for many years as the company's primary vintage card expert, responsible for securing and processing consignments as well as producing copy and overseeing photography on all card-related items. He has personally handled some of the most impressive cards ever sold, including multiple T206 Wagners, Baltimore News Ruths, and countless other rarities. Today, Dean oversees the production of all card-related copy for the company's three major catalog auctions and works closely with designers to ensure REA's catalog maintains its high level of quality and consistency.