Lee Escalona | Founder & CEO
Hometown: Santa Rita, Guam
About Me: I've been collecting cards since I was kid. My dad was a big MLB and NFL card collector with very extensive knowledge. He got me into the Pokemon TCG back in 1999 with my older brother, and I was hooked ever since. I really took a liking to Yu-Gi-Oh! and my passion grew from there. I moved to Texas, then to Mississippi, and over to South Korea, before moving back to Guam, and I frequently participated in local YGO tournaments wherever I found myself. Once I retired a deck, the cards in that deck were sent for grading, and that's where my passion for collecting really started taking precedence. My oldest daughter now enjoys collecting Pokemon cards, which makes this experience much more enjoyable.
My favorite thing about grading is meeting new people. I get to learn the history behind their cards, which tells me a little bit about who they are.
Don Martinez | Pokemon Cards Department Manager
Hometown: Dagupan City, Philippines
About Me: I am a husband to my beautiful wife, Ela, and a father to my two sons, Jude and Jacob. I collect several TCGs, but I also collect Funko Pops, Marvel weapons, helmet replicas, and other cool stuff. If you want to check out my collection, you can follow me on IG @pokepopthunder. My favorite TCG right now is Pokémon, but I have also recently gotten into Digimon and dabble a little bit with Marvel cards. I collect a little bit of everything based on what I loved during my childhood.
Grading allows me to truly understand and appreciate cards on another level. I’ve also learned more about these cards as I’ve had to do research on then, and I've found out some incredible things along the way. I love grading because I can help contribute to someone’s personal collection in one way or another.
Tristan Bala-an | Pokemon Cards Grading Lead
Hometown: Dededo, Guam
About Me: I am currently pursuing Pokémon with a major in Zardies, alternate arts, and Gold Pokemon, with a minor in Sports (Basketball), Marvel (Iron man), and other TCGs. What else can I say? I love my family and friends, playing Basketball, collecting kicks, gaming, and I'm a low-key foodie. I got back into collecting during the XY era. After seeing XY cards on social media, I randomly tried my luck with some packs and failed. After that, the thrill of the chase and the feeling of ripping packs kept me in.
Grading allows me to really appreciate cards and allows me to learn more about the passion I have; that others fortunately share. It also allows me to see and hold cards I would’ve never thought I would’ve seen in person, ever. It Forces me to really learn more about the hobby. It's also the thrill in rooting for the person who submitted the card(s), hoping they get that 10.
Zach Mafnas | Sports Cards Department Manager
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
About Me: I love being a dad and partner to my family. I love all sports besides Golf and Tennis, and I'm a die hard Alabama Fan- Roll Tide Roll! Check out my IG @pcszach671 for all things Cards. I started collecting when I was a kid, when my dad would buy me Pokemon/Football/Baseball cards while he was a truck driver in the states.
I enjoy grading because I love the overall aspect of cards. Nothing beats the nostalgia and excitement of handling your cards while grading your collections. I enjoy seeing every single submission whether its a fun vintage blast from the past, or the newest set that just came out!
Chad Cruz | Sports Cards Grading Lead
Hometown: Yigo, Guam
About Me: I'm that guy that stocks your milk & eggs by day, and I'm the that guy that grades your Kobe & Brady cards by night. In my spare time I coach men's basketball. I played multiple sports to include Basketball, Volleyball, and Softball. I also trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a little bit of boxing/MMA. You can check me out on Instagram @chadwik_14.pcs
I love grading because of the joy that you see on people's faces when they see the grades they got on their personal cards. Whether it's a low, fair, good, or high grade. Not only have I gained another skill, but I've gained an experience that I can share with others.
Kaeleb Perez | Magic: the Gathering Cards Department Manager
Hometown: Piti, Guam
About Me: I I got into collecting TCGs as a kid and started off collecting with Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I liked collecting them because my friends were into it and I also liked the TV shows a lot. During my junior year of high school I visited Seattle with my uncle to look at colleges in the area, and he mentioned wanting to try playing Magic the Gathering. We visited the local game store in the area and purchased our first prebuilt standard decks. The current set at the time was Born of the Gods. When I came back to Guam after that visit I talked my friends into playing the game as well. I’ve been playing Magic the Gathering ever since then. When I moved to California for college I tried to keep up with playing the game whenever I had time. I found a local play group and it really kept me going when times were tough during that point in my life. When I moved back to Guam I would frequently go to New Box Seats to play Magic, just like I would in high school. I reconnected with all the players I knew and the community really felt like more of a family. Fast forward to present times I now work at a local game store along with PCS and I cant think of a better way to give back to the community that has always been there for me.
I enjoy grading because I love the hobby of collectibles. Each collectible piece always has a story to it, and playable TCGs tell stories of adventure.
Steve Lujan | Dragon Ball Cards Department Manager
Hometown: Maina, Guam
About Me: For me, this all started with the love of Baseball. I enjoyed playing and watching it. Then, I found out about Baseball cards right after I started gaining interest in the sport. I wanted to know statistics and averages on all the players; and what better to learn than through collecting baseball cards. So in a nut shell that’s what started my fascination with collecting. Now, my favorite cards to collect are Dragon Ball and Super Dragon Ball Heroes.
I enjoy grading because it allows me to dive deep into the cards in different ways, as opposed to just collecting and admiring them. It gives me more insight on how much work goes into creating these pieces of art. The little details that go into cards fascinate me. All in all, I enjoy it because not only do I admire the cards I collect, but I also like to dissect all the little things that make up a card.