Who We Are

Leon Castner was the Senior Partner of National Appraisal Consultants, a firm specializing in personal property appraisals and appraisal consulting, insurance reports & research, pretrial consultation, and IRS tax-related appraisal matters. He holds a CAPP in Appreciable Residential Contents and has been an adjunct professor of Fine and Decorative Arts at Centenary University.

Mr. Castner is a Registered Contractor for RTC, FDIC, US Marshall’s Office, Attorney General, TASA, and has provided major appraisals for these organizations. He is the co-presenter of Appraising the Appraisal – a professional development seminar for insurance agents, claims managers, and trust officers, and is a Panel Member of the American Arbitration Association.

Leon is also past Chairman of ISA Designation and Review, and past President of the New Jersey Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers. He has been honored with The Auctioneer of the Year Award by the New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers and has received the ISA’s Outstanding Member of the Year Award.

Brian Kathenes was the Managing Partner of National Appraisal Consultants, L.L.C. He is Chairman of the New York Winter Antique Show Vetting Committee on Autographs, Manuscripts & Rare Books and is responsible for vetting all autographs, documents and manuscripts displayed and sold at this most prestigious show. Mr. Kathenes has presented seminars and symposia for over 172,000 participants and clients including the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) CAPP Course 101, ISA’s Advanced Appraisal Report Writing, and Appraisal Techniques and Practical Information for Archivists and Librarians from the National Archives and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Kathenes has appeared on over 160 television and radio programs and has been quoted in over twenty magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, Business Philadelphia, Successful Meetings, and USA Today. He is also the author of the syndicated column The Autograph Detective and is the host of Hobby World, a weekly Cable TV program relating to hobbies and collectibles.

He is past President of the New Jersey Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers, the First Director of Education for the Universal Autographs Collectors and a member of the American Philatelic Society Appraisal Committee. His expertise includes stamps, coins, sports memorabilia, movie and Hollywood artifacts, and paper collectibles.  Brian holds the first and only Specialist Certification (S-CAPP) in the Autographs, Manuscripts, and Historical Documents.

Associate Appraiser of Personal Property, Specialist in Sports Memorabilia

Jonathan got his introduction to the appraisal business as a sales floor runner and as an assistant appraiser with the family auction house. “Unpacking boxes that came in could be exciting because sometimes you didn’t know what you’d find.” An avid sports fan, he played soccer in college and worked in publishing, first as a newspaper reporter and then as a publisher when he launched GreenPitch – a regional soccer magazine.  He obtained a Master of Science in Publishing from Pace University in 2011 but when the publishing industry contracted he jumped into appraisal work. A member of the International Society of Appraisers, he completed the ISA Core Course in 2013 and the 15-Hour Personal Property USPAP course in 2015.

Associate Appraiser of Personal Property

Karen Murray was an appraisal associate of National Appraisal Consultants, LLC, and is a member of the International Society of Appraisers. She has been involved in antiques and auctions for most of her life, having grown up working in a family owned auction house. She went on to teach elementary school and raise a family, but felt a calling to return to appraising and the world of antiques and collectibles. She has successfully completed core course training with the ISA and is current in her USPAP designation. She is currently working on completion of the Antiques & Residential Contents Course with ISA. In addition to the research and appraisal work she does with NAC, Karen is the owner and buyer for an online vintage décor shop. She also assists at several local auction companies. She is a generalist appraiser with specific interest in pottery, ceramics and art.