#eBay #Collectors #Deal #Includes #Sale #Goldin #Auctions #WorthPoint
The arms race in the sports memorabilia world took a major turn in April that shocked the hobby landscape. Seemingly, out of nowhere, eBay made a two-part announcement declaring a new partnership and commercial agreement with Collectors. Then, as part of the pact, Collectors sold auction house Goldin to eBay while acquiring the eBay vault to integrate with its third-party grading service, PSA.
The deals come amid a flurry of recent activity in the hobby. In May 2023, Fanatics purchased PWCC, making a big jump forward in the trading card market after acquiring Topps a couple of years ago. Just a few months later, eBay formed a partnership with ComC, a leading online buy-and-sell marketplace. ComC, for its part, has a grading agreement already in place with Collectors property PSA and other third parties in the market.
Additionally, this year, Collectors officially acquired authentication and grading company SGC in February, a move echoed by Certified Collectibles Group’s acquisition of JSA in March.
Sports Collectors in Mind
Acquiring Goldin places eBay in a dominant spot in the sports card market that has been up since the pandemic. In its State of Trading Cards report, eBay projected that the industry wouldn’t slow and pledged to keep its efforts strong.
“Last year saw an industry-wide surge in collecting and flipping trading cards due in large part to people staying home and finding new ways to spend their time, turning to cards while there was a lack of sports on TV. In addition, new collectors are entering the trading cards space as another avenue of investment to diversify their portfolios,” eBay’s general manager of Collectibles & Trading Cards said in the report. “We anticipate that this trajectory will keep pace in 2021, and to meet this demand, we’re continuing to build on new ways to enhance the eBay experience for buyers and sellers, especially in the collectibles space.”
And indeed, eBay hasn’t slowed its approach in the sports card world. This agreement is one of its biggest jumps forward in the red-hot sports card marketplace, and it reflects a continued investment in a hobby that inspires generations of collectors and investors.
“eBay is relentlessly focused on providing the best inventory and the highest level of trust for our global community,” said eBay CEO Jamie Iannone in the press release about the Collector and Goldin agreement. “The deals announced today further our mission of reinventing the future of ecommerce for enthusiasts, and we are excited to partner with PSA to offer a simpler, more personalized experience for passionate collectors. PSA is a premier player in trading cards and collectibles with unmatched capabilities, and our shared expertise will inspire even more people to sell, shop and collect with confidence.”
Goldin Opportunities
The Goldin auction house is a definite feather in the cap for eBay. Founded just over a decade ago in 2012, Goldin quickly grew into an auction dynamo focusing on sports and entertainment trading cards. Founded by Ken Goldin, a lifelong collector and card flipper, the company grew exponentially and now sits as one of the premier houses for sports card collectors and treasure seekers.
Goldin was acquired by Collectors in 2021 and, most recently, made waves with a very successful debut of The King of Collectibles on Netflix. That series, incidentally, was renewed for a second campaign.
One can only imagine what lies ahead for the company as a member of the eBay family, but its CEO has a vision mapped. “We see so much opportunity ahead with eBay, and I am incredibly excited for this new chapter for the Goldin brand,” said CEO and founder Ken Goldin in the same release. “This deal will enhance and expand our reach as we continue to do what we do best—source incredible collector’s items—and connect with millions of enthusiasts around the world. I am looking forward to an amazing future with eBay.”
Meanwhile, the eBay vault is a good coup for Collectors, strengthening its position as a top grader in a hobby rapidly dependent on third-party assessors. As described on the eBay vault website, the new parameters “will provide an effortless customer journey across buying, grading, selling, and storage. eBay will be integrated into PSA’s new vault experience, unlocking new benefits to customers like listing at the time of grading and easy selling on eBay via consignment through PSA.”
PSA is more than just sports card grading; the group also grades other coveted memorabilia such as tickets and stubs, photographs, figurines like Funko Pop! figurines, and other items. The company’s suite of capabilities also includes memorabilia and autograph authentication. PSA also records its graded pieces as part of its certification efforts and publishes population reports for all collectors.
What Does This Mean for Collectors?
What awaits collectors now is a distinct possibility that massive deals like this are far from over. The resurgence of the sports memorabilia hobby gave birth to many hot properties that entered the market. Some companies remain independent and offer unique or single-faceted services. Now, these companies have the opportunity to forge agreements with industry leaders or form new conglomerates with which investors and collectors will engage. The door remains wide open for eBay and Collectors to extend their reach even further.
All these changes feel like a new horizon for a hobby that remains incredibly strong in the wake of the pandemic-induced golden era for sports collectibles.
Jon Waldman is a Winnipeg-based writer. He has written for Beckett, Go GTS, Canadian Sports Collector, and several other hobby outlets over his two decades in the hobby. His experience also includes two books on sports cards and memorabilia. Connect with Jon on Twitter at @jonwaldman.
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