Online sports e-commerce giant Fanatics launched a collectibles marketplace called Fanatics Collect on Tuesday, the company announced in a news release.
Fanatics Collect’s Buy Now marketplace will streamline the process for collectors to buy and sell cards at fixed prices. Collectors will also be able to sell their cards through monthly and weekly auctions with Fanatics Collect.
“We want to make it quick, easy and fun for every collector to buy and sell cards, whether that’s instantly through the Buy Now marketplace or through the excitement of an online auction,” Nick Bell, Fanatics Collect CEO, said in a statement.
In June, Fanatics announced a partnership with auction house Sotheby’s that served as a primer to Fanatic Collect’s launch. Fanatics and Sotheby’s will host monthly and weekly auctions that allow collectors access to rare sports cards valued at $100,000 or above.
Fanatics is hoping to do in collectibles what it did in its core apparel business—become a one-stop location for fans regardless of their preferences. The Fanatics Collectibles division now includes trading cards (Topps), exclusive memorabilia deals with athletes, a live shopping media operation, in-person events and, now, vaulting services and grading options.
The Fanatics Collect launch coincides with the retirement of the PWCC Marketplace, which Fanatics acquired in May 2023.
The PWCC Marketplace was a sports card memorabilia and collectibles company known for its card storage vault in Oregon. According to the news release, all PWCC services will be run by Fanatics Collect, which will now offer its own “advanced vaulting services.”
With assistance from Eben Novy-Williams.
