Just released: Our latest Sports Collectibles Market Report!
eBay, global e-commerce leader, and Collectors, the parent company of PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), have announced a partnership through a series of transactions. These transactions include a commercial agreement, the sale of Goldin, from Collectors to eBay, and eBay's sale of its vault services to PSA.
With this collaboration, both parties intend to streamline the buying, selling, grading, and storage experiences for collectors, leveraging the strengths of both companies to foster innovation and provide comprehensive services to hobbyists. eBay's acquisition of Goldin gives them access to the auction house’s high-end collector network, while PSA's purchase of the eBay vault will give the grading company a new angle to approach the vaulting business.
With plans to roll out a full suite of customer-centric product experiences, eBay and PSA are aiming to remove friction from the collecting process and empower collectors with tools and services that enhance their collecting journey. This includes extending grading services to US customers through a simplified process and introducing a new service that allows customers to list and sell trading cards directly on eBay after grading. Both companies are committed to driving innovation in the collectibles industry, with the ultimate goal of benefiting collectors and enriching the hobby. EBAY
Fanatics is set to launch its first self-produced sports collecting event, Fanatics Fest NYC, this summer at the Javits Center in New York City, scheduled for August 16-18. Promising a blend of sports fandom, culture, and collecting, the event aims to redefine traditional card shows with interactive features, live podcasts, exclusive merchandise, and participation from major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and more.
The event, described as a larger iteration of the Mint Collective, will offer a vast show floor, a 2,500-seat main stage, and appearances by sports legends such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Kevin Durant. Attractions for attendees include an all-day trading pit, educational content for new collectors, and a museum display showcasing rare sports memorabilia.
Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events, emphasizes that Fanatics Fest NYC will serve as a unique gathering spot for sports enthusiasts to celebrate their passion and engage with the sports community in a dynamic environment. With admission prices ranging from $20 to $400, the event is part of Fanatics' broader initiative to host collecting-oriented events across the country, marking the beginning of what the company envisions as a yearlong calendar of premium live experiences. Fanatics Events, which previously produced the highly successful WWE World at WrestleMania, plans to announce additional fan and collector events later in the year, further expanding its footprint in the realm of sports collecting and fandom. SCDAILY MICHAEL RUBIN
Dallas collectors Howard and Cindy Rachofsky are auctioning Lucio Fontana's cadmium yellow canvas, Concetto Spaziale, La fine di Dio (1964), at Sotheby's New York with an estimated price of $20m to $30m, potentially setting a new auction record for the Italian post-war artist. The piece, part of a series of 38 punctured works by Fontana, was previously acquired for a record $2.3m in 2003 and has been part of the Rachofskys' leading collection of post-war European art, now pledged to the Dallas Museum of Art. ARTNEWSPAPER
Ippei Mizuhara, interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, is charged with bank fraud for allegedly stealing over $16 million from Ohtani, primarily to cover gambling debts, but also spent $325,000 of Ohtani's money on around 1,000 baseball cards. Federal prosecutors and IRS investigators reveal Mizuhara made these purchases using an alias and had the packages delivered to him, planning to sell the cards later. SCDAILY
Check out this week’s Alts & Ends where we dive into a $6 million Superman comic and everything The Masters + Golf memorabilia. ALTS&ENDS
Angel Reese has signed a multi-year autograph and memorabilia deal with Panini America, including trading cards and autographed items. Reese, anticipated to be a top pick in the WNBA Draft, will feature in Panini's WNBA products like Origins, Select Basketball, and Prizm, with her first card launched via Panini's Instant platform. SCDAILY
Puck has acquired the Substack newsletter Artelligence, authored by Marion Maneker, with plans to integrate and rebrand it as "Wall Power" within its portfolio. The deal, aimed at expanding Puck's coverage into the global art market, involves acquiring the 32,000 subscriber email list and launching a marketing campaign to convert Artelligence's paid subscribers, signaling Puck's strategy to invest in verticals for high-net-worth individuals. AXIOS
Sotheby's successfully navigated a soft art market in Hong Kong, generating HK$673 million ($86 million) in a combined modern and contemporary art sale, selling works including Yoshitomo Nara's ‘I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight’. Despite a smaller scale and the integration of a new ultra-contemporary sale format titled "The Now," which performed below expectations, the auction maintained a high sell-through rate with significant sales from artists like Pablo Picasso, while marking its final evening auctions at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. ARTNET
Check out Altan Insights’ most recent report: “Sports Collectibles Market 1Q24”
Feel free to reach out to Keenan@Altaninsights.com for any questions/comments.
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