In a groundbreaking move within the sports card market, Burbank Sportscards has decided to venture into an exclusive agreement with Fanatics Collect, listing an impressive inventory of 40 million sports cards on the newly launched platform. This partnership comes as one of the major highlights post the official launch of Fanatics Collect, just a brief 11 days ago, promising to be a significant transaction at the much-anticipated 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention.
Renowned as a leading seller in the industry, Burbank Sportscards has had a dominant presence on eBay since 2003, boasting over 6.8 million items sold. Additionally, the store has successfully traded another 7.2 million cards through the Beckett Marketplace since 1999, carving a niche for itself within the card trading community.
Chris Lamontagne, President of Fanatics Collect, shared his enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the mutual belief in partnering with the best, and Burbank Sportscards being a top contender on their list. The partnership was solidified after a visit to Burbank Sportscards, where Lamontagne was impressed by the store’s operation and immediately saw the potential for a synergistic business relationship.
For Rob Veres, the owner of Burbank Sportscards, this alliance with Fanatics Collect presents an exciting avenue to expand his business horizons. The strategy involves listing trading cards on Fanatics team shops, alongside popular merchandise like caps and jerseys, ensuring a diverse representation of players and teams in the sports card collecting realm.
Acknowledging the bold step away from eBay towards exclusivity with Fanatics Collect, Veres expressed both excitement and apprehension about the move. Despite eBay’s substantial revenue contribution and long-standing relationships built over the years, Veres recognized the necessity of taking this leap of faith for growth and adaptation in the evolving market.
To prepare for this strategic shift, Burbank is making a proactive move to a larger 14,000-square-foot facility, featuring in-store kiosks for customers to place on-demand card orders. These interactive kiosks will grant access to a stock of 25 million cards, which staff can promptly retrieve while customers wait, enhancing the overall shopping experience.
The immediate challenge lies in seamlessly integrating the vast inventory of 40 million cards into the Fanatics Collect platform. Leveraging Burbank’s sophisticated in-house inventory system, the cards are expected to be available on the platform in the coming month. Initially, cards purchased in-store at Burbank will carry exclusivity for one to two days before being listed on Fanatics Collect, creating a unique shopping window for customers.
Distinct from other sellers on the platform whose cards are fulfilled by Fanatics, Burbank will manage its own fulfillment processes. Veres anticipates expanding his current team of 25 retail and e-commerce staff to around 50 within the next six months to meet the escalating demand and ensure smooth operations.
Despite the foreseeable challenges ahead, Veres remains optimistic about the transition, foreseeing opportunities for curated card drops on the platform and an active involvement in upcoming Fanatics events. He envisions limitless possibilities for growth and expansion on this new platform, a departure from the perceived constraints on previous marketplaces.
Viewed as a long-term partnership with ambitious objectives by both parties, Fanatics Collect and Burbank Sportscards have set their sights on attracting and retaining new customers, while striving for continuous sales growth. Burbank plans to expand its market presence by increasing high-end card inventory on the platform, diversifying its offerings and capturing a broader audience from across the globe.
Veres expressed his aspirations by stating, “I want people coming from all over the world that are sports fans that did not know I existed. I think the only company we can pull that off with is Fanatics.” This strategic alliance between Burbank Sportscards and Fanatics Collect signifies a pivotal moment in the evolution of the sports card industry, promising innovation, expansion, and unprecedented opportunities for both parties.
