In a major power play in the sports card industry, Burbank Sportscards has struck an exclusive partnership with Fanatics Collect, the newly minted platform, to showcase its massive collection of 40 million sports cards. This groundbreaking deal, coming just 11 days after the official launch of Fanatics Collect, is anticipated to be one of the headline acts at the 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention.
Renowned for its dominant presence on eBay since 2003 with a staggering 6.8 million items sold, Burbank Sportscards has further solidified its position in the market by trading another 7.2 million cards through the Beckett Marketplace since 1999. With such a robust track record, it is no wonder Burbank Sportscards is considered a heavyweight in the realm of card trading.
Chris Lamontagne, the president of Fanatics Collect, expressed his excitement about collaborating with Burbank Sportscards, highlighting the pivotal role Rob Veres, the shop’s owner, plays in this strategic move. Lamontagne shared his awe after visiting Burbank Sportscards, stating that there was an undeniable feeling that a partnership was imperative, given Burbank’s exceptional reputation in the industry.
For Veres, the collaboration with Fanatics Collect signifies a golden opportunity to expand the horizons of his business. The strategic plan is to list trading cards not only on the new platform but also on Fanatics team shops alongside popular merchandise like caps and jerseys, ensuring a comprehensive representation of players and teams in the market.
The decision to shift towards Fanatics Collect was not taken lightly, as it meant moving away from the familiarity and comfort of eBay, a significant revenue source for Burbank Sportscards. Despite the daunting prospect of this shift, Veres acknowledged the need for a leap of faith in seizing this new opportunity for growth and diversification.
Preparing for this monumental transition, Burbank Sportscards is gearing up to relocate to a spacious 14,000-square-foot facility. This new establishment will feature in-store kiosks that enable customers to order cards on-demand, accessing a vast stockpile of 25 million cards that can be promptly retrieved by the staff.
The immediate challenge at hand for Burbank Sportscards is to seamlessly integrate its colossal inventory of 40 million cards into the Fanatics Collect platform. Leveraging its sophisticated in-house inventory system, Burbank aims to swiftly start listing cards on the platform within the next month. Initially, cards purchased in-store are set to remain exclusive to Burbank for a brief period before transitioning onto Fanatics Collect.
Unlike other sellers who have cards shipped by Fanatics, Burbank will be responsible for handling its fulfillment operations. Anticipating a surge in demand, Veres envisions expanding his current team of 25 retail and e-commerce staff to 50 within six months to meet the burgeoning needs of the market.
Confident in this strategic move, Veres sees a plethora of opportunities ahead, including the prospect of curated card drops on the platform and active participation in upcoming Fanatics events. This newfound collaboration with Fanatics Collect provides Burbank Sportscards with an unprecedented platform for unlimited growth and market visibility.
Both Burbank Sportscards and Fanatics Collect view this exclusive partnership as a long-term commitment with ambitious goals. Fanatics aims to attract and retain new clientele, while Veres is keen on driving continuous sales growth. In addition to expanding its selection of millions of low-end cards, Burbank is poised to augment its inventory with high-end cards on the platform, thereby extending its market outreach to a global audience of sports enthusiasts.
