In a groundbreaking move within the sports card market, Burbank Sportscards has solidified an exclusive partnership with Fanatics Collect, heralding the listing of their vast inventory of 40 million sports cards on the recently unveiled platform. The partnership, announced a mere 11 days following the official debut of Fanatics Collect, is expected to emerge as one of the most significant transactions at the 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention.
With a notable presence in the industry, Burbank Sportscards has thrived on eBay since 2003, amassing over 6.8 million items sold and has additionally facilitated the trading of 7.2 million cards through the Beckett Marketplace since 1999, establishing itself as a key player in the card trading community.
Chris Lamontagne, the president of Fanatics Collect, expressed confidence in the partnership with Burbank Sportscards stating, “From the perspective of Fanatics, we’ve got this kind of belief of working with the best, and Rob [Veres] was at the top of the list. I was lucky to be able to go and visit the store, …there was just this feeling of, ‘OK, we need to be in business together.'”
For Rob Veres, the owner of Burbank Sportscards, working closely with Fanatics Collect presents an excellent opportunity to expand his business horizons. The aim is to have trading cards listed on Fanatics team shops alongside popular merchandise such as caps and jerseys, offering a wide representation of players and teams.
Veres revealed his apprehension about moving away from the familiarity of eBay, noting, “Having a conversation that included exclusivity away from eBay, that’s a terrifying thought. [eBay] is such a large part of our revenue, and there’s also the relationship that we built there over the years with just tremendous people. But sometimes you’ve got to take a leap of faith.”
To gear up for this leap, Burbank is relocating to a new 14,000-square-foot facility that will feature in-store kiosks enabling customers to order cards on-demand. These kiosks will grant access to a stock of 25 million cards that can be retrieved by staff while customers wait.
The immediate hurdle involves integrating all 40 million cards into the Fanatics Collect platform. Burbank’s sophisticated in-house inventory system will streamline this process, with cards expected to begin appearing on the platform within the next month. Initially, cards purchased in-store at Burbank will remain exclusive to the shop for one or two days before being made available on Fanatics Collect.
In a departure from the norm, Burbank will manage its own fulfillment instead of relying on Fanatics for shipping. Veres anticipates that the current team of 25 retail and e-commerce staff could potentially double to 50 within six months to meet the surge in demand.
Despite the challenges on the horizon, Veres remains optimistic about the transition. He envisions curated card drops on the platform and anticipates a significant role in future Fanatics events, stating, “I always feel that there’s a glass ceiling with any marketplace I’ve been on…. I feel for the first time that I have an unlimited opportunity on a platform.”
Both Fanatics Collect and Burbank Sportscards are looking at this as a long-term partnership with ambitious objectives. Fanatics aims to attract and retain new customers, whilst Veres targets continuous sales growth. Alongside millions of low-end cards, Burbank plans to enhance its inventory of high-end cards on the platform, expanding its market presence.
Veres emphasized the potential of this collaboration, saying, “I want people coming from all over the world that are sports fans that did not know I existed…. the only company we can pull that off with is Fanatics.”
