Burbank Sportscards, a prominent figure in the sports card market, has made a monumental decision to team up with Fanatics Collect in a revolutionary venture. With an impressive inventory of 40 million sports cards, Burbank Sportscards has solidified its status by becoming the exclusive listing partner on the newly launched Fanatics Collect platform. This bold move comes just 11 days after the official debut of Fanatics Collect and is poised to make waves at the 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention.
Having been a dominant force on eBay since 2003, Burbank Sportscards has garnered a stellar reputation with over 6.8 million items sold. Furthermore, the shop has facilitated the sale of another 7.2 million cards through the Beckett Marketplace, establishing itself as a key player in the card trading community.
Chris Lamontagne, the president of Fanatics Collect, expressed his excitement about the partnership, highlighting Burbank Sportscards’ esteemed position in the industry. Lamontagne shared his experience visiting the store and the instant realization of the need to collaborate with Burbank Sportscards. This sentiment was echoed by Rob Veres, the owner of Burbank Sportscards, who views this partnership as a strategic move to enhance and expand his business opportunities.
Veres sees the alliance with Fanatics Collect as a chance to display trading cards on Fanatics team shops alongside popular merchandise such as caps and jerseys. Despite initial apprehensions about moving away from eBay, Veres recognizes the importance of taking risks and seizing new opportunities for growth.
In preparation for this venture, Burbank Sportscards is relocating to a spacious 14,000-square-foot facility. The new location will be equipped with innovative in-store kiosks allowing customers to order cards on-demand. With a stock of 25 million cards readily available, the staff will efficiently fulfill customer orders while they wait.
The integration of all 40 million cards into the Fanatics Collect platform presents an immediate challenge, but Burbank’s sophisticated in-house inventory system is poised to streamline this process. The cards are expected to start appearing on the platform in the coming month, with an initial exclusivity period for in-store purchases at Burbank before being listed on Fanatics Collect.
In a departure from the norm, Burbank will handle its own fulfillment instead of relying on Fanatics for shipping. Veres anticipates a surge in demand, leading to a potential expansion of his current team of 25 retail and e-commerce staff to meet the anticipated growth.
Despite the hurdles ahead, Veres remains optimistic about the partnership and envisions curated card drops on the platform. He anticipates a significant role in upcoming Fanatics events, pointing out the endless opportunities that this collaboration brings compared to other marketplaces.
Both Fanatics Collect and Burbank Sportscards have set ambitious long-term goals for this partnership. Fanatics aims to attract and retain new customers, while Veres seeks continuous sales growth. Alongside the range of low-end cards, Burbank intends to increase its inventory of high-end cards on the platform, expanding its market reach globally.
Veres is excited about the prospect of reaching sports fans worldwide who were previously unaware of Burbank Sportscards’ existence. He is confident that Fanatics is the ideal partner to facilitate this expansion, marking a new chapter of unlimited opportunities on a cutting-edge platform.