In a groundbreaking move within the sports card industry, Burbank Sportscards has recently signed an exclusive deal with Fanatics Collect, listing their extensive inventory of 40 million sports cards on the newly launched platform. This partnership comes on the heels of Fanatics Collect’s official launch just 11 days prior and is set to be one of the defining transactions at the 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention.
Burbank Sportscards, a prominent seller with a strong presence on eBay since 2003, where they have sold over 6.8 million items, and on the Beckett Marketplace since 1999 with another 7.2 million cards, is recognized as a major player within the card trading community.
Chris Lamontagne, president of Fanatics Collect, expressed excitement about collaborating with Burbank Sportscards, praising the shop as one of the best in the business. He shared that after visiting the store and meeting with owner Rob Veres, he knew they had to work together to seize the opportunities in the market.
For Rob Veres, the owner of Burbank Sportscards, this partnership represents a significant chance to expand his business. The plan includes listing trading cards on Fanatics team shops alongside merchandise like caps and jerseys to ensure a wide representation of players and teams in the market.
While acknowledging the challenge of exclusive listing away from eBay, Veres sees the move as an essential leap of faith for the growth of Burbank Sportscards. The shop is gearing up for this transition with the relocation to a new, larger 14,000-square-foot facility that will feature in-store kiosks for on-demand card orders, giving customers access to a stock of 25 million cards.
Integrating all 40 million cards into the Fanatics Collect platform is the immediate focus for Burbank. Veres is confident that their advanced in-house inventory system will expedite this process, with cards expected to be available on the platform in the coming month. Initially, cards bought in-store will be exclusive to Burbank for a brief period before being listed on Fanatics Collect.
In a departure from other sellers, Burbank will manage its own fulfillment rather than relying on Fanatics for shipping. Veres anticipates potential growth in his team from the current 25 retail and e-commerce staff to 50 within six months to meet the heightened demand.
Looking ahead, Veres envisions curated card drops on the platform and a significant role for Burbank in upcoming Fanatics events. He sees this partnership as a game-changer, providing limitless opportunities for growth that were previously constrained on other platforms.
Both parties involved view this collaboration as a long-term partnership with ambitious objectives. Fanatics aims to attract and retain new customers, while Veres is focused on continuous sales growth. As Burbank plans to expand its high-end card inventory on the platform, the goal is to reach a broader market of sports fans worldwide.
Veres expressed his confidence in the potential of this partnership, highlighting Fanatics as the company that can help Burbank Sportscards achieve global recognition among sports enthusiasts.
