PSA Launching New Sportscard Marketplace

The Certified Coin Exchange (CCE), an online marketplaces devoted exclusively to certified collectibles, is expanding to include PSA-certified sports and non-sports trading cards.

CCE is launching the Sports Card Marketplace as part of its popular Collectors Corner services beginning today. The Marketplace will be devoted exclusively to the sales of cards certified by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).

“Card collectors will be able to view, select and buy tens of thousands of PSA-certified sports and other trading cards offered by many of the top dealers. Because of the number of dealers and collectors potentially involved, this new service is expected to significantly boost activity in the sports card market,” said Cassi East, CCE President. Both CCE and PSA are divisions of Collectors Universe, Inc.

CCE bills itself as the largest, online dealer-to-dealer numismatic network with more than 450 dealers trading over 37,000 items in the electronic marketplace with a combined value in excess of $64 million. The Collectors Corner services were launched in March 2007 to permit collectors to buy directly from dealers who list their inventory online. PSA-certified sports and non-sports cards now are being added under the new Sports Card Marketplace.

The service is free through the month of July for dealers. After that, a monthly service fee will apply. The cost will be $99 per month but there is no listing fee or commission.

“Dealers can simply enter online an asking price for a PSA-graded card and the associated PSA certification number located on the encapsulation holder insert. All the information about the card being offered for sale then is automatically uploaded electronically from the extensive PSA card database,” explained East.

Dealers will be asked to go through a screening process before being accepted, according to Mike Brandow of CCE. "We require a simple application filled out that includes a request for three business references. We want to be sure that the applicant is a dealer. These references are checked out." PSA certified dealers are pre-approved but will still need to fill out an application.

Sellers can list individual cards for sale or use a bulk upload tool. Photos or scans of cards being sold must be hosted elsewhere on the internet, at least for now.

The company is hoping to help dealers fashion more successful relationships with collectors and investors purchasing through the Marketplace. "Many sales have occurred offline based on the relationship the dealer and collector established after the initial purchase. We have encouraged this, since we are not involved in the financial part of the transaction and since we do not receive a commission," Brandow said. "What we really want to see are sales for our dealers, that keeps them coming back with fresh material."

East and Brandow believe dealer costs will be offset by an increase in business. "Based on our previous experience in other collectibles markets, we expect hundreds of dealers to offer tens of thousands of sports cards with no additional fees or charges to the buyer other than normal shipping expenses,” East explained.

"We think that the Marketplace will serve the industry and the collectors well," Brandow told Sports Collectors Daily. "A world class site for trading card collectors and dealers to get together and do some business. Collectors can view listings for free, and be assured that when they go to purchase a card or cards they will be dealing with a dealer that in the business, has been pre-screened and is a member of Certified Asset Exchange."

Dealers will have the ability to maintain a history of all transactions through the network including contact information for collectors that have interacted with that particular dealer over time whether via an order or simply a question that the collector asked. The information is saved for the dealer and available on his secure administration page on the site.

East indicated the site will expand to offer more features and functions in the near future.