A multi-day gathering of businesses and collectors from in and around the sports memorabilia hobby will be back for a second year and is expanding. The MINT Collective, hosted by IMG and Collectable, will take place in Las Vegas next spring.
eBay will return as the event’s presenting sponsor, along with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions which is participating as part of a three-year strategic partnership.
It’s scheduled for March 30-April 2 and will again be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The MINT Collective is expanding from last year’s three-day run to four days. Organizers say they’ll again offer workshops, panels, athlete appearances and networking events. Collectable will be curating an auction in partnership with eBay during the event.
Last year’s inaugural gathering was initially scheduled for January but postponed until March because of COVID concerns. It included discussion panels centered around various hobby topics, informal gatherings and a marketplace/card show. Visitors could purchase all-access passes or opt to only attend the marketplace, which takes place Saturday and Sunday, April 1 and 2.
Panels and workshops will be held on Friday from 10:30 AM to 5 PM. Among the topics are grading and authentication; data and technology; content and advertising, buying and selling on eBay, successful hobby shops, content and advertising and there’s also a Shark Tank-like session for prospective hobby start-ups and ideas.
“We created The MINT Collective to bring people from all corners of The Hobby together for a unique experience that offers a fresh perspective and new ideas,” stated Blake Ulrich, VP of Events at IMG. “The reaction to our first event has been incredible and we’re excited to have the top names in the hobby on board to help us build on this momentum with engaging new speakers, experiences and opportunities for 2023.”
Fanatics Collectibles, which owns Topps, will be one of the major sponsors. President David Leiner said the company was “proud to partner with IMG to build on the momentum of the MINT Collective and deliver a truly unique, valuable experience for collectors, investors and consumers that are interested in collectibles more broadly.”
Other sponsors include Beckett, GTS and Panini.
More information on the event is available here.