Nearly 13 months after buying the company, Fanatics announced Tuesday it would be dropping the PWCC brand and relaunching a new trading card platform called Fanatics Collect that will serve as an auction house, fixed place market and also offer peer-to-peer trading.
The company also revealed a new partnership with Sotheby’s in which the two will collaborate on high-end trading card auctions through a series of live and online events. Those sales will be centered on cards with a value of $100,000 or more.
Fanatics Collect will absorb PWCC’s auction platform, marketplace listings, vault and authentication.
Fanatics Collect will be available via the web and on the Apple and Google App Stores.
Fanatics purchased PWCC from founder Brett Huigens in May of 2023. Huigens and Fanatics parted ways two months later as Fanatics took over operations of the Oregon based trading card seller.
“It’s a strategic, long-term decision for the business that will allow us to further enhance and support the broader collector ecosystem,” a Fanatics spokesperson told SC Daily at the time. “PWCC has built a strong business with great tech, a leading marketplace and vault. Bringing them into Fanatics Collectibles will give us the opportunity to further build and strengthen on the foundation that exists today and ultimately deliver a lot of value to our fans/collectors.”
All services currently provided by PWCC – including auctions, marketplace listing, vaulting and authentication – will be provided under the Fanatics Collect brand. Weekly and monthly auctions started by PWCC several years ago and still running there will remain along with a “reimagined fixed price marketplace,” according to Fanatics.
The current Fanatics Auctions marketplace, generally focused on autographs as well as game-worn material and some trading cards, will roll over into Fanatics Collect.
Later this year, Fanatics Collect will introduce a range of new updates, including trading opportunities for collectors.
Meanwhile, the partnership between Fanatics and Sotheby’s marks the latter’s second major sports deal over the past 12 months. Last year, Sotheby’s acquired the NBA Auctions brand and has been selling game-worn basketball jerseys at auction.
The first live card auction will be held this September in New York, including a 1948-49 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson card (PSA 8), that’s expected to sell for $275,000-350,000.
Further information regarding the September sale and the first online auction scheduled for December will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
“This unique partnership is a reflection of the elevated status and cultural impact of the hobby and gives these highly sought-after cards incredible reach and visibility to potential collectors around the world,” remarked Fanatics Collect CEO, Nick Bell. “We’re truly excited to be able to pair our knowledge in high-end sports cards with Sotheby’s unrivaled expertise in storytelling across exceptional fine art and objects.
“We are thrilled to partner with Fanatics Collect to pioneer the evolution of the trading card market to new heights,” added Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectibles. “Through high-end auctions, state-of-the-art exhibitions, and exhilarating events, this collaboration marks a significant milestone within the ever-growing and engaged trading card community. We eagerly anticipate ushering promising collectors into an exciting new era of innovation and accessibility.”
The moves by Fanatics and Sotheby’s come on the heels of the sale of Goldin to eBay and the acquisition of the eBay Vault by PSA parent Collectors that took place earlier this spring.
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