Fanatics has announced a new partnership with Sotheby’s auction house to create a new marketplace for high end sports collectibles.
The collaboration between the two groups will take aim at increasing access and visibility to items valued at $100,000 or more. Sotheby’s will help facilitate a variety of live and online auctions for some of the hobby’s most sought after items.
The first live auction of the partnership will be held this September in New York, and will include a 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson card (PSA 8), estimated to fetch between $275,000-350,000.
“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,” said 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,” said 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 announcement also comes on the heels of news of the launch of Fanatics Collect. Beginning this month, Fanatics plans on retiring the PWCC brand. All services previously provided by PWCC – including auctions, marketplace listing, vaulting and authentication – will now migrate to the Fanatics Collect brand.
According to the Fanatics press release, “The platform launches with a reimagined fixed-price marketplace experience, in addition to weekly and monthly auctions. Later this year, Fanatics Collect will introduce a range of new updates, including peer-to-peer trading, AI-powered concierge services, card scanning and digital collectibles.”
Fanatics previously acquired PWCC in a separate deal just over a year ago as part of their ongoing efforts to establish themselves as an industry leader in the sports & memorabilia niche.
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