Fanatics Collectibles reported it acquired the PWCC Marketplace, the largest sports card, memorabilia and collectibles auction houses. Terms were not disclosed.
The acquisition expands Fanatics’ presence in the collectibles space following its purchase of Topps in early 2022, reportedly for $500 million, and after previously reaching deals with the three major American sports leagues for the future rights to produce sports cards.
PWCC is known for its PWCC Vault, a storage facility in Oregon that houses some of the world’s rarest and most valuable sports cards and collectibles. PWCC also operates an established marketplace for Fanatics Collectibles after bringing all its technological operations in-house in December 2021 due to a dispute with eBay.
While Fanatics holds trading card rights with leagues and player associations, including the MLB, MLBPA, the NBA, NBPA, and NFLPA, it did not have as strong a presence in the auction space. It will now compete with Heritage Auctions and Goldin, the subject of the Netflix show “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.”
“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 Sports Collectors Daily. “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 the foundation that exists today and ultimately deliver a lot of value to our fans/collectors.”
On May 14, Fanatics acquired the U.S. operations of PointBets for $150 million, a move that came as Fanatics launched sports betting and digital casino operations. The company is also working toward establishing a media division called Fanatics Live.
Photo courtesy PWCC Marketplace
