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BREAKING NEWS: Fanatics launching auction business with Sotheby’s, closing PWCC Marketplace
Fanatics is expanding into the auction business with the launch of Fanatics Collect, which will partner with world-renown auction house Sotheby’s to offer some of the most valuable trading cards on the market.
Fanatics Collect will replace PWCC Marketplace, which Fanatics purchased last year and is now going away. All services previously provided by PWCC, including auctions, marketplace listing, vaulting and authentication, will be provided under the Fanatics Collect brand starting this month.
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Fanatics Collect and Sotheby’s will collaborate to offer fixed-price listings and live and online auctions of rare trading cards valued at $100,000 or more. The auctions will be hosted by Sotheby’s, which launched a sports and modern collectables department in 2022.
The move is the second big hobby merger this year between auction houses and collectibles marketplaces. eBay announced recently that it had purchased auction house Goldin from card-grading company PSA.
The first live auction will be held in New York in September and will feature a 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson rookie card (PSA 8) with an estimated value of $275,000-$350,000.
More information on the September sale and the first online auction in December will be released later.
“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,” Fanatics Collect CEO Nick Bell said. “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.”
Fanatics Collect will offer hundreds of thousands of collectibles through a reimagined fixed-price marketplace along with weekly and monthly auctions. Later this year, it will introduce a range of new services, including peer-to-peer trading, AI-powered concierge services, card scanning and digital collectibles.
Collectors can register for auctions and other services at sothebys.com/fanatics.
