eBay enters trading card commercial agreement with Collectors, acquires Goldin

As eBay continues to invest in the trading card space, the e-commerce company announced Wednesday three significant commercial transactions with Collectors, the parent company of PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), the third-party authentication and grading provider in the collectibles industry.

The transactions include a trading card commercial agreement that aims to provide trading enthusiasts a seamless buying, selling, grading and storage experience. As part of the partnership, eBay and PSA plan to introduce a “customer-centric product experience” over the coming months. Plus, PSA is launching a new service for customers to list trading cards on eBay as soon as the card is graded in order to accelerate the selling process.

Additionally, eBay acquired Collectors’ auction house Goldin, a significant move that will greatly benefit collectors. The sale helps eBay expand the range of inventory for buyers as well as give Goldin sellers a wider audience.

eBay is also selling the eBay vault to Collectors, creating a new offering that merges the existing vault services. Launched in 2022, the eBay vault allows collectors to store trading cards that are valued at more than $750 in a secure, temperature-controlled vault.

The financial terms of the deals weren’t publicly disclosed. All three transactions are anticipated to close simultaneously in the second quarter of 2024.

“The deals announced today further our mission of reinventing the future of e-commerce for enthusiasts, and we are excited to partner with PSA to offer a simpler, more personalized experience for passionate collectors,” eBay CEO Jamie Iannone said in a statement. “PSA is a premier player in trading cards and collectibles with unmatched capabilities, and we believe our shared expertise will inspire even more people to sell, shop, and collect with confidence.”

Wednesday’s announcement comes four months after eBay partnered with sports trading card company COMC, which allowed eBay customers to easily digitize their inventory.

Last year, the company bought collectibles platform TCGplayer for $295 million.