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In a significant move for the sports card market, Burbank Sportscards has entered into an exclusive agreement with Fanatics Collect, listing its extensive inventory of 40 million sports cards on the newly launched platform. This deal, announced just 11 days after Fanatics Collect's official launch, is expected to be one of the biggest transactions at the 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention.

Burbank Sportscards, a leading seller in the industry, has been a powerhouse on eBay since 2003, with over 6.8 million items sold. The shop has also moved another 7.2 million cards through the Beckett Marketplace since 1999, establishing itself as a major player in the card trading community.

"From the perspective of Fanatics, we’ve got this kind of belief of working with the best, and Rob [Veres] was at the top of the list," said Chris Lamontagne, president of Fanatics Collect, in an interview with cllct. "I was lucky to be able to go and visit the store, and I remember walking out of the store after Rob gave us the tour, and there was just this feeling of, ‘OK, we need to be in business together.’”

For Rob Veres, owner of Burbank Sportscards, the partnership with Fanatics Collect is seen as a prime opportunity to expand his business. The goal is to list trading cards on Fanatics team shops alongside merchandise like caps and jerseys, ensuring a wide representation of players and teams.

"Having a conversation that included exclusivity away from eBay, that's a terrifying thought," Veres admitted. "[eBay] is such a large part of our revenue, and there’s also the relationship that we built there over the years with just tremendous people. But sometimes you’ve got to take a leap of faith."

Burbank is preparing for this leap with a move to a new 14,000-square-foot facility, which will feature in-store kiosks allowing customers to order cards on-demand. These kiosks will access a stock of 25 million cards that can be pulled by staff while customers wait.

The immediate challenge lies in integrating all 40 million cards into the Fanatics Collect platform. Burbank’s advanced in-house inventory system will facilitate this, with cards expected to start appearing on the platform within the next month. Initially, cards purchased in-store at Burbank will be exclusive to the shop for one or two days before being listed on Fanatics Collect.

Unlike other sellers whose cards are shipped by Fanatics, Burbank will handle its own fulfillment. Veres anticipates that his current team of 25 retail and e-commerce staff could grow to 50 within six months to meet the increased demand.

Despite the challenges ahead, Veres is confident in the move. He sees potential for curated card drops on the platform and expects to play a significant role in upcoming Fanatics events.

“I always feel that there’s a glass ceiling with any marketplace I’ve been on,” Veres explained. “You keep working, you keep pushing, you keep adding inventory and it doesn’t seem to move the needle in a lot of cases with some of the places that we’ve been. I feel for the first time that I have an unlimited opportunity on a platform.”

Both Fanatics Collect and Burbank Sportscards view this as a long-term partnership with ambitious goals. For Fanatics, attracting and retaining new customers will be crucial, while Veres aims for continuous growth in sales. Alongside millions of low-end cards, Burbank plans to increase its inventory of high-end cards on the platform, broadening its market reach.

“I want people coming from all over the world that are sports fans that did not know I existed,” Veres said. “I think the only company we can pull that off with is Fanatics.”