Ebay is opening up its trading card vault to accept high-end cards that were not directly purchased on its marketplace. Previously, only cards that had been bought on Ebay were eligible to be stored in the 31,000-square-foot secure facility.
The new submission service for Ebay Vault is the latest move by the ecommerce platform to build out tools and capabilities that will draw in collectors. Other offerings include a Price Guide to track the prices cards are selling for; the Ebay Collection and Image Scan capabilities to allow faster, more streamlined listing and selling of cards; and an Authenticity Guarantee to ensure product quality.
Ebay’s efforts to appeal to collectors extend beyond trading cards. Recent acquisitions include Certilogo, a provider of digital IDs and authentication tools for apparel and fashion goods, and marketplace compliance solution 3PM Shield in February 2023. Additionally, the new Certified by Brand program has the platform working directly with brands to offer new, certified pre-owned, limited-edition and exclusive “only on Ebay” items.
Collectors can now submit their graded trading cards valued at $250 or more to the Ebay Vault for specialized long-term storage, expert third-party authentication and streamlined transactions should they decide to sell. Cards can be mailed in or dropped off in person. To promote the new service, Ebay will charge no submission fees through the end of 2023.
Advertisement
“We know collectors — from those newer to the hobby to professional sellers — all want to manage their high-value trading card portfolios with complete confidence through fast, seamless transactions,” said Gene Cook, VP of Global Collectibles at Ebay in a statement. “The Ebay Vault is backed by nearly 28 years of leadership in the collectibles category, and our new submission service delivers easy and secure buying, selling and storage for collectors to excel in the fast-paced world of sports collecting.”
To promote the new service and its other offerings, Ebay will be making appearances at a number of trading card events across the U.S. this summer, including hosting a Collectors Camp in Seattle on July 10-11, 2023, timed to coincide with MLB All-Star week. Ebay also will accept submissions into its Vault at the National Sports Collectors Convention later this month and have a presence at the tabletop gaming convention Gen Con in August.
