A 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson card, the only true rookie card of the sports icon.
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Fanatics hopes to expand the sports trading card industry. Now it aims to cater to high-end collectors through a new partnership with Sotheby’s, which will launch a series of trading card auctions valued at more than $100,000.
The first live auction is scheduled for September in New York and will include a 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson card, the only true rookie card of the sports icon. The card is expected to sell for between $275,000 and $350,000.
Fanatics quickly entered the trading card space, acquiring Topps in 2022 and signing multiple exclusive card licensing agreements with professional leagues such as the NBA, NFL and MLB. The company will also launch a new collectibles marketplace later this summer that will help connect buyers and sellers of cards and memorabilia and verify the authenticity of those items.
“We saw a real opportunity to bring passionate collectors from other categories together into the world of sports cards,” said Nick Bell, CEO of Fanatics Collect. “It’s also an opportunity to really elevate sports trading cards and feature them with some of the most important and the most prestigious cards to create these moments.”
Sotheby’s is increasingly leaning into sports, which Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collections, said is one of the auction house’s fastest-growing categories.
Earlier this year, Sotheby’s held its inaugural Sports Week, featuring six in-person and online auctions featuring items from many of the sport’s biggest names, including Muhammad Ali’s legendary 1975 A pair of shorts from the iconic Thrilla in Manila game and a Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers jersey from Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals.
The shorts worn by Muhammad Ali during his legendary 1975 “Thriller in Manila” match with Joe Frazier will be auctioned at Sotheby’s Sports in New York City on April 4, 2024. week” auction.
Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images
Sotheby’s is now Official NBA game sourceoffering an array of auctioned and purchasable jerseys and other memorabilia from some of the league’s most famous figures and events such as the All-Star Game.
Wachter said that while sporting goods have helped bring in a new customer base, typically between the ages of 20 and 40, there are also many art collectors who also like Michael Jordan.
Sotheby’s also wants to display sports memorabilia in the same “museum-quality setting” as a classic car or watch while telling the story of the item, Wachter said. When it comes to how these high-end items are displayed, Sotheby’s has always been This is missing.
“These two things may seem like they’re on opposite sides of the world, but if you love sports, it doesn’t matter,” Wachter said. “A lot of people have been collecting cards since they were kids and now they’re older but they never lose that interest.”
The goal is to hold four auctions per year, Wachter said, and future auctions may be held in conjunction with major sporting events on the calendar or thematically fit in with what’s happening in the sports world. Bell said Fanatics is looking for help curating key cards to fit these themes, and that work has already begun. As part of the agreement, the two companies will use their network of collectors to source products and share costs.
Trading cards have exploded in popularity during the pandemic, but Bell said the momentum is here to stay and Fanatics hopes to continue growing through new product launches and efforts to reach new audiences, such as this and the upcoming Fan Fest.
Wachter said he was also seeing strong momentum in Sotheby’s auctions, with particularly strong results in the collectibles category, an encouraging sign that Sotheby’s is focused on high-end and ultra-rare items. card.
Fanatics is a three-time CNBC Disruptor 50 company, ranking 21st in 2022.
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