eBay recently announced the launch of ‘Collectors Camp’, a series of intensive training events targeted at sports trading card collectors who aim to elevate their collections to world-class status. The inaugural event will take place in Brooklyn, where attendees will receive premier training and insights from industry experts.
The intent is to help participants move from being casual hobbyists to serious collectors, investors, or even professional sellers. Helping attendees refine their skills will be eBay seller David Prince from Piece of the Game and NBA star Mikal Bridges, who will also provide guidance on how to achieve individual collecting goals.
With a solid 28-year track record in the collectibles industry, eBay has recently launched cutting-edge tools for enthusiasts and hobby shop owners. These tools include the eBay vault, Authenticity Guarantee, Price Guide, and Collection, all aimed at facilitating informed decisions when buying, selling, or trading collectibles.
The Collectors Camp will showcase these innovations, demonstrating how they’re transforming the collectibles landscape. NBA star Mikal Bridges, a seasoned collector himself, shared his enthusiasm about the new venture. “Now my collecting game has become almost as intense as my NBA game. I’ve invested a ton of time searching for and scoring the best cards, and I know I can share my talents to help other people take things to the next level.”
Post the Brooklyn event, Collectors Camp will move to Seattle in time for the MLB All-Star Week. eBay sees significant surges in interest for collectibles tied to major sports moments, such as the NBA Draft and the MLB All-Star Game. Cook added, “Collectors are always on the hunt for the next Jordan or Jeter. eBay’s Collectors Camp fuels this passion, giving enthusiasts the opportunity to connect with each other and the athletes they admire.”
The Brooklyn event will also provide participants access to rare basketball merchandise from game greats and emerging stars. This includes game-worn Michael Jordan sneakers, signed jerseys from Magic Johnson and Scottie Pippen, autographed basketballs from number-one draft picks Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards, and coveted trading cards such as the Kobe Bryant 2009-10 Panini Studio Platinum Proof 1/1 PSA 10 Autograph.
As per eBay, the collectibles category, which includes trading cards, toys, art, sports memorabilia, coins, and bullion, continues to be one of the top categories on the platform. With 1.8 billion active listings from 133 million active buyers across 190 global markets, eBay is a significant player in the world of collectibles. It also boasts 16 million enthusiast buyers, who spend approximately $3,000 annually.
This move by eBay to create the Collectors Camp and offer a series of intensive training events points to a strategic effort to engage with their buyer base more actively and help small business owners thrive in the rapidly growing sports trading card market.
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