eBay to Acquire Niche Trading Card Marketplace for $295 Million

eBay announced Monday it plans to acquire TCGplayer for nearly $300 million, saying the deal builds on its offerings in the trading cards category and “brings even more selection to enthusiasts.”

eBay said TCGplayer would continue to operate its trading-card marketplace autonomously, but eBay didn’t say whether it would provide tools to allow sellers to sell on both marketplaces seamlessly.

The acquisition is part of eBay’s “focus category” strategy where it is spending resources on a few categories, including trading cards, sneakers, handbags, watches, eBay Motors Parts & Accessories, and refurbished goods. eBay executive Jordan Sweetnam told sellers in February, “Sustained investment in focus categories continues to pay off, as we double down on trust and authenticity, innovation, and engaging enthusiast communities. eBay’s purpose is translating into a powerful differentiator, especially with younger consumers.”

In today’s announcement, eBay said trading cards were an attractive category that has seen substantial growth. “TCGplayer is a leading technology platform for the collectibles industry, and will continue to operate autonomously as one of the largest online marketplaces for trading card games.”

And eBay’s Vice President of Collectibles Dawn Block said “eBay continues to build on our 26 years of experience in trading cards, powering local hobby stores and Main Street retailers to deliver an online destination that collectors love. eBay has always fueled our customers’ passion in this space and facilitated connections between buyers and sellers, and with TCGplayer, we can enhance the customer experience across categories, forge even more relationships, and cater to enthusiasts around the world.”

The deal, with a value of up to approximately $295 million, is subject to customary closing conditions, including requisite regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q1 2023.

You can find the full press release on the eBay corporate website.

Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.