Internet giant eBay announced this morning that it has entered an agreement to purchase the collectibles marketplace TCGPlayer for $295 million.
“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,” said eBay’s VP of Collectibles, Dawn Block. The purchase of TCGPlayer strengthens eBay’s position in the collectibles market, building on the recently launched the eBay Vault product, a verification and storage service for collectibles.
“TCGplayer will continue operating independently,” TCGPlayer’s Founder and CEO, Chedy Hampson, said in his own statement. “We will have the autonomy and flexibility to continue running TCGplayer just as we always have, and I will continue to lead the Company as CEO.”
TCGPlayer is a popular platform for selling trading card game and collectibles. They offer the ability for individuals to sign up and sell on their marketplace, an Amazon-esque direct shipping program, as well as authentication services.
The Syracuse, NY-based company was founded in 1998 and has since grown to 688 employees. It has raised $45 million in venture capital in two rounds: a $10 million Series A from Radian Capital in 2018 and then a $35 million private equity round from Vista Credit Partners in 2021.
TCGPlayer’s sale to eBay comes just over a month after TCGPlayer acquired fellow online TCG retailer ChannelFireball and BinderPOS for an undisclosed sum. As a result, two of the largest Magic: The Gathering retailers for the last 15+ years are now owned by eBay.