eBay To Acquire The Largest Trading Card Marketplace, TCGPlayer
eBay has just announced it's set to acquire the leading trading card marketplace, TCGplayer. The second-hand website will now own two of the biggest Magic: The Gathering content producers as well as its largest second-hand sales platform.
eBay assures consumers that TCGPlayer will "continue to operate autonomously as one of the largest online marketplaces for trading card games." The acquisition seeks to "further the company's commitment to trading card enthusiasts," by allowing eBay to to commit to order fulfilment and cart optimisation for TCGPlayer, "maintaining its position as a desirable platform for trading card sellers, and enhancing the overall experience for all customers."
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"This new chapter allows us to continue operating independently within eBay, while also benefiting from their decades of industry experience and resources to deepen the connection between hobbyists and their communities," said Chedy Hampson, TCGplayer's founder and CEO.
TCGPlayer hasn't been acquired just yet. The $295 million deal still needs to get regulatory approval and meet some "customary closing conditions," but it's expected to close in Q1 2023.
TCGPlayer recently acquired ChannelFireball, a leading content creator for the TCG industry. The company organises most of the Magic events in the US and sponsors online content creators, as well as offering a marketplace.
In theory, the promise of more streamlined sales and ease of use for consumers is a great thing, but the worry is the TCG marketplaces are slowly being bought up and homogenised under one umbrella, which could lead to less competition and less favourable conditions for both
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