More merger / acquisition news shaking the hobby! Fresh on the heels of Collectors acquiring SGC, and CGC buying JSA, there is yet another major development.
EBay will acquire Goldin Auctions from Collectors, and PSA will purchase the eBay vault. Whew–let’s digest.
There were anecdotal grumblings recently across the message boards that Goldin was not happy with Collectors–and Collectors’ acquisition of SGC may have left them feeling like the odd man out. In theory this is a great development for Goldin, since eBay seems to know a thing or two about auctions and surely has intellectual and human resources that Collectors does not.
This also leaves Collectors (the company) with a more grading-focused portfolio: PSA and SGC. And since PSA will presumably benefit from the vault deal with eBay, Collectors still profits from the relationship without the need to own Goldin to do so. It seems like a win.
PSA’s acquisition of eBay vault services will allegedly be a seamless transition for existing users.
There is definitely a rush in the hobby streamline the collecting experience, and again–in theory–the three-way relationship between Goldin, eBay, and PSA could result in a relatively seamless buying, grading, storage, and selling process for customers of any or all brands–or for new customers, as the idea here is certainly to grow the market for all involved.
(Photo credit: Goldin Auctions)
