In a world where sports card collections can make or break fortunes, one company is determined to make the playground as fair and transparent as Columbo in an interrogation room. Fanatics Collectibles, along with Topps, has invited in KPMG – the Sherlock Holmes of auditing firms – to take a magnifying glass to its card distribution process and verify its randomness.
The move comes in response to a persistent headwind of suspicion among collectors and dealers who’ve cast doubts on whether the high-ticket cards are doled out randomly or deliberately directed towards specific customers. It’s a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in a noir detective novel, with Fanatics bearing the brunt of interrogative spotlight under the stern gaze of the collector community.
The plot thickened for Fanatics during the Industry Conference in Atlanta, where notable scenes included Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan decidedly dusting off the specter of doubt. Following months of KPMG’s thorough investigations, Mahan confidently presented a clean audit report vindicating Fanatics and Topps from any cloak-and-dagger operation.
Die-hard collectors had enflamed the suspicion, their mistrust fueled by viewings of viral social media videos that showed particular “breakers” consistently pulling off high-value card heists. Enter Greg Abovsky, the CFO of Fanatics Collectibles—leading man in this industry-based whodunnit—who didn’t miss a beat in his reasoning that the frequency of such “lucky pulls” correlates with the volume of packs these breakers handle rather than any nefarious tweaking in the game.
As part of their audit, KPMG swooped in at the Texas printing facility where the cards spring into existence, investigating everything from the card production process to the production logs for each printing job. It’s an exercise in the transparency that Fanatics claimed to be the first of its kind in an industry where a rabbit could just as easily be pulled out of the hat.
Eager to shake off any remnants of doubt, Abovsky added another twist to the tale, debunking the common legend of Fanatics seeding boxes with valuable cards to boost promotions. The firm also announced plans to make such audits an annual extravaganza, demonstrating their commitment to remodel the industry into an open book hot off the presses.
Soap opera dramatics aside, Fanatics’ proactive approach signals an industry-defining shift towards increased fairness and transparency in the world of collectible cards, setting a benchmark for other players to follow. Regular audits by a trusted third party cast them in a reassuringly reliable light and serve as a testament to Fanatics’ dedication to keep playing games on a level playing field.
