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Thu Mar 25 2021 21:14:15

Amazon Shakes Up Sports Collectibles with New Restrictions

By: Ina Steiner

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Amazon is implementing new restrictions in sports collectibles, and the reaction from sellers indicates this will be devastating for many of them. But with less competition, it could be very good for those left standing.

- Beginning April 22, 2021, sellers will no longer be allowed to self-authenticate their own Sports Collectibles products, and Amazon will require sellers to have their Sports Collectible products authenticated and/or graded by one of the companies it authorized. Amazon provided a list of ASINs to sellers in the sports trading card category. NOTE: With regard to the previous sentence, it's more accurate to say, "Amazon provided a list of ASINs to sellers in the Sports Collectibles category, including trading cards with some exceptions." (edited 3/26/2021)

- As of April 22, 2021, sellers will not be able to send inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers unless it's compliant with the new policy.

One seller said third-party authentication and grading was not practical for most trading cards due to the cost in relation to the price of the cards.

Amazon also sent a notice to sellers of NFL products in which it said, "As part of a new agreement with the NFL, we will be working with a group of NFL-authorized sellers to offer an expanded selection of NFL products on Amazon.com."

Sellers must become an NFL-authorized seller by May 23, 2021 in order to continue selling NFL-licensed apparel, headwear, fan gear, or hardgoods on Amazon.com. (It does not apply to video games, trading cards, books, media, and sports collectibles.)

"Unless you become an authorized seller, your offers for those products will soon be removed from Amazon.com."

Amazon touted the deal with the NFL in a press release on March 18, writing, "The 10-year deal between Amazon and the NFL expands the strategic relationship, bringing 15 exclusive regular-season Thursday Night Football games and one pre-season game per year to Prime Video."

Comments (7) | Permalink

Readers Comments

Amazon Shakes Up Sports Collectibles with New Restrictions

by: pace306

Thu Mar 25 22:45:40 2021

Like eBay did with its refurbished section - under the guise of fighting fake items - you cut out all the small sellers who “were in your way anyway “.

Welcome to Amazon! Lest you feel picked on - it’s not you - it’s part of the Amazon gating that deviated brands like Sony, JVC, G-Shock, Kenwoid,Clarion,Directed,Viper and more!

Just wait ..... eBay will be sure to follow!

Amazon Shakes Up Sports Collectibles with New Restrictions

by: lessthanthreerecords

Thu Mar 25 23:32:01 2021

Sometimes I wonder why I stopped selling on Amazon years ago, yet I'm still putting up with all of eBay's nonsense... then I read something like this!

Amazon Shakes Up Sports Collectibles with New Restrictions

by: iheartjacksparrow

Fri Mar 26 11:08:15 2021

That seems harsh for the people who are selling sports cards for a couple of dollars each. I started reading one of the threads on an Amazon seller board, and one seller said it cost $20 a card to grade and authenticate, plus shipping and insurance. Another said the authentication service had a nine month backlog of cards. Another seller complained that if he was selling 1000 cards for $25, why would they need to be authenticated.

Amazon Shakes Up Sports Collectibles with New Restrictions

by: RKTOYS

Sun Mar 28 17:48:28 2021

Oh boy, more restrictions! Everybody just loves Amazon's fat snout in their business!

Amazon Shakes Up Sports Collectibles with New Restrictions

by: TiredJustTired

Mon Mar 29 01:17:45 2021

Not just Amazon, but Craigslist, too. I've been trying to sell Phoenix Cardinals Beverage Glasses issued by Mobil Gas intermittently for a number of years. I earned them at Mobil gas station years ago when I made a gas purchase. I thought they would be collectible bc the team is no longer called the ''Phoenix'' Cardinals, but ''Arizona'' Cardinals. Recently, I listed these glasses and they were ''flagged for content.'' Craigslist won't allow me to list them. Now I know why. The NFL is stepping in and forbidding it. I was asking all of $25 for all four glasses, which I'm sure, really cuts into the bottom line of the NFL.

Amazon Shakes Up Sports Collectibles with New Restrictions

by: Chicago48

Mon Mar 29 04:22:14 2021

This is why you have Merc and Posh as alternatives to EB & AMZ.

Amazon Shakes Up Sports Collectibles with New Restrictions

by: mjr55

Wed Mar 31 14:56:37 2021

I don't see an issue with this. Letting sellers make their own COA is a joke considering most sellers cannot authenticate autographed items unless they actually witnessed the very piece being autographed. I buy a lot of sports memorabilia and I won't even bother unless it's a COA from one of the big 3-4 companies or unless it's witness authenticated by the two large grading companies, Beckett and James Spence.

I don't collect trading cards anymore so I'm not sure how this would apply there.....but it wouldn't shock me at all to find out scammers have found ways to replicate expensive cards.

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