
Earnest trading card collectors, dealers and sport enthusiasts, the winds of change are blowing your way—straight from the floor of the Fanatics Collectibles Executive Office. Seeing a pressing issue and tugged on its edges, the sports merchandise giant Fanatics, in association with Topps, has hired the famous accounting firm KPMG to conduct an unprecedented external audit on its trading card distribution. The goal? To attain transparency and cast aside doubts about the randomness of high-value card distributions.
No one can ignore the murmurings of unfair play that were rippling through the collector community, shaking the foundations of trust. The skeptics deemed that Fanatics/Topps might be discreetly favoring large-volume customers or celebrated breakers. Social media added fuel to the fire, with videos of breakers landing multiple prize cards, giving birth to deep-rooted speculations about the randomness of pack content.
Mike Mahan, CEO of Fanatics Collectibles, took to the stage amidst the clamor during the Atlanta Industry Conference. He laid to rest a myriad of doubts, announcing proudly that KPMG, after an extensive review, affirms Fanatics/Topps’ processes effectively rule out any intentional positioning of high-value cards to particular customers. So, hey skeptics, debate that!
To weave this intricate yarn of fairness, KPMG ran a meticulous check at the Texas printing facility where these trading cards see the light of day. The audit firm, kickboxing every single detail, combed through the collation process and sifted meticulously through the production logs of each project. All to secure that the distribution of cards is indeed as random as Fanatics and Topps claim. This move, a pioneering effort for the collector industry, serves to clear the murky air of suspicion and solidify Fanatics’ integrity in its distribution process.
Now, you might have heard the rumors that Fanatics could be shadow-seeding boxes with valuable cards for promotional perks. Greg Abovsky, the CFO of Fanatics Collectibles, steps into the spotlight here, dispelling this myth once and for all. Fanatics/Topps never tickled with such dubious tactics, he affirmed, removing another stack from the pile of suspicion.
To put the cherry on top, Fanatics isn’t going to stop at a one-time verification. With ambitious plans to make this randomness audit a recurring event on their calendar, Fanatics is walking the talk by substantiating their commitment to nothing but fair play, fostering trust among those invaluable collectors and dealers. Bravo, Fanatics. Indeed, this move sets a high bar for commitment to transparency and fairness in the realm of trading card distribution, giving heartened collectors and dealers much to rejoice over.