Walmart Joins the Collectibles Craze: A New Frontier for the Retail Giant

Walmart, a name usually linked to everyday essentials, is stepping into the world of collectibles. This move comes as the market for trading cards and other collectibles is booming. Sales of trading cards on Walmart Marketplace have surged by over 200% compared to last year. This is a big deal because Walmart isn't typically known for collectibles. The retail giant is making waves by attending the National Sports Collectibles Convention for the first time. They've also hosted a digital event called Walmart Collector-Con and plan to be at more collectible gatherings this year. Walmart Marketplace is now offering a wider range of items, including graded singles, sealed boxes, sports memorabilia, coins, and comics. To make shopping easier, Walmart is launching an online collector shop with new filters. These filters let customers search for collectibles by team, event, card number, autograph, and edition. Walmart is also improving the onboarding process for sellers, making it more efficient and consistent. Walmart is teaming up with WeTheHobby to launch a livestream series on Walmart Live during the NFL season. They're also partnering with Mascot, a platform that helps sellers manage their listings across major channels. The goal is to boost Walmart's general merchandise arm, which has seen little growth in recent years. The collectibles market is huge and growing. It was valued at $294. 23 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $422. 56 billion by 2030. This growth is driven by investors looking for rare items and people wanting to preserve cultural and emotional heritage. eBay has been a major player in the collectibles market, partnering with PSA, a trading card authentication and grading company. But Walmart is set to give eBay a run for its money in the coming months.