Collectibles juggernaut Fanatics, along with its partner, Topps, made industry waves recently by taking a step toward transparency. In a move aimed at putting to rest longstanding consumer doubts about the fairness of high-value card distributions, Fanatics engaged KPMG, a well-respected global audit, tax, and advisory firm.
Announced during the Industry Conference in Atlanta, Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan detailed that KPMG had been conducting an independent audit of their card distribution processes for several months. Much to their satisfaction, the audit confirmed that Fanatics/Topps’ procedures indeed prevent any intention of allocating high-value cards to specific customers.
The collector community has, over time, become somewhat dubious about how randomly these sought-after cards are dispersed. Suspicions of Fanatics/Topps potentially treating large volume customers or well-known breakers preferentially have been widely debated. Fuelled by social media videos showcasing breakers with numerous valuable cards, doubts about the randomness of pack contents evidence escalated.
Addressing these concerns, Greg Abovsky, the Chief Financial Officer of Fanatics Collectibles, stressed that the frequency of high-value pulls by significant breakers corresponds to the enormous volume of cards they deal with, rather than any alleged manipulation of the packing process.
As part of their audit, KPMG carried out an exhaustive review at the Texas facility wherein the cards are given life. The firm scrutinised the card creation process, dissected the production logs of each job, and assured that the distribution of cards indeed matched Topps’ claims of randomness. According to Fanatics, this endeavour to affirm the unbiased nature of their distribution process and debunk widespread myths within the collector community is a first in the industry.
Along with the audit findings, Abovsky also rebuffed another circulating suspicion – that Fanatics intentionally places valuable cards in boxes for advertising allure. Deterring this claim, he assured that Fanatics has never turned to such a practice.
Amid all the consumer conjecture and scrutiny, Fanatics, demonstrating their commitment to transparency and fair play, plans to make randomness audits a yearly event. Fanatics and Topps partnering with a prestige auditor like KPMG marks the beginning of a new era in the collectibles industry. Their lofty goal: to dispel suspicion, instil confidence, and above all, to continue providing fans with those magical moments that only unwrapping an eagerly anticipated collector’s card can offer.
