A first thought about the collectibles industry probably brings to mind baseball cards sitting in a shoebox somewhere in your attic. But as we know, no industry is impervious to digital transformation, and this long-time stagnant industry is seeing technological investments that may change the game.
Beckett Collectibles, a trusted authenticator in the collectibles industry, has acquired Due Dilly, a technology firm that uses computer vision to offer instant quality assessments and real-time pricing for collectibles. Due Dilly’s technology allows users to take pictures of their collectibles, such as sports trading cards, and instantly grade the card’s quality. The software aims to disrupt the traditionally analog practice of sending collectibles into firms like Beckett and PSA to be graded in person.
“We plan to continue to be at the forefront to push and launch tech in a way that hasn’t previously existed in our space,” Scott Roskind, Beckett’s chief visionary officer, tells Mergers & Acquisitions. “Tech has the power to amplify and grow our space in ways not yet defined. For example, we’re heavily focused on the digital and physical intersection of collectibles, creating a true one-stop shop for hobbyists and using advanced tech to increase efficiency and operations in order to service our collectors faster, and in areas of the world we haven’t yet done business. We see tech bringing in the next generation of card enthusiasts and are excited to be driving our space forward.”
The investment comes as the industry is getting a lot of public attention. With the pandemic bringing new faces and influencers to the industry, and more private and strategic capital being put into the market, firms are now more incented to integrate new technology. Additionally, new technology provided by the blockchain such as NFTs is providing a boost in interest to attract collector attention.
The firm is implementing Due Dilly’s technology to streamline the difficult bottleneck of physically sending collectibles to various grading companies. Previously, for a hefty price a collector would have to mail in collectibles and wait a number of days to get the card, signature or item authenticated and graded. The new technology aims to disrupt this process and provide a grading process that is up to par with the traditional system.
Do you see digital transformation as a game changer for the industry? Let me know your thoughts at [email protected].
-Cole Lipsky
