Mascot, an inventory management platform for card-show dealers and vendors, and Fanatics Events announced a new deal Wednesday for upcoming shows, including Fanatics Fest NYC in August.
Launched last summer, Mascot allows vendors to upload their inventory ahead of the show for collectors to browse. Using Mascot, hobbyists can search for specific cards, players and teams to see which vendors have exactly what they want.
While some collectors enjoy browsing every table, others have preferred a more streamlined experience.
“It's a really great shortcut for attendees as opposed to finding a needle in a haystack across the large show, especially one as big as what Fanatics Fest will have at the Javits Center,” Mascot CEO Ezra Levine told cllct.
To date, Mascot has worked with some of the largest card shows, including events in Dallas, Philadelphia, Burbank, California, and Chantilly, Virginia, as well as a number of smaller shows across the country. Mascot has also started providing digital point-of-sale services to more than 100 hobby shops in recent months — something Fanatics has said is critical to creating the hobby shop of the future.
Mascot’s deal will include Fanatics Fest NYC from Aug 16-18, as well as upcoming shows in Pittsburgh and Orlando. The first flagship show for Fanatics Events, the New York show hopes to create a comic con for sports fans and card collectors.
In addition to panels and athlete meet-and-greets, Fanatics Fest NYC is anchored by a 350-table card show.
“We are incredibly excited to add Mascot to the inaugural Fanatics Fest NYC,” Fanatics Events CEO Lance Fensterman said. “Their ability to help our fans see what inventory will be at the show and give them the insights on where to find it is going to help revolutionize the experience of collectibles events. It’s truly a benefit to our fans and dealers alike.”
“They’re really trying to build the trade show of the future,” Levine added on Fanatics Fest. “And so I think we’re all very much in agreement that more digital discovery mechanisms are very much needed, and this is a really great step toward that on a really big stage.”
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.