Already a longtime partner for brands such as Panini America, Topps, Upper Deck and Funko Pop, Walmart is doubling down on collectibles by adding the category to the Walmart Marketplace.
Made up of approved third-party businesses, the Walmart Marketplace allows sellers to list items on walmart.com alongside items directly from the retailer.
According to the site's Collectibles Experience page, sellers must apply and be approved after completing a collectibles survey before using the category. Approved sellers can receive “0% referral fees” from July 1 to Sept. 30.
A request for comment from Walmart wasn’t immediately returned.
Collectible categories include toys, media and music, trading cards, books and comic books, sports memorabilia and coins.
Eligible toys include figures, dolls, trains, plushies, games, LEGO, Funko, diecast cards and Hot Wheels. The media and music category includes movies, vinyl records, musical instruments, entertainment replicas and more.
Listed perks for the category include variable return policies and the ability to offer pre-orders. Items can be listed as new or pre-owned, while trading cards and comic books can be listed in a variety of conditions with graded options coming soon.
It's currently unclear if there will be any authentication process or additonal efforts to protect buyers from fake items and fraudulent listings.
The move makes Walmart the latest national retailer to make an additional push into the collectibles category after GameStop announced in May that it would begin buying and selling trading cards.
While GameStop has made recent efforts to expand into the collectibles space — the video-game retailer carries a variety of trading cards, Funko Pops and other figures — Walmart has a long history as one of the most popular retail options for sealed trading cards.
Along with Target and other regional brands, Walmart has operated as a primary market for trading cards while selling sealed products directly from the major manufacturers. The addition of the category to the Walmart Marketplace now allows the retailer to compete with companies such as eBay, TCGPlayer and PWCC Marketplace in the secondary market.
Walmart’s move into collectibles appears to be partly orchestrated by Bob Means, the former director of trading cards at eBay. Means joined Walmart Marketplace earlier this year after seven years with eBay.
“Excited to be part of bringing collectibles to Walmart,” Means wrote on LinkedIn. “The home for your everyday needs will soon be the center of your everyday wants. Understanding the passion collectors have, I am eager to connect customers to the best sellers and manufacturers in the business.”
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.