TCGPlayer is an online trading card marketplace started in 2008 in Syracuse, New York, it sells Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana, Flesh and Blood, and MetaZoo products.[1][2][3][4]
History
In 2008, Chedy Hampson founded TCGPlayer after it transformed into the modern company from a web design company made in 1998.[5] Though it also worked with comic books, it stopped selling and taking in comic books in mid-2023.[6] The company created a "card conditioning" area where cards are authenticated and given a grade based on how damaged they are.[7]
In 2021, DJ and streamer Steve Aoki collaborated with TCGPlayer in order to sell "mystery boxes" of Pokémon cards, all the boxes together were worth around 3 million USD.[8]
In 2022, the online marketplace EBay bought TCGPlayer for US$295 million.[9][10]
Controversies
In March 2020, a union of around 100 workers was established since, according to the unionists, the health care plan was less than admirable since prices had doubled and pay seemed to not match with the new changes.[11]
In 2023, TCGPlayer workers established a union,[12][13] but EBay, the parent company of TCGPlayer, used illegal practices including surveiling workers who wore pro-Union insignia and denying workers from joining the union,[14][15] afterwards, they would file multiple complaints to the National Labor Relations Board.[16] In March 2023, EBay would be charged for their illegal practices including implementation of unilateral changes, firing a union organizer, and attempting to dismantle the union all together.[17][18]
References
- ^ "Syracuse gaming company TCGplayer sees big growth in the cards". www.cnybj.com. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ "Ravensburger's 2023 Lorcana Reprints Intended to Impact Product Scarcity and Adjust Aftermarket Resale Value". WDWNT. 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
- ^ Knapp, Drew (2023-10-15). "MetaZoo's Creator Tells All About MetaZoo x Sanrio's Kuromi's Cryptid Carnival". TCGplayer Infinite. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ Knapp, Drew (2023-09-28). "What is Ultimate Pit Fight? Learning Flesh and Blood's Multiplayer Format". TCGplayer Infinite. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ Moriarty, Rick (2016-01-17). "TCGplayer, funky Syracuse company, finds gold in Magic, Pokemon games". The Post-Standard. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ "TCGplayer Exiting Comics". icv2.com. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Columbia, Erik (2022-04-07). "INTERVIEW: TCGplayer's Chedy Hampson". WSYR-TV. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ "Steve Aoki Is Selling $3 Million Of Pokémon Cards, Other Merch". Kotaku. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Lee, Jonathan (2022-08-31). "EBay plans to acquire trading card vendor TCGplayer for $295 million". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Sato, Mia (2022-08-22). "eBay is acquiring TCGplayer, one of the largest trading card marketplaces". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Gault, Matthew (2020-03-23). "Magic: The Gathering's Largest Storefront Is Trying to Unionize". Vice News. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Bevan, Rhiannon (2023-03-11). "TCGPlayer Workers Win Vote To Unionise". TheGamer. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Carpenter, Nicole (2023-01-25). "Workers at eBay-owned trading card marketplace TCGplayer want to unionize". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
- ^ Moriarty, Rick (2023-08-10). "NLRB rejects eBay attempt to stop TCGplayer workers in Syracuse from joining union". Syracuse.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Marcelline, Marco (2023-03-11). "Trading Card Marketplace TCGPlayer Workers Create eBay's First Union". PCMag. ISSN 0888-8507. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Carpenter, Nicole (2023-01-08). "The game studios changing the industry by unionizing". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
- ^ Parrish, Ash (2023-07-31). "eBay charged with multiple unfair labor complaints in struggle with its first union". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ "Syracuse TCGplayer workers file unfair labor practice charges against eBay". WAER. 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2023-10-12.