eBay Integrates Automatic Scan Listing for Collectibles

Need to Know

• eBay is planning to launch an image listing tool in its mobile app in April 2021, which will allow users to scan trading cards using eBay’s mobile apps for iOS and Android.
• The tool is meant to support collectible card game listings, and will support Magic the Gathering cards at the time of launch, and expand to Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! in May.
• Sports trading cards and other collectible card games will be added to the new tool later this year.
• There are currently an average of 119 trading cards listed and 90 cards sold per minute on eBay.

Analysis

eBay is making it easier for collectible card sellers and buyers to use its platform, launching a new tool that allows users to scan trading cards via its mobile app.

The new tool, which eBay announced on March 24, will be launched in April and claims to cut card listing time in half. It will initially support collectible Magic the Gathering cards, and will expand to include Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards in May. Sports trading cards and other collectible card games will be added to the tool later this year.

In order to use the tool, would-be sellers need to use eBay’s app on an iOS or Android mobile device or tablet. Sellers can begin a listing by typing a game name — such as Magic the Gathering — into the app’s search bar; they will then receive a prompt that says “tap to search with your camera.” Sellers then need to aim their camera at the card they wish to sell and scan the card’s image. eBay will then display a list of possible matches, and the user can select the correct (or closest) match to pre-populate a listing with card details, including its title, card set, rarity, power, and more. The user can then add details specific to their cards, such as card condition and price, and post their listing.

The launch of the new tool comes as collectible card buying and selling has seen “unparalleled demand” on eBay, according to Nicole Colombo, head of trading cards and collectibles at eBay. “We’re actively listening to our growing community to invest in new enhancements, including leveraging computer vision technology and building a robust trading card catalog,” Colombo added. “Our new listing feature will not only create a faster and more convenient experience for our sellers but will also provide more robust trading card inventory for shoppers — all while ensuring that the information in card listings is more accurate.”

According to eBay, an average of 119 trading cards are listed per minute on the site, while 90 are sold in the same time. In 2020, more than 41 million new card listings were created on eBay, and nearly 45 million trading cards were sold. The highest-selling card in 2021 thus far, a 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady rookie card, netted its seller $555,988.

The launch of eBay’s new card listing tool comes a year after the company launched Image Cleanup, a computer vision tool that removes the background of a seller’s listing photo and replaces it with a white background, facilitating better product images. The site also recently added an escrow tool to its motors app and website, offering greater security and confidence for both buyers and sellers using eBay Motors.