This is major news. This is the full copy of the email that I just received from TCGPlayer.
Dear Valued Customer,
Moments ago, we announced that TCGplayer has signed a definitive agreement to join forces with eBay, a global commerce leader. You can read more about this announcement in the press release issued today.
You may read media headlines over the next few weeks that say “eBay to Acquire TCGplayer”. While this is technically accurate, unlike a traditional acquisition, upon close, TCGplayer will continue operating independently. We will have the autonomy and flexibility to continue running TCGplayer just as we always have, and I will continue to lead the Company as CEO, ensuring our commitment to you and the entire collectibles community remains enshrined and protected long into the future.
On a more personal note, today also marks an incredible milestone for the TCGplayer team. I founded TCGplayer to ensure that every team member embraced your passion for collectibles, and could share in our collective company success as we built incredible tools and services that support you. I am proud to share that as part of this transaction, all 688 TCGplayers — hourly and salaried — will share in the financial rewards of this deal as a result of our employee stock option plan.
What This Means For You
Since TCGplayer’s founding we’ve been committed to the collectibles community — creating tools and services that empower hobbyists and retailers to connect online and within your local communities to improve the exchange of the products and content you love most.
I am confident that with eBay’s partnership, we will be even better positioned to serve you. We will have the opportunity to benefit from eBay’s decades of industry-experience and deep financial resources to expand our catalog of products, level up our tools and services and ensure hobbyists all over the world are able to shop from their favorite local hobby stores.
Importantly, there will be no change in how we work with you, and you can expect the same high-quality service, tools, products and content you have come to rely on from TCGplayer. This means that any orders you’ve placed via the TCGplayer Marketplace or agreements you have in place with us will remain unchanged. Your contacts at TCGplayer will also remain the same, and all business will continue as normal. As always, we will continue to communicate any new information leading up to close and beyond. In the interim, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Customer Experience Team.
Thank you for being a part of the TCGplayer community. We look forward to beginning this next part of our journey with you and remain as committed as ever to exceeding your expectations.
Sincerely,
Chedy Hampson
Founder & CEO of TCGplayer
As an individual who chooses to sell on TCGplayer over ebay, this is not good news to me.
We are concerned as well.
"...unlike a traditional acquisition, upon close, TCGplayer will continue operating independently. We will have the autonomy and flexibility to continue running TCGplayer just as we always have, and I will continue to lead the Company as CEO, ensuring our commitment to you..."
Hopefully this will remain to be the case. If not, the secondary market for CCGs is in for a rocky ride.