In a driven play for transparency, Fanatics/Topps is showing its hand, marching towards attaining a high level of credibility within the collector community. In an announcement made during the Industry Conference in Atlanta, the company divulged its intrepid move of having engaged the services of KPMG, an elite auditing firm. The objective is to scrutinize the mechanisms in place for its card distribution processes, addressing long-endeared concerns of collectors and dealers who have been querying the randomness of high-value card distribution.
Fanatics Collectibles CEO, Mike Mahan, relayed the adherence to legitimacy and fairness by communicating the firm’s audacious action of launching a comprehensive audit process. After several rounds of checks and balances, KPMG affirmed Fanatics/Topps’ strategies as effectively precluding any deliberate sending of high-value cards to chosen customers.
Notwithstanding the auditors’ clean chit, the market waters were roiled by rife speculations within the collector community indicating possible bias, allegedly favoring large volume customers or high-profile breakers. Doubts were fuelled further by social media videos showing breakers receiving multiple valuable cards in a single haul, putting the randomness of pack contents under scrutiny. In pursuit of dispelling such apprehensions, Greg Abovsky, CFO of Fanatics Collectibles, stressed that the frequency of high-value cards attained by major breakers is predominantly a probable outcome of their substantial volume dealings, and not a reflection of any intentional manipulation of the sorting process.
KPMG’s audit delved deep into the collation process at the Texas printing hub where the production of cards takes place. The audit firm meticulously analyzed the production logs for each assignment, assuring that the distribution of cards accords to the claimed standard of randomness by Topps. This strategic maneuver, considered to be the pioneer in its segment as stated by Fanatics, is intended to bust the prevalent conjecture and affirm the credibility of their distribution process to the liberty of the collector community.
Abovsky further assuaged fears by clearly stating that Fanatics has never purposefully enriched boxes with precious cards for promotional gains, thus countering another frequently raised suspicion among collectors. The company envisages making this randomness audit a recurrent annual event, to continually demonstrate its allegiances towards upholding fairness and transparency in its operations.
Through a calculated and conscientious approach, Fanatics/Topps has made a robust stride towards addressing the concerns of its collector community. By publicly aligning themselves with one of the leading audit firms, they’ve not only validated their processes but also showcased a level of corporate integrity seldom witnessed in the industry. This move marks a significant step in the company’s firm commitment to uphold the highest standards of fairness and transparency, offering collectors peace of mind and assurance they deserve while enjoying their hobby. The dealer’s bet has been placed — and it’s a transparent field with every play certified by an impartial hand.
