Just like a seasoned poker player determined to peek into the deck of unpredictability, Fanatics and Topps have decided to deal with the rumbling concerns about the fairness of their high-value card distribution. In a move to reassure collectors and dealers, these giants of collectibles have enlisted KPMG, one of the fourth largest audit firms worldwide, to delve into their card distribution practices.
At the recent Industry Conference held in Atlanta, Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan, laid bare the crisp findings. After scrupulous review spanning several months, KPMG unboxed their verdict – Fanatics and Topps were free of any intentional placement of high-value cards going to specific customers. Perhaps a sigh of relief for the collector community that long suspected the duo for potentially favoring large volume customers or select breakers.
Fueling these speculations were social media videos showcasing breakers casually pulling out multiple valuable cards. It was increasingly hard to distinguish the statistical probability from the conspiracy theories. Offering clarity in this haze of skepticism, Greg Abovsky, CFO of Fanatics Collectibles, explained that the frequency of high-value pulls by major breakers wasn’t evidence of behind-the-scene manipulation. It was, more rationally, a statistical likelihood resting on the sheer volume they handle.
After all, what does an unbiased audit look like? KPMG began with a magnifying glass inspecting the Texas printing facility, where all the magic cards are born. The auditing mammoth took a detailed look at the collation process and the production logs for each job. The intention – validating that the distribution of cards is genuinely as random as Topps claims.
This effort from Fanatics, unprecedented in the world of collectibles, brings a welcome change. It aims to dispel windmill-tilting myths and asserts the integrity of their distribution process towards the collector community.
Going beyond just unraveling the audit findings, Abovsky clarified another looming doubt among collectors. He made it clear that Fanatics was never into the business of seeding boxes with valuable cards purely for marketing window-dressing – a suspicion quite common among collectors.
Bolstering their commitment to fairness and transparency even further, Fanatics plans to make this randomness audit an annual extravaganza. In this world of chance filled with sceptics and statistical probability, Fanatics is determined to continue demonstrating the integrity of their practices.
History, they say, is a string of chances, but when it comes to Fanatics and Topps’ card distribution, randomness will be critically audited. All these efforts pointing to one promising possibility – the path to enduring trust lays within the confines of transparency and fairness. It’s their game, and they are playing their cards right.
