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Research Outline

Prepared for Cristobal M. | Delivered September 5, 2020

Global Collectibles Industry

Goals

To inform an industry overview presentation by identifying background information no older than two years about the global collectibles industry, including reports/articles, trends, opportunities, charts, demographics data (i.e., for consumers, dealers) and details specifically about the Chinese sub-market or other geographic sub-markets in Asia and Europe (e.g., trends, opportunities, market size, volume of transactions).

Early Findings

The initial hour of research identified several articles and reports with relevant information and charts related to the global collectibles industry.

"The future of collectibles is digital"

  • This past March 2020, TechCrunch published a discussion piece regarding the expansion of the global collectibles industry into digital forums and venues.
  • According to TechCrunch, the new virtual setting for selling and purchasing collectibles is "gaining popularity" and "spreading relatively quickly," buoyed by its inclusion of new product offerings an attraction of more diverse consumer groups.
  • In addition to highlighting the global collectibles market's digital evolution, this article also provides a current estimate for the global collectibles industry ($370 billion) as well as a detailed graphic the depicts the relative size/concentration of individual product sub-markets within the collectibles industry (e.g., coins, stamps, books, music).

"Unlocking a $200 Billion Dollar Collectibles Market on the Blockchain"

  • In parallel, Forbes reported this past November 2018 on the expansion of the global collectibles industry specifically through blockchain technology.
  • According to collectibles startup Verified Collection and other industry experts, the collectibles market through blockchain has a potential value of $200 billion dollars.
  • Notably, Verified Collection CEO and Founder Dil-Dominé J. Leonares asserts that blockchain has the potential to "drive everyday consumers into this nascent market."
  • However, collectibles blockchain companies must address the current challenge of making the current "non-user friendly sign-up" into blockchain more palatable.

"Salzberg on the Effects of the Corona Crisis on the Collectibles Industry"

  • Most recently in May 2020, CoinsWeekly featured an interview with Certified Collectibles Group Chairman Mark Salzberg, who discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the global collectibles industry.
  • According to Mr. Salzberg, the pandemic has permanently and irrevocably shifted the global collectibles market online, given that it has forced the transition of former face-to-face interactions to virtual settings "for the foreseeable future."
  • In conjunction, this shift to digital settings has strengthened the importance of third-party certification groups, which facilitate greater confidence for the sale and purchase of collectibles "sight-unseen" through this channel.
  • Perhaps even more importantly, however, Mr. Salzberg asserts that the coronavirus outbreak has highlighted the resilience of the global collectibles industry, specifically in areas such as coins, notes and comics.
  • Substantiating this position, the Certified Collectibles Group Chairman cited record sales throughout the pandemic in March, April and May, despite accompanying stock market volatility and recession concerns worldwide.

"The Art and Collectibles Market "

  • A 2018 report from Deloitte on the global art and collectibles market is a potential source for supplemental details/charts about this industry.
  • Although the report itself is in Italian (link here), the enclosed charts and graphics are frequently in English, and may be leveraged for informational purposes as well as to highlight key data points within a presentation.

"Online Antiques & Collectibles Sales Industry in the US"

  • This past June 2019, IBISWorld released its latest market research report on the US segment of the global collectibles market.
  • Although significant portions of information within this report are behind a paywall, publicly available information indicates that the US collectibles market is currently valued at $1.5 billion, and enjoyed a 5.9% CAGR between 2014-2019.
  • IBISWorld also predicts that the collectibles industry will continue growing and "attract a larger customer market" in the US through 2024, as per capita disposable income increases in the country and sales of these goods continue to shift to online venues.
  • Meanwhile, despite the fact that the US collectibles industry is fragmented across over 8,000 businesses, Heritage Auctions, eBay and iGavel lead this regional market with the largest market share.

Availability of Information

  • The initial hour of research suggests that pre-compiled information regarding some aspects of the global collectibles industry, particularly for sub-markets such as China and other countries in Asia/Europe, may be somewhat limited.
  • As such, we recommend proceeding by allocating further research time to more rigorously identify and synthesize findings related to each key subject area.