ColleenMichaels/Depositphotos.com
October 24, 2025
Can Walmart Compete with eBay in Collectibles?
Taking on eBay, Walmart recently announced partnerships with Stadium Goods, a sneaker re-seller, and Shortboxed, a re-seller of comic books, to expand its collectibles offerings on Walmart Marketplace.
Through the Stadium Goods partnership, consumers shopping Walmart.com can now find exclusive Stadium Goods styles, like Air Jordans, Air Force 1s and Ugg, via the Walmart Marketplace.
“Our customers trust Walmart to deliver not only everyday essentials, but also the latest and most in-demand products – including premium-brand sneakers,” said Manish Joneja, SVP, Walmart Marketplace and Walmart Fulfillment Services, in a blog entry.
Walmart last year formed a similar alliance with StockX, another sneaker re-seller.
Walmart Marketplace and Shortboxed Taking Aim at Comic Book Collectors
With Shortboxed, Walmart Marketplace gains access to a “large portion” of the platform’s catalog of over 75,000 comic books from thousands of sellers. Walmart announced the partnership earlier this month while hosting an outsized booth at New York Comic Con that featured livestreams, contests to win limited-edition comic books, and celebrity comic book artist signings.
“We’re ramping up our efforts to make collecting accessible for all—families, fans and first-timers—delivering the latest, some of the rarest and the most exciting exclusives at the best value, both online and in-store,” said Michael Mosser, VP and category lead, Walmart U.S. Marketplace, in a blog entry. “And with secure, authentic transactions, you can shop with confidence.”
Walmart’s push into collectibles was marked by the hiring in 2022 of Mosser, who was formerly general manager, lifestyle/media/toys at eBay; as well as several other former eBay executives since.
About a year ago, Walmart began offering collectibles through Walmart Marketplace, allowing merchants to sell dolls, sports memorabilia, comic books, and other coveted collectibles on the platform.
Collectible offerings have also been supported by partnerships with Bag, Borrow or Steal, which specializes in pre-owned designer handbags and accessories; BreckerTime, which offers pre-owned watches; and Rebag, which offers pre-owned luxury handbags, jewelry, and watches.
Walmart’s expanding livestreaming platform is also supporting the collectibles push.
In September, Walmart began partnering with TalkShopLive and WeTheHobby, a sports card and collectibles hub, to host a weekly live shopping series titled “Collector’s Night.” The series features both shopping opportunities and entertainment for collectors, including live “box breaks,” exclusive product releases, and giveaways.
“Collectibles represent a critical and exciting area of investment and growth for Walmart,” said Mayank Hajela, general manager of collectibles at Walmart U.S., in a statement. “With demand continuing to surge, we’re committed to building experiences that not only serve collectors but redefine what they expect from us.”
Amid complaints about rising listing fees, eBay has been facing new competitors in the collectibles space, including livestream auction sites Whatnot, Popshop, and Upmesh, as well as platforms such as Etsy, Amazon, YouTube auctions, StockX, Facebook Marketplace, and Instagram.
Discussion Questions
Why is Walmart investing in the collectibles category, in your opinion?
Have collectibles become a bigger opportunity for retail with the arrival of online marketplaces and livestreaming?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Neil Saunders
Managing Director, GlobalData
Mohamed Amer, PhD
CEO & Strategic Board Advisor, Strategy Doctor
Scott Benedict
Founder & CEO, Benedict Enterprises LLC
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Collectibles are still a fast-growing segment, so it’s obvious why Walmart wants to get in on the act. The marketplace Walmart has built provides the infrastructure to support a collectibles business, and the activity the company has done to attract younger audiences will help drive interest. Partnerships with Stadium Goods and StockX are the icing on the cake and help with supply and credibility in specialist sectors. So yes, this is an area where Walmart can have success. Does it pose a threat to eBay? Possibly, but the collectible market isn’t consolidated – it’s now fragmented across a whole range of platforms and channels
And none of the complaints about eBay are new (perhaps getting worse but not out of the blue.) Amazon pushed very hard pre-pandemic to invade this space and the collector / maker communities reacted like an immune system on overdrive – and that was the impetus to create hyper niche sites. Better to “roll your own” than rely on the big platforms, because once you get hooked into a platform, there will always be cost increases and less ability to connect one-on-one with buyers; it destroys community in the aim of conformity and profit. There’s so much variation in product and so much tribal knowledge involved in each of the collecting communities that no single omni-product database like Walmart or Amazon could ever hope to encompass, much less try to bring anything perceived as “authentic” to the table.
Walmart’s investment in the collectibles category makes strong strategic sense. By partnering with firm-resellers like Stadium Goods (sneakers) and Shortboxed (comic books), Walmart is tapping into high-growth, high-margin niche markets often dominated by specialist platforms. More than building incremental revenue, this play is about attracting passionate shoppers—collectors—who stay engaged, trade frequently, and often spend beyond everyday groceries or staples. It’s also a way for Walmart to elevate its brand positioning and attract higher-income customers by offering curated, must-have items, rather than just everyday essentials.
Yes, the collectibles opportunity has expanded tremendously thanks to the rise of online marketplaces and livestreaming. With channels like live “box-break” sessions, influencer-led drops, and digital communities, the format is primed for discovery, urgency, and social engagement. Walmart’s “Collector’s Night” livestreamed series is a direct response to those dynamics. For brands or retailers thinking about the future, collectors are worth the attention because their buying cycles, social influence, and willingness to pay for exclusivity make the category more than just a niche drag—it’s an activation engine.
In my podcast series “Scott’s Thoughts” I’ve discussed how emerging brands and formats (like limited edition drops, resell-friendly product structures, and lifestyle storytelling) are rewriting how retail reaches deeply engaged audiences. Walmart’s foray into collectibles aligns perfectly with that broader shift: the retailer is not simply selling commodities, but saying to niche communities, “This one’s for you.” If I were advising a retail client today, I’d say: evaluate whether you could incorporate collectible-style drops, build influencer-led content, and support resale or reuse ecosystems—because that’s how engagement, loyalty and premium margins increasingly flow in modern commerce.
Certainly WalMart can (try to) sell anything it wants, but, as the saying goes, whether it should… Sensibly, they’ve paired up with someone who knows what they’re doing in the field – or at least has a chance of it – since their usual take-no-prisoners methods don’t seem particularly useful here. All that having been said, is this really the best use of their resources…or is it (yet more) evidence they’re reaching saturation on every level?
eBay is a peer-to-peer discovery engine for people who start with collecting intent. Walmart is building an ecosystem and adding collectibles to reduce friction for people who already shop there. Walmart is monetizing attention they already own, not stealing collectors from eBay.
Walmart is associated with value and everyday essentials, which creates a psychological ceiling on basket size and visit frequency among higher-income shoppers. Collectibles are about permission to be premium. When Walmart hosts Comic Con booths and livestreams celebrity artist signings, it competes with its own brand limitations.
Walmart Marketplace has fulfillment capacity, payment processing, and 240 million weekly visitors. The marginal cost of adding collectibles is near zero. Walmart’s taking zero inventory risk; it’s white-labeling resale platforms that bring their own sellers and authentication expertise. Walmart is filling existing capacity with higher-margin SKUs and occasion diversity. The company is not really competing with eBay as much as it is with TikTok and YouTube for attention.
Walmart has the audience. Walmart can reach non collectors and ignite interest in collecting. This should expand the collectibles category for all players.