What SCP Auctions does

SCP Auctions, Inc. is a privately held sports memorabilia and trading card auction house founded in 1979 and headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California. The company operates a timed online auction platform at catalogs.scpauctions.com, where collectors and investors bid on authenticated vintage and modern sports cards, game-worn memorabilia, autographs, and championship collectibles across baseball, basketball, soccer, football, tennis, and boxing. The platform runs extended bidding periods with closing times synchronized to 7 p.m. PST/10 p.m. EST, and is supplemented by a Buy Now direct-purchase channel and phone-based sales support.

The company's core product is its proprietary auction platform with integrated catalog management, supported by a consignment service that offers free appraisals and dedicated staff assistance (Brendan Wells, Dillon Kohler). SCP Auctions has built a multi-grader authentication ecosystem through partnerships with PSA/DNA, SGC, BGS, MEARS, MLB Authentication, Fanatics, and Sports Investors, which underpin buyer confidence in provenance and condition. Notable record-breaking sales include Novak Djokovic's 2012 Australian Open racquet ($540,000), a 2024 Shohei Ohtani game-used bat ($300,000), Dodgers 2025 postseason home run balls ($594,000 combined), and a 2013 Lionel Messi FC Barcelona match-worn jersey ($90,000).

Revenue is generated through two transaction-fee streams: buyer premiums on successful auction transactions and consignment commissions on items sold via the consignment service. The company employs 11 people, drives demand through email marketing, social media (X/Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram), and earned media coverage from ESPN, AP, Reuters, and other major outlets, and historically caters to a horizontal segment of individual sports memorabilia collectors rather than enterprise accounts. The annual Summer Premier auction is the flagship event, with the 2026 edition offering 544 lots and the 2025 edition having sold 361 of 408 lots.

Name

SCP Auctions

Legal name

SCP Auctions, Inc.

Website

https://scpauctions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SCP Auctions is a privately held, Laguna Niguel-based sports memorabilia and trading card auction house operating since 1979. It runs timed online auctions and a Buy Now channel, serving individual collectors with authenticated vintage and modern sports cards, game-worn items, and autographs sourced from notable collections and estates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Memorabilia Auctions

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Collectibles Marketplace & Auction Platforms (CRAMAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Memorabilia & Autographs Retail (CRALAGAI), Sports Trading Cards Retail (CRALAGAA), Autographed Memorabilia Retail (CRAMAOAB), Game-Used & Match-Worn Memorabilia Retail (CRAMAOAC)

Keywords

• Sports memorabilia auctions
• Trading card auctions
• Collectibles consignment
• Auction authentication services
• Game-worn memorabilia

Headquarters

HQ city

Laguna Niguel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Auction Buyer Premium: SCP Auctions generates revenue through buyer premiums on auction transactions. The company operates timed auctions where bidders place competing bids on sports memorabilia and cards, with winners paying the final bid amount plus applicable buyer premiums.
2. Consignment Fees: Collectors and athletes consign their memorabilia to SCP Auctions for sale, paying a consignment fee or commission on successful sales. The company offers free appraisals to attract consignors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SCP Auctions is a sports memorabilia and trading-card auction house that conducts timed online auctions of authenticated collectibles, including vintage and modern cards, game-worn jerseys and equipment, autographs, and championship memorabilia. The company offers consignment services with free appraisals to sellers and runs annual flagship events such as the Summer Premier auction alongside a Buy Now option for immediate purchases.

Product overview

SCP Auctions operates as a unified sports memorabilia auction platform offering timed online auctions, direct purchase options, and consignment services. The core product is the online auction platform accessible at catalogs.scpauctions.com, which enables browsing of auction catalogs, bid placement, and transaction completion. Supporting services include consignment with free appraisals (consign page), Buy Now direct purchases, and access to historical auction results. The company runs seasonal flagship events including the Summer Premier auction series, featuring premium sports cards and memorabilia across multiple sports categories including baseball, basketball, soccer, football, boxing, and memorabilia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SCP Auctions Online Auction Platform A timed online auction platform for sports cards and memorabilia, enabling buyers worldwide to browse auction catalogs, place bids, and complete purchases through the website. Used by individual collectors seeking authenticated sports memorabilia.
• Consignment Services A service allowing sellers to submit sports memorabilia and cards for auction, including free appraisals and staff assistance from consignment specialists (Brendan Wells, Dillon Kohler). Used by collectors, athletes, and estate representatives.
• Buy Now A direct purchase option allowing buyers to acquire selected memorabilia items immediately at set prices without participating in the auction bidding process. Aimed at collectors seeking immediate acquisition.
• Historical Auction Results Access to past auction catalogs and realized prices providing market data and valuation references for collectors, sellers, and hobbyist investors.
• Summer Premier Auctions Annual flagship timed auction events featuring premium sports memorabilia and cards, including the 2026 Summer Premier (544 lots) and prior 2025 Summer Premier (408 lots, 361 sold). Targeted at high-value collectors across baseball, basketball, soccer, football, boxing, and tennis categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Dodgers items sold for nearly $900K at SCP Auctions
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PSA/DNAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPSA/DNA provides authentication services for sports cards and autographs sold through SCP Auctions. Items are graded and authenticated by PSA/DNA, providing buyer confidence in authenticity.
• SGC (Sports Guaranty Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationSGC provides card grading and authentication services for vintage and modern sports cards sold through SCP Auctions auctions.
• BGS (Beckett Grading Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationBGS provides grading services for sports cards with Beckett authentication for autographs, used extensively in SCP Auctions listings for modern cards.
• MEARS (Mechanized Equipment Authentication & Registry Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationMEARS provides authentication for game-used memorabilia, particularly jerseys and equipment, ensuring authenticity of game-worn items.
• MLB AuthenticationcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor League Baseball's official authentication program provides authentication for MLB-related memorabilia including game-used items and baseballs sold at SCP Auctions.
• Sports InvestorscoreTechnology or IntegrationSports Investors provides photomatching and authentication services for game-worn memorabilia, linking items to specific games and players through detailed documentation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heritage Auctions: Major U.S. auction house with a dedicated sports memorabilia division that conducts regular timed auctions of cards, autographs, and game-used items, directly competing with SCP's flagship auctions.
• PWCC Marketplace: Sports card-focused auction and marketplace platform with strong authentication practices, overlapping with SCP Auctions' trading card consignor and bidder base.
• Lelands: Sports memorabilia auction house specializing in autographs and game-used items, directly competing with SCP's memorabilia and consignment-driven auction model.
• Goldin Auctions: Direct competitor operating one of the largest sports memorabilia and trading card auction marketplaces in the U.S., targeting the same high-end authenticated collectibles buyer and consignor base as SCP Auctions.
• Robert Edward Auctions (REA): Long-standing sports card and memorabilia auction house serving the same high-end collector segment; competes with SCP for vintage card consignments and PSA-graded inventory.
• Huggins & Scott Auctions: Auction house with a long history in sports cards and memorabilia, offering a similar timed-auction model with overlapping consignor and bidder demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Sotheby's: Global incumbent auction house that has expanded into sports memorabilia and sneakers; competes for ultra-premium consignments and offers a broader collector audience than SCP's specialized platform.
• eBay: Mass-market online marketplace with a deep secondary sports card and memorabilia ecosystem, including authenticated sports card inventory that competes for the lower-to-mid end of SCP's bidder base.
• Christie's: Global incumbent auction house with selective forays into sports and pop-culture memorabilia, providing a high-prestige alternative for ultra-premium consignors SCP targets.
• Fanatics Collect: Large vertically integrated sports collectibles platform with auction capabilities, authentication (via its Fanatics/MLB Authentics partnership referenced in SCP's data), and direct-to-consumer reach that overlaps with SCP's premium memorabilia offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SCPAuctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scp-auctions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SCP Auctions