Experts who buy and inspect Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other cards are seeking a union contract, arguing they are being 'drastically underpaid considering the specialized nature of their work'


by Like_the_Grand_Canyon

Card shops that handle trading card games (TCGs) often sell official card packs and other products, as well as assessing users' cards for their current value, the condition of the card, whether rare cards are genuine, and other factors, and then selling them at a price. Experts who appraise cards brought in by users at an online TCG shop that was acquired by global online shop eBay in 2022 claim that they are being paid significantly less despite their highly specialized and labor-intensive work, and are seeking a labor union contract.

eBay's trading card authenticators are rallying for a union contract | Polygon
https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/459782/tcgplayer-union-ebay-rally-fair-pay



TCGplayer , an online trading card marketplace, evaluates and prices cards brought to its authentication center in Syracuse, New York. The TCGs they handle range from the Pokémon Trading Card Game , Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG Duel Monsters , Magic: The Gathering (MtG) , and Disney Lorcania , and they receive thousands to over 10,000 cards every week. As of 2022, TCGplayer has a collection of over 115 million trading cards, of which 32 million were authenticated in 2021 alone, according to a previous report.

In order to authenticate the cards brought in, the card must be checked for any scratches, damage, or bends, and it must also be determined whether it is genuine, as counterfeits of popular rare cards are often on the market. In the past, there was an incident where an unopened pack of rare first edition Pokemon cards purchased for $3.5 million (about 400 million yen) turned out to be counterfeit.

It turns out that the Pokemon card purchased by a YouTuber for about 400 million yen was a fake - GIGAZINE



All of these checks must be done manually and by specialized personnel. After receipt and expert inspection, the cards go into a warehouse-like storage system, and are eventually pulled into individual orders and shipped.

Julia Jacona, a receiving specialist at TCGplayer, is in charge of Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and MtG, and she inspects and manages the inventory of cards while sitting down from 7am to 6pm. Jacona said, 'Many of my colleagues have back problems from sitting down all the time, and it's actually pretty tough.' Megan Wheeler, who also specializes in receiving inspection, said, 'In order to evaluate cards, you have to lean forward and strain your eyes to look closely at the details of the card, such as scratches and stains that affect the value. It's a lot of strain on your back, your waist, and your eyes.'

A TCGplayer worker who joined the Communications Workers of America in March 2023 told Polygon, a gaming media outlet, that eBay is not paying hourly workers a wage commensurate with the work they do. Inspection specialists start at $16.25 per hour, which is 'insulting given the specialization of the work,' Jacona argued. In addition, specialists in other departments, such as shipping, also tend to be 'significantly underpaid.'

Therefore, in early October 2024, the labor union released a detailed report on TCGplayer's wages and the cost of living in its warehouse locations. The report showed that 87% of workers 'earn less than the living wage for a single person without children in Syracuse, New York.' After the report was released, a labor union meeting was also held, and the union reported on the results of the meeting, saying, 'We want eBay to be serious at the negotiating table and agree to reasonable contract terms.'



In response to the union's allegations, an eBay representative told Polygon, 'When we began the negotiation process, we agreed with the Communications Workers of America to discuss the non-economic aspects of the contract before discussing wages or other economic issues. We expect economic discussions to begin shortly after we have addressed the non-economic proposals that need to be agreed upon.'

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