Trading Cards and Collectibles Buyer

Cancelled Breaks•Las Vegas, NV

About The Position

Cancelled Breaks is seeking a knowledgeable and analytical Trading Card & Collectibles Buyer to research, evaluate, source, negotiate, and purchase sports cards, Pokémon trading cards, pop culture trading cards, and other collectibles. This role combines market analysis, forecasting, industry expertise, and strategic purchasing. The successful candidate must be able to evaluate market data and industry developments, recognize emerging trends, anticipate changes in consumer demand, and translate those findings into informed purchasing decisions. Market Analysis & Forecasting is one of the primary responsibilities of this position. We are looking for someone who does more than understand what is popular today. This individual must be able to analyze why products are performing, recognize indicators of changing demand, and develop informed predictions about where the collectibles market may be heading next.

Requirements

Demonstrated professional experience conducting market analysis, pricing analysis, trend analysis, purchasing analysis, financial analysis, or comparable data-driven research.
Proven ability to use market data and historical performance to make or support purchasing, inventory, merchandising, or other business decisions.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret pricing trends, sales history, demand patterns, sell-through rates, margins, supply levels, inventory movement, and other market indicators.
Demonstrated ability to identify meaningful trends within large amounts of market and product information and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
Strong forecasting skills with the ability to evaluate current and historical information to make informed predictions regarding future consumer and market demand.
Ability to distinguish short-term market hype from sustainable consumer demand.
Ability to evaluate the financial risk and potential return associated with purchasing decisions.
Strong mathematical skills and comfort working with percentages, margins, acquisition costs, pricing, profitability, and purchasing budgets.
Strong spreadsheet skills with the ability to organize, analyze, interpret, and present market and purchasing data.
Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
Strong working knowledge of the trading card and collectibles industry.
Strong understanding of sports cards and sports culture, including athletes, rookies, prospects, leagues, major events, releases, and factors influencing collector demand.
Strong knowledge of Pokémon trading cards and the broader TCG market, including sets, releases, characters, chase products, rarity, and collector trends.
Understanding of factors influencing collectible values, including scarcity, condition, grading, player or character popularity, product availability, market sentiment, and supply and demand.
Ability to independently research unfamiliar products, categories, and markets and quickly understand their primary value drivers.
Strong negotiation skills and confidence negotiating with distributors, vendors, dealers, collectors, and other sellers.
Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple vendors, purchases, products, deadlines, research projects, and priorities.
Exceptional attention to detail when reviewing pricing, market data, quantities, purchasing terms, and product information.
Ability to make timely, well-reasoned purchasing decisions while balancing opportunity, profitability, inventory needs, and financial risk.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly explain and support analytical findings and purchasing recommendations.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-moving environment where market conditions and customer demand can change rapidly.

Nice To Haves

Previous professional experience as a Buyer, Purchasing Analyst, Merchandise Buyer, Category Buyer, Market Analyst, Inventory Analyst, or similar role.
Professional experience purchasing, sourcing, selling, analyzing, or valuing trading cards or collectibles.
Experience working for a card shop, collectibles company, distributor, breaker, live-shopping company, auction company, e-commerce retailer, or similar business.
Experience using market and sales data to forecast demand and determine purchasing quantities.
Experience analyzing inventory turnover, sell-through, gross margin, product profitability, and purchasing performance.
Existing relationships within the trading card or collectibles industry.
Knowledge of card grading, condition standards, authentication, parallels, variations, rarity, print runs, and other factors affecting collectible value.
Familiarity with secondary-market pricing, sales platforms, and market research tools.

Responsibilities

Continuously analyze sports card, Pokémon, TCG, pop culture, and broader collectibles markets to identify changes in pricing, demand, supply, and consumer interest.
Analyze historical sales data, recent transactions, pricing movement, inventory performance, sell-through rates, and market activity to guide purchasing decisions.
Track price movement over time and identify products, players, characters, sets, and categories demonstrating increasing or declining demand.
Evaluate supply and demand, market velocity, scarcity, release cycles, price stability, consumer interest, and product availability when evaluating purchasing opportunities.
Identify emerging trends and potential purchasing opportunities before they become widely recognized within the market.
Monitor secondary-market transactions and compare pricing across marketplaces, distributors, dealers, auction platforms, and other relevant sources.
Evaluate market activity surrounding new releases and determine whether demand appears sustainable or is primarily driven by short-term hype.
Analyze previous purchasing decisions and product performance to identify patterns and improve future purchasing strategies.
Monitor inventory turnover, sell-through, profitability, and customer demand to determine when purchasing strategies should be increased, reduced, or adjusted.
Identify declining markets, oversupplied products, slowing demand, pricing instability, and other indicators of potential purchasing risk.
Monitor professional sports developments—including player performance, rookies, prospects, trades, injuries, playoffs, championships, awards, and other events—that may influence card values and collector demand.
Monitor Pokémon and broader TCG developments, including upcoming releases, set performance, chase cards, character popularity, product availability, and collector interest.
Monitor entertainment, pop culture, social media, and broader consumer trends that could influence collectible demand.
Maintain market research reports, spreadsheets, dashboards, or other tracking tools used to identify trends and support purchasing decisions.
Present market findings and purchasing recommendations to Leadership with a clear explanation of the data, trends, financial opportunity, potential return, and risks supporting the recommendation.
Research, evaluate, source, and purchase sports cards, Pokémon trading cards, pop culture trading cards, and other collectible products.
Evaluate potential purchases based on acquisition cost, expected selling price, anticipated demand, margin opportunity, inventory exposure, and overall business risk.
Determine appropriate purchasing quantities based on market analysis, historical performance, anticipated demand, and current inventory.
Source products through distributors, vendors, dealers, collectors, card shows, marketplaces, and other appropriate purchasing channels.
Negotiate pricing, quantities, purchasing terms, and opportunities while protecting company margins and inventory objectives.
Build and maintain strong relationships with distributors, vendors, dealers, collectors, and other industry contacts.
Compare purchasing opportunities to determine the strongest combination of price, quality, availability, demand, margin potential, and projected return.
Verify product details, condition, authenticity considerations, pricing, and other relevant information before completing purchases.
Track outstanding orders and purchasing commitments to ensure products are received accurately and on schedule.
Maintain detailed and accurate purchasing records, vendor information, pricing, order status, and supporting documentation.
Collaborate with Inventory, Operations, Streaming, and Leadership to understand product performance, customer demand, and upcoming inventory needs.
Attend card shows, conventions, trade events, vendor meetings, and other industry events as needed.
Continuously identify new vendors, purchasing channels, products, and collectible categories that could provide business opportunities.