Investing in Louisville to Strengthen Trust and Opportunity

Trust in an online marketplace — and the products purchased on it — can come down to the smallest details. The stitching on a sneaker. The condition of a trading card. The expertise of the people who know what to look for.

That attention to detail is at the heart of eBay and TCGplayer’s investment in the Louisville Authentication Center, where teams are helping buyers, sellers and collectors transact with greater confidence while creating new economic opportunities in the region.

Recently, eBay and TCGplayer welcomed elected officials and community leaders to the 145,000-square-foot facility to see that work firsthand. As eBay’s third Authentication Center in the U.S. and eighth globally, the Louisville operation brings together skilled employees, technology and expanded operations to support eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee service and TCGplayer’s trading card verification and fulfillment services. 

Investing in Louisville and its workforce

Louisville’s central location, advanced logistics infrastructure, and talented workforce make it an ideal home for an operation serving buyers and sellers across the country.

The site is expected to employ more than 140 people by the end of August 2026 and approximately 180 within one year, supporting more than 220 jobs over the next five years. Those employees bring together expertise across authentication, trading card operations, inventory management, fulfillment and logistics. By growing our presence in Louisville, eBay will create meaningful local jobs while building the scale and capabilities needed to serve entrepreneurs, small businesses, collectors and enthusiasts nationwide.

"This is an industry that I believe is growing. You're seeing more and more people that are enjoying collectibles of all sorts," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said. "And who knows what the next category of collectibles will be, but I'm pretty confident people will be buying and selling those collectibles on eBay, and they'll be being authenticated right here in Louisville, Kentucky."

Building trust for buyers and sellers

Trust has always been fundamental to eBay. Authenticity Guarantee is designed to give buyers and sellers added confidence in eligible transactions by having trained experts inspect items before they reach buyers.

“Our investment in Louisville helps collectors buy and sell with confidence across eBay and TCGplayer, creates meaningful jobs in Louisville, and gives our teams the scale and tools to keep raising the bar,” said Samantha Wellington, Chief Legal Officer at eBay. “I’m incredibly proud of our eBay and TCGplayer colleagues here, and grateful to everyone who has helped make Louisville such an important part of how we build trust in eBay.” 

At the Louisville facility, sneaker authentication specialists combine industry expertise with hands-on experience to help ensure eligible items match their listings. The facility also supports TCGplayer Direct, which connects buyers with inventory from thousands of local game stores and enables select cards to arrive together in one convenient package. TCGplayer verification specialists review cards for accuracy and condition before orders are fulfilled.

Combining people, technology and innovation

The work happening in Louisville shows what is possible when thoughtful investments in technology and infrastructure support human expertise. During a tour of the facility, community leaders saw how trading cards and sneakers move through inbound processing, inventory management, authentication, automated sorting, fulfillment and shipping. They also saw TCGplayer’s Roca Sorters, which use image recognition and automation to quickly sort and digitize trading card inventory.

“Every investment we make is ultimately about serving the trading card community,” said Rob Bigler, CEO of TCGplayer. “Our strategic investments in the Louisville Authentication Center demonstrate our long-term commitment to supporting our community of buyers and sellers, and the growth of the trading card hobby.” 

These capabilities help eBay and TCGplayer meet growing interest in pre-loved fashion and trading cards while supporting accurate, efficient, and reliable transactions between buyers and sellers.

In fact, eBay, in partnership with Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA), recently authenticated its 5 millionth card and made more cards eligible for the program by lowering the price threshold from $250 to $200, so card collectors can feel more confident shopping on the platform. 

“The Authenticity Guarantee has been a game-changer for card buyers, especially collectors chasing higher-value raw cards who refuse to risk a fake,” Conor B. McGrath, a leading sports collectibles writer and market analyst, wrote recently.