How Josh Jung and Other Athletes Are Protecting Their Sports Card Collections with Fanatics Collect
When Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung decided to get serious about his growing card and memorabilia collection, he knew he needed to do more than organize them. He needed a plan to protect, insure and even resell them.
How Josh Jung and Other Athletes Are Protecting Their Sports Card Collections with Fanatics Collect
He shipped a batch of his most valuable cards to former MLB pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, now a trusted advisor to athletes navigating the hobby. Ranaudo carefully sorted the cards—some were set aside for a charity repack initiative, and the rest were prepared for long-term storage with one of the most advanced vault services in the industry: Fanatics Collect.
At the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago, Ranaudo and the Business of Ball team personally delivered Jung’s cards to Fanatics Collect’s vault staff. Waiting to receive them was Nate Flesher, Business Development Manager at Fanatics Collect.
"Fanatics Collect has been amazing. They obviously understand the importance of athletes wanting to be in the hobby, understanding that as attracting more kids, making it cool and making it fun," Ranaudo said.
Fanatics Collect: Built for the Modern Collector
Launched by industry giant Fanatics, Fanatics Collect is a full-service vault designed for serious collectors—whether you’re a seasoned hobbyist or a professional athlete with six-figure slabs.
It’s not just about putting cards in boxes. The service offers:
- Climate-controlled, fully insured vault storage
- End-to-end chain of custody from receipt to cataloging
- Digital access through Fanatics’ platform for real-time tracking
- Transaction-ready inventory for seamless buying, selling, or transferring
- Concierge onboarding for athletes and high-profile clients
"Guys like Nate and Tony over at Fanatics Collect have made it super seamless for me, giving us a lot of resources to give to the guys so that way I can tell the guys 'Hey, I know what your lifestyle's about. Let me make this easy because our guys at Fanatics are trying to make it easy for you guys to collect.' So Josh Jung, right, gave me a bunch of cards. Nate's hooking it up right now, and we're submitting them for him so he can get his cards on auction. It's awesome," Ranaudo said.
Why Athletes Are Getting Serious About Vaulting
Jung’s move isn’t unusual. In fact, it’s part of a growing trend. Athletes across the sports world are collecting—sometimes their own rookie cards, sometimes their teammates', and often cards with long-term value.
Josh Jung Gets His Superfractor Rookie Card at Globe Life Field
But with cards now viewed as both sentimental and strategic, the need for secure storage and professional management has become more urgent. Athletes are busy. They're on the road. And they can't afford to lose track of high-value assets—or miss an opportunity to do something impactful with them.
That’s where platforms like Fanatics Collect come in.
"This new influx of athletes in the hobby is a game changer. It's so cool seeing athletes come in collecting. It's growing tremendously. Having athletes buy cards, sell cards, interact with kids, it's awesome. And it's bringing the hobby to the next level, right?" said Flesher.
From Dugouts to Vaults: The Future of Athlete Collecting
For Jung, working with Ranaudo and Fanatics Collect meant his cards were no longer just sitting on a shelf. They were protected. Documented. Positioned for charity, resale, or long-term holding.
And he’s not the only one. More and more players are treating their collections like businesses—blending passion with planning.
As the hobby continues to grow, the industry is adjusting to meet the needs of a new kind of collector: the kind who wears a jersey on the field and values a PSA 10 in the offseason.
