Breaking has evolved from a niche pastime into a cornerstone of the modern hobby — part entertainment, part community, and part commerce. The Best Breaking Platform category celebrates the companies that make live selling possible, where collectors can rip, react, and connect in real time. These platforms blend technology, trust, and showmanship to bring the thrill of the chase to screens around the world.
Nominees
District
District is a commerce platform aimed at creators and sellers in the collectibles space, enabling them to build custom shopping apps, websites, live-selling channels, and marketplaces. It prioritizes flexibility: sellers “make the rules,” choosing listing formats, domain, and community tools.
In the past year, District strengthened its role in the card hobby by partnering with breakers such as Midwest Box Breaks, enabling them to launch curated live sales through District’s infrastructure. The platform’s design allows hobby shops to control branding, engagement, and commerce in one ecosystem — a compelling alternative to off-the-shelf marketplaces.
District’s approach offers scalability to independent sellers and a community-centric framework that aligns with modern hobby expectations.
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eBay Live
eBay remains one of the world’s top destinations for collectibles and is the largest marketplace for trading cards. To serve collectors, the company has rolled out hobby-focused services and tools such as authentication for trading cards, a PSA grading option at checkout, and integrated PSA population data and median sold prices within trading card listings.
In 2025, eBay Live programming continued to expand with eBay Live on Tour — a traveling live event series bringing livestream shopping and collector-focused experiences to cities across the U.S. Featuring exclusives, celebrity guests, and major convention activations, eBay’s livestream format adds a new dimension to its traditional fixed-price and auction listings.
With unmatched selection, global reach, and an established trust infrastructure, eBay continues to be the marketplace trusted by both everyday buyers and high-end collectors.
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Fanatics Live
Fanatics Live is the live commerce arm of Fanatics, focused on presenting live “breaks,” auctions, and curated collectible drops to the sports and hobby audience. Its tie to Fanatics’ full sports ecosystem gives it built-in exposure and licensing strength.
In recent years, Fanatics Live has made bold expansion moves, including the acquisition of Voggt, a European live commerce platform, to extend its global reach. The platform also integrates licensed product drops and personality-driven sales, elevating card breaks into broadcast-style events.
By leveraging major sports partnerships and large fan communities, Fanatics Live blends hobby commerce with branding and scale, pushing deeper into mainstream collector audiences.
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Loupe
Loupe is where the thrill of the hobby meets the excitement of live commerce. Built specifically for sports cards and memorabilia, Loupe lets sellers stream live breaks, auctions, and single-card sales while collectors watch, bid, chat, and claim cards in real time.
In March 2025, Loupe leveled up its offerings with the launch of Loupe Market, making it easier than ever for users to buy and sell single cards directly within the app. It also introduced the patent-pending Collector-to-Collector (C2C) feature, allowing collectors to trade cards with each other right in the middle of a live stream with instant payout.
Loupe was purpose-built for the sports card world, complete with built-in trust, vetted shops, and smart tools for sellers of every size. With its unique mix of live action, collector community, and real-time trading, Loupe is putting a bold new spin on how we buy, sell, and connect in the hobby.
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Whatnot
Whatnot, launched in 2019, is a live-shopping marketplace where sellers auction collectibles, trading cards, sneakers, toys, and more. Community interaction is central — fans watch, chat, bid, and buy in real time, transforming traditional e-commerce into an entertainment-driven experience.
In 2024, Whatnot’s live-sales GMV surpassed $3 billion, more than doubling year over year, and the company launched its Rewards Club as GMV crossed $2 billion. The platform now supports over 175,000 livestream hours weekly across 140+ categories in multiple international markets, reflecting its scale and diverse reach.
In 2025, Whatnot raised $265 million in Series E funding at a valuation near $5 billion and projected GMV to exceed $6 billion. With an expanded Rewards Club and upgraded livestream tools driving seller engagement, Whatnot continues to redefine how collectors connect — turning live hobby sales into a global, interactive marketplace.
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These nominees embody the evolution of live hobby commerce — where entertainment, community, and collecting collide. From streamlined shop tools to broadcast-quality productions, they’re reshaping how collectors buy, sell, and connect in real time.
Voting for Best Breaking Platform is now open.
All registered Mantel users who vote will automatically be entered to win a limited /50 Ghostwrite Hobby Awards Trophy.
To see all categories, nominees and to vote, visit TheHobbyAwards.com.
