Case study · Mobile apps
Trading Card TV: live-stream auctions, marketplace and card trading app
A live-stream shopping, auction, marketplace and card-for-card trading app for trading-card collectors on iOS and Android.
At a glance
- Who it's for
- Trading-card collectors and sellers (sports cards, Pokémon, Magic and other card games) who want to buy, sell and trade through live shows and a marketplace. Both stores rate it 18+.
- Core stack
- An iOS and iPadOS app (iOS 13.0 or later, 176.4 MB on the App Store) and an Android app, with live video, live chat, push notifications and a paid membership sold as an in-app purchase.
- What sets it apart
- One app combines live shows, auctions, a listings marketplace and member-to-member card trading. The App Store subtitle is "Shop Live With Less Fees", and the Google Play listing also positions it on lower fees.
The live app
Four of the nine screenshots on the App Store listing, captured October 2026. Each opens the listing.
The challenge
Card collectors already buy and sell on large live-selling platforms and general marketplaces. A new app has to give hosts and buyers a reason to move. The app's pitch is lower fees and a tool built only for cards.
It also has to handle real-time work in one place: video, chat, bidding, giveaways, payments, shipping and trust between strangers trading valuable items.
What is built
Trading Card TV is a mobile app from Collectible Events Group LLC, the seller named on the App Store. The listings describe four parts: live shows, a marketplace, built-in card-for-card trading and seller tools.
Hosts go live to sell. Viewers bid, chat and enter giveaways. Sellers can also list cards in the marketplace, where buyers can pay a set price or win an auction. A premium membership, sold in the app for $129.99 a month on the App Store, unlocks trading and, per the screenshots, no platform fees.
Key features
From the store descriptions, screenshots and release notes, October 2026.
- 01
Live shows and breaks
Hosts go live and sell cards in real time. Viewers bid, chat and join. A "break" (a live opening of sealed card packs where viewers buy a spot) is shown with a spot counter and a bid bar.
The listings say hosts can add products and giveaways during a stream.
- 02
Auctions and giveaways
Release notes mention sequential bidding, sellers pre-pinning items, pinning breaks in an auction, and giveaways with customisable durations and a timer.
The App Store screenshots promote free giveaways.
- 03
Marketplace
A browse-and-buy catalogue next to the live shows. The Google Play text says it can be filtered by sport, set and rarity, and a release note mentions a Graded filter.
Buy instantly or win an auction, per the App Store text.
- 04
Snap To List card scanning
Version 1.1.15 added a camera scan that, per its note, recognises a card and fills in the name, set, rarity and condition for a new listing.
Covers Pokémon, Magic and sports cards, per the note.
- 05
Card-for-card trading
A trade screen lets a member offer cards to another member. Trading is described as card-for-card with no extra fees, and as a feature for verified premium members.
- 06
Wallet, shipping and reviews
Screenshots show a Wallet button and a payout screen. Release notes add in-person shipping and delivery, PWE shipping for breaks (a plain white envelope, the cheap way to post a single card) and seller reviews.
Also listed: push notifications, stream zoom and a Creator's Lounge.
Release history
The App Store version history lists 25 releases from 1.0.11 on 9 January 2026 to 1.2.3 on 11 July 2026. Grouped here by theme; the notes are the publisher's own.
- Live selling basicsJan 2026, 1.0.11 to 1.0.19: Products and giveaways in a stream, sequential bidding, pre-pin, giveaway timers
- Channel and alertsJan to Feb 2026, 1.1.0 to 1.1.5: TCTV channel, stream zoom, push notifications, Creator's Lounge, pinned breaks
- Trust and shippingFeb to Mar 2026, 1.1.6 to 1.1.12: Seller reviews, in-person shipping, PWE shipping for breaks, new-user polish
- Card scanningApr 2026, 1.1.15: Snap To List fills a listing from a camera scan
- Sign-in and stabilityMay to Jul 2026, 1.1.17 to 1.2.3: Chat reconnection, new sign-in and guided onboarding, bug-fix releases
- Version 1.2.1 (7 June 2026) rebuilt sign-up and login. The note says users can sign up with email, Google or Apple and go through a guided onboarding that asks what they collect.
- Version 1.1.18 (25 May 2026) made live chat reconnect and catch up after a dropped connection, and fixed some hosts' streams timing out in long broadcasts.
- Versions 1.2.2 and 1.2.3 (6 and 11 July 2026) say only "Big fixes and feature stabilization behind the scenes." The Google Play listing shows 1.2.3 and an update on 10 July 2026.
Platforms and listing details
From the two store listings, October 2026.
- Platforms
- iOS 13.0 or later
- iPadOS 13.0 or later
- Android (Google Play)
- Mac with Apple M1 or later
- Apple Vision
- Capabilities
- Live video
- Live chat
- Push notifications
- Camera card scanning
- Wallet and payouts
- Accounts and payments
- Email, Google and Apple sign-in
- In-app purchases
- Monthly Premium Membership $129.99
- Listing facts
- Category: Shopping
- Age rating 18+
- 176.4 MB (App Store)
- Version 1.2.3
- Seller: Collectible Events Group LLC
- 5K+ downloads (Google Play)
- 3.9 from 34 ratings (App Store)
Business value
What the product enables.
- Gives a niche community one place to watch, bid, buy, list and trade, instead of stitching together several tools.
- Snap To List fills a listing from a camera scan.
- Seller reviews, verified members and a wallet and payout flow.
- Sells a paid membership inside the app, tying trading and fee benefits to a recurring plan.
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