What does your collection need?
The collectible market isn’t a place for the faint of heart. Buyers need to be rigorous with their checks, and sellers need to protect themselves, too. And while online platforms usually have some bias to one side of the coin, TOKI is here to even out the playing field.
We talked to CEO and co-founder Frederic Levy to learn a little bit about what TOKI has to offer. He and his co-founders are collectors themselves, and know firsthand the different issues and concerns that buyers and sellers have in the collectibles market. Big Boy Cheng even came in as an investor, adding even more key insights of the local market.
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“We’re pretty clued in about the headaches [sellers and buyers face in today’s collectible market,” says Frederic. “We’re talking about everything from the nitty-gritty of operations and logistics to ensuring payments go smoothly, verifying item authenticity and providing solid customer support.”
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Currently, TOKI offers two types of experiences. The first is a marketplace that operates how you would expect the standard e-commerce platform, but enhanced with TOKI’s security features. Browse the website until you find something you like, click “confirm,” make the payment through a credit or debit card, GCash or Maya, and the transaction is complete. What TOKI adds to the equation is that their in-house team deals with the vetted seller, authenticates the item, streamlines the logistics and even offers customer support.
The second buying experience gives a newer spin to the marketplace standard we're used to. Through live stream auctions conducted specifically by the sellers on the TOKI platform, viewers can participate in the auction and bid on products with a simple swipe of their screen.
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For now, TOKI focuses on four key collectible categories: sneakers, Lego, NBA cards and Funko Pops. According to Frederic, the team conducted an extensive study to understand the Southeast Asian collectibles market in detail that led them to this initial categories. What they found for the Philippines is that sneakers, Lego, NBA cards and Funko Pops are the most sought-after collectible items—“with really active collector communities,” adds Frederic.
But if that’s not your game, rest easy. “We want to add more than 18 new categories next year,” adds Frederic. “Whatever your collecting passion, we want TOKI to be the place where every collector can find the greatest variety and enjoy the safest and most exciting experiences possible!”
Art Macky Arquilla
