There are moments when a market is so obviously ready for something better that you cannot look away. Live shopping for trading cards and collectibles is one of those moments. That is why, with The Agentics, we are building Slabhit: live auctions for trading cards and collectibles, from graded Pokémon cards to rare sneakers. Made in Germany, launching in September.
The market is booming, but it has a problem
Live commerce is one of the most exciting developments in retail: a host goes live on camera, shows rare hits, the community bids in real time, and shopping becomes an event. Platforms like Whatnot have shown in the US how big this can get, and they have long been pushing into Europe.
But any German collector or seller who wants to join in quickly notices where it falls short: the big platforms are US-centric and often feel like a stopgap here. Trust is the real currency of this market, because with cards worth three or four figures, fakes and bad actors are a genuine risk. Support is anonymous and slow, precisely when serious money is involved. And when it comes to data protection and German law, US platforms get murky fast.
Why we are starting with trading cards
The trading card market has been one of the most dynamic collector markets in the world for years, with double-digit growth rates and record prices for graded cards. And 2026 is a special year: Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary, new collections are being released throughout the year, and at the big collector and trading card fairs in Germany the community is more present than ever – which is exactly where we will be showing Slabhit. A better moment to rebuild live auctions for this market will not come around again soon.
What Slabhit does differently
Local and compliant from day one. Slabhit is built and operated in Germany by The Agentics GmbH: German law, fully GDPR-compliant, German-speaking community. Not a US product with a translated interface, but a platform made for this market.
Curated instead of chaos. We work with selected sellers and clean shows, so that trust is not the buyer's risk but the platform's foundation.
More than trading cards. We are starting where live auctions already work today – but the stage carries far more: sneakers, watches, vinyl, comics, fashion and many other e-commerce categories. At its core, live commerce is the digital extension of retail: a seller is no longer bound to opening hours and floor space – their show sells at eight in the evening, nationwide, with the advisory quality of a physical store.
Strengthening local retailers – even without TCG. Just as important to us is local retail: anyone offering a good assortment and real advice today gets an additional, technically innovative sales channel with Slabhit – without their own tech team and without upfront investment. We want retail to develop in the right direction, and we are building the technology that supports it.
AI agents in the engine room. This is the part that excites me most as an AI-first believer: Slabhit is automated from A to Z. Support cases are resolved by an AI agent before a ticket can grow old. Processes that keep entire teams busy at classic platforms run agentically in the background for us. That makes us faster and leaner, and the savings go into better terms and a better product.
September: launching with iOS, Android next
We are launching in September with the iOS app first; the Android version follows after that. Until then we are running test rounds every week with real shows, real cards and real bids.
Two ways in: beta tester or waitlist
Path 1: Become a beta tester (a surprise awaits the first ones). You want to join one of the first live shows, bid along or start a show of your own? Our beta page has the TestFlight download and the community – get the app – and we will bring you into our WhatsApp community with a direct line to the team. For the first beta testers we have prepared a surprise that will not be available again later.
Path 2: Join the waitlist and collect rewards. No iPhone at hand, or just curious for now? Sign up at slabhit.de with your email, invite friends and collect points with every invitation: you climb the ranking, secure rewards and unlock VIP status.
I will be reporting openly on the journey here on the blog: what works, what we throw away, and what it is like to run a platform entirely agentically. If that interests you, subscribe to the newsletter or get in touch.
Yours, Dennis Weidner