Multinational e-commerce company eBay has expanded its vault service, which is a physical storage facility for graded trading cards.

Customers can now submit trading cards, which come as individuals or collections and include card games, non-sports and sports cards. On eBay, cards can now instantly buy, list, sell and transfer ownership in the vault and receive specialised long-term storage and third-party authentication.

The eBay vault itself is a 31,000ft² facility with physical protection, 24/7 surveillance, biometric authentication systems and intrusion detection systems. It also has temperature and humidity controls to maintain the condition of the stored items.

eBay vice-president of global collectibles Gene Cook commented: "We know collectors – from those newer to the hobby to professional sellers – all want to manage their high value trading card portfolios with complete confidence."

According to its website, eBay currently has 133mn active buyers and GlobalData identifies it as a leading player in the e-commerce market. Its main competitors are Alibaba, Zalando and Rakuten.

The company recently partnered with e-commerce technology provider Zoovu for its AI solution to improve the customer experience.

There is a growing audience in the collectibles market, which appeals to all age groups, enticing non-traditional spending within the sector, which is poised for huge growth.