Introducing MLB Trading Coin Collections by Agoro
With the seemingly infinite expansion of the collectibles market, innovation and authenticity are two characteristics that cannot be haphazardly infused into a new product. With Agoro’s new MLB Trading Coins collection being released on December 11th, every aspect of the precious metal product is created with collectors in mind.
The New Zealand Mint has been in the precious metals business since 1967 starting out as a bullion trading company as well as producing coins and medallions. In the 21st century, New Zealand Mint struck a licensing deal with one of the most prominent brands in the world: Disney.
“They started to make what I like to call ‘Mickey Mouse money,’” New Zealand Mint CEO Vedran Babic shared.
With the success of the Disney products, more entertainment properties soon followed; New Zealand Mint has created products for Star Wars, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and DC amongst others.
“New Zealand Mint was somewhat niche,” Babic said. “How many [fans] would want a coin from New Zealand Mint? There would probably be some, but not as many fans that would collect a pure silver, pure gold, limited edition, authentically licensed collectible. So that’s where Agoro came in.”
The name Agoro has strong intention behind it: “Ag” is the symbol for silver on the periodic table of elements, and “oro” is the word for gold in Italian and Spanish.
“We wanted to transition from New Zealand Mint to Agoro so that we can better concentrate on delivering world renowned precious metal collectibles that offer a mix of fun and luxury.”
The passion behind Agoro is not speculative on what collectors want, as Babic is a collector himself. A big fan of basketball, he shared he has NBA cards, a collection of Jordan sneakers, and recently acquired his first BE@RBRICK, the Michael Jordan 1991 World Champion.
“What’s been great about this role is just the opportunity to fully lean in and immersing [myself] into the world of collectibles,” Babic explained.“Any time you can intersect your professional craft with your passion, it’s a beautiful place to be in.”
When we discussed the intended audience of Agoro, Babic agreed that collectibles do not always translate to sports fans. He views Agoro’s products as a way to expand collecting to audiences that may not understand classic collectible valuations, as precious metals come with an inherent base value as a launching point.
“Immortalizing players and teams by creating precious metal collectibles that we know are going to last arguably for decades…we can think of them as a multi-generational collectible that can be passed down without worry that it’s going to degrade or diminish in quality.”
“...every piece we offer is not just a collectible but a stunning piece of cultural history – a treasured heirloom.”
- Vedran Babic, CEO of New Zealand Mint
The first foray into sports came with a line featuring five UFC fighter Chibi one ounce silver coins in December 2023. With the success of that launch, more products were released in 2024, including a 30th anniversary one ounce silver octagon coin with a mintage of 1,993 that sold out. Their biggest leap came with an innovative concept: trading coins.
The product featured 50 UFC fighters on six sets of coins of various mintages, the lowest being 250. The product also featured a chase: ten ¼ ounce pure gold UFC glove coins. Every box contained two secret coins and were available for $349 USD. Much like trading cards, the mystery and suspense are part of the experience that collectors enjoy.
“[We were the] first to roll out a concept like that, and the thrill of the chase we are finding really resonates with not just collectors, but fans as well.”
The product sold out on the Agoro website in under three hours, Babic told Collectibles on SI, and the company learned a lot about what collectors are interested in. Every element was carefully curated prior to release and the feedback on those decisions, from the fighters and photos selected to the packaging, has been taken in with care.
“There can be a few months between [deciding] ‘this is the right roster of players/fighters.’ Then, by the time we hit market, there may be some changes we wish we could have made. [We used] images of fighters in a stand still position, was that the right call…versus pictures of them inside the octagon and fighting, or a signature pose for a champion after they win. There’s a lot of things like that that we’re considering now in terms of future releases.”
After the success of the UFC lines, the debut of MLB product is merging the future of collectibles with the storied history of tenacious trading and collecting. Agoro’s first MLB release was a one ounce silver MLB logo baseball coin, with colored details down to the baseball stitching and a mintage of 2,024 to commemorate the year. There was also a five ounce version with a mintage of 200 that Babic told me was exactly the size of a baseball. The product sold out quickly, a great forecast for their three major releases coming the second week of December.
On December 9th, a silver coin commemorating the LA Dodgers World Series win will go on sale for one ounce at $134 USD and three ounces at $344 USD with a mintage of 1,000 and 500, respectively. On December 10th, a three ounce silver six-coin series featuring six MLB team logos is scheduled for release.
The final release of Agoro’s MLB week is the set of trading coins, featuring 50 players with six mintage sets and a chase of twenty ¼ ounce pure gold MLB logo coins. Each box comes with two mystery coins, much like the UFC trading coins, and are in velvet sleeves so collectors are able to slowly unveil the mintage set color before revealing the coin.
Babic was quick to point out Agoro has no aspirations of competing with the trading card market, but definitely thinks they work in harmony with one another.
“[We are] not trying to replace trading cards, but we think we could be complementary to that industry,” Babic stated. “[It is] a different angle and a different approach…our mission is to continue to stick to that and build something that is sustainable that people will want to follow and be a part of for years to come.”
When I asked Babic about potentially expanding to work with other major sports leagues or possibly trading card companies in the future, he said there are definitely aspirations, but that the Agoro team remains focused on their mission.
“[We want to] allow fans to get closer in terms of the emotional connections they have with their favorite players or teams or characters. Having authentic products that really tell stories and narratives in an authentic way.”
Lauren is a writer, collector, Orlando Magic basketball fan, and artist. Her writing can also be found on Hobby News Daily. You can follow her at instagram.com/laurengoeshere.