Anyone who has watched “The Big Bang Theory” or known John Biggs knows that some people care a lot about collectibles. But does that passion translate over to digital?
Quidd, a Brooklyn-based startup that just closed a $6.75 million seed round, would argue that it does.
Quidd lets users collect virtual stickers, cards and toys from their favorite shows, such as “Arrested Development,” “Star Trek,” “Rick & Morty,” “Buffy,” “Family Guy” and many more. Some items are free, while other cost coins (Quidd’s virtual currency).
Like real-world collectibles, items in the Quidd “comic book shop” can sell out depending on how rare they are, matching the excitement of collecting in the real world with the simple apparatus of supply and demand.
But if you can’t put them on display in your room, what do you do with virtual collectibles?
Through an iMessage application, Quidd users can send their collected stickers through iMessage, just like a GIF, Bitmoji, etc.
The company fills out its inventory by partnering with licensees and manufacturers (such as Cryptozoic Entertainment, the company’s latest partner) to transform physical products into digital goods, which can be distributed through Quidd.
Quidd says it has sold more than 100 million items since launch in 2015. The company also says that 70 percent of its users have never collected physical cards, stickers or toys before their first purchase on Quidd, which suggests that digital collectibles have a wider reach than the physical alternative.
The new $6.75 million seed round came from strategic angel investors, though the company did not disclose who participated in the round.
You can check out Quidd for yourself right here.