“It’s a very, very sleazy industry,” Crocker said. “With memorabilia in general, there’s no governing body. It’s sort of a black market. Anyone can start an e-commerce website and have athletes sign and mark it up two or three times and sell it. The athletes are really being taken advantage of.”
That's why Crocker created the company Fanflow , which enables consumers to select the merchandise they want to buy and the athlete they want to sign it. In addition to the item, the fan receives a personal video from the athlete validating his signature on the item.
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“When I started looking into it, I just couldn’t believe no one had thought about it this way,” Crocker said. “There’s a first time for everything, right? Why not have it be me? I’ve always wanted to be my own boss and write my own story.
“I always enjoyed signing autographs for kids and for the genuine fans, but then you see the ones who stand out there with card books and have you sign 10 of the same items and it’s very apparent they’re going to go and sell those items,” he said. “What Fanflow does is allow the athlete to say ‘If someone wants my autograph, it’s going to come through me. It’s not going to come through you.’ ”
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The idea to video the signing came to Crocker long before he decided to start his business.
“I’m good friends with Donovan McNabb, and years ago he autographed a football for one of my friends and we videoed him while he was signing it,” Crocker said. “To this day my friend is so enamored with the video, the football is almost an afterthought.”
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Fanflow is a technology company, not a retailer. The business model is to pair with retailers who are already selling the merchandise, and he recently landed a partnership with FC Cincinnati .
“We needed a small group with a large fan base, and FC Cincinnati has a retail store so we said hey, this may work,” Crocker said. “We couldn’t think of a better team. It’s a small group of guys who have had a huge amount of success and a great fan base. It’s the perfect opportunity.”
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Crocker said he isn’t sure what direction the company will take, but he said he liked to work with former athletes and eventually grow into partnerships with retailers such as Dick’s and ultimately partner with professional leagues.
“This could really revolutionize the fan-athlete experience, the interaction,” Crocker said. “If this works, it could really transcend sports. If this goes exactly as planned, this will be something that’s a win-win for everyone. The athletes, current and former, have more control of the memorabilia market and can sign the items from the comfort of their couch. The fans get on-demand customization that’s validated by the athlete himself. And it enables retailers to sell more merchandise.”
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