Lewis Hamilton set for stunning new career that could be worth millions
Lewis Hamilton might not be done with Formula 1 just yet but he continues to prepare for retirement by revealing a new career choice.
The iconic British F1 star has seven World Drivers’ Championships from a storied 20-season span.
Now, though, the Ferrari superstar is going back to his childhood to embark on a new vocation.
As the trading card industry continues its incredible boom, Hamilton is set to embark on a new venture by opening a string of stores.
Collecting, known as The Hobby by enthusiasts, has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years.
Traditionally seen as an American past time with baseball an early proponent, it’s expansion has been rapid in the last 24 months.
Part of that has seen Fanatics open an innovative store on London’s world famous Regent Street.
Meanwhile, this year saw the London Card Show hold its biggest event ever in a three-day stint at Excel London.
And Hamilton, a keen collector himself is following in the footsteps of sporting royalty by starting a trading card chain.
NFL icon Tom Brady founded ‘CardVault by Tom Brady’ and it already has 14 locations in the United States.
Spotting a space in the UK, Europe, and Middle East, Hamilton has now paired up with retailer Dave & Adam’s to build a ‘home for collectors’.
“Ultimately, I’ve seen there’s a huge gap. There’s over a thousand stores across the U.S., I think there’s a fraction of that in the rest of the world,” Hamilton told The Athletic.
“I really wanted to look into how I could build a home for collectors, players, and kids who want that feeling of opening packs and being part of a community and not just a place that sells products. So I was trying to figure out who I could do that with.”
Hamilton opened the Fanatics Collectibles store in London alongside their Founder Michael Rubin, which brought Regent Street to a standstill.
He’s also been on hand to help the Ferrari star, recommending his new partners.
“Fanatics leadership reached out and said that CEO Michael Rubin wanted to talk to me,” Adam Martin, owner and CEO of Dave & Adam’s told The Athletic.
“And Michael basically says, ‘Hey, you see what we’re doing here with CardVault with Tom Brady, where we’re opening up stores all around the U.S., and Tom Brady is a big part of it, helping grow the hobby in the U.S.? Would you be interested in doing the same thing with Lewis Hamilton?’ And I hesitated a beat and I said, ‘Absolutely.’”
Hamilton couldn’t be happier too, adding: “I got to meet with Adam, and it was really quite cool to sit and have a conversation with him and just see across the table, someone that reflected the kid in me, my younger self, and I could see his younger self, just this avid card collector.
“He advises me on things I could buy.”
This isn’t just business for Hamilton either as an ever-expanding collection gets bigger with each new release – and the addition of iconic vintage cards from different sports.
“I want to get a Mickey Mantle card, but I’m just waiting for the right one to come up,” Hamilton said.
“I’m looking to get a Michael Jordan card. I’d love to get a Tom Brady card. The other one I’d really like to get would be Shohei Ohtani. I haven’t got any One Piece yet.
“I’m not an expert at this, so I’m constantly learning. I’ve got a group chat with people that are specialists in this space, and we’re texting every day.”
“He loves cards. He went around and bought hundreds of Pokemon cards in Japan,” business partner Martin revealed. “And then he’s telling me, ‘I bought all these cards.’ It was really, really funny.”
“I’ve probably got about 500 valuable Pokemon cards,” Hamilton confirmed. “I have an old Neo Destiny box that’s not been opened from 2002, which is kind of crazy. My favourite Pokemon would probably be Raichu.”
His love for The Hobby is deep as he showcases his collection on social media.
“He genuinely cares about it, and I don’t think that’s necessarily the case with everybody who’s in this business and so it makes being a partner with him that much better,” Martin said.
“We hope that really comes through in our stores, that people understand that this is a passion project for Lewis. Because he genuinely loves collecting, loves cards, and now we’re going to go all around the world.”
With the success of CardVault by Tom Brady in America and Fanatics Collectibles in London, it’s Frankfurt that will reportedly see the first Card Culture by Lewis Hamilton.
But with a goal to build on The Hobby outside of the United States, don’t be surprised to see stores across the globe to match his jet-setting career in F1.
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