Fanatics logo is seen on the dugout wall before the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 3, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Justin Berl | Getty Images
The trading card collecting hobby has largely continued its pandemic-era resurgence, with increased interest not only in new cards featuring sports’ biggest stars, but also in high-end, ultra-rare cards. But much of that growth has been centered in the U.S., where baseball cards have historically reigned and hobby shops that sell trading cards and other collectibles are far more common than the rest of the world.
Fanatics, the sports merchandise giant that has looked to advance the trading card space since acquiring Topps in 2022, is aiming to foster the small but growing collector space in Europe through a new store in London, which will be the first and flagship store for the Fanatics Collectibles’ business.
The 8,647-square-foot store, which is scheduled to open in spring 2025 on London’s Regent Street, is intended to be “The house of the hobby” in Europe, according to David Leiner, Topps president of trading cards.
Rendering of Fanatics Collectibles’ new London Store.
Fanatics Collectibles
“In Europe, folks grew up collecting, starting with sticker books and albums,” said Leiner. However, he noted, the ratio of collectors to collector-focused stores, unlike here in the U.S., “seems really far off.”
According to Fanatics, there are less than five Topps-partner hobby shops in the United Kingdom, and less than 30 in all of Europe. Leiner said that also unlike in the U.S., there are less cards in big box retailers and often cards are found in the magazine aisle in smaller stores or grocery stores, if at all. “It’s tough to find these products,” he said.
That led Fanatics Collectibles to the idea for a branded store, one that Leiner said not only is designed to serve the small but vibrant collector community that has already grown in Europe, but also “bring new visibility to the hobby.”
The store will be focused on trading cards, Leiner said, with everything from boxes and packs for sale to high-priced rare cards and much cheaper single cards. There will also be community-building events like trade nights, athlete signings and pack opening events, as well as card grading and a studio available for lived and taped card openings. Fanatics Collectibles will sell other items as well, including apparel, memorabilia and signed items.
While baseball cards will certainly have a presence — aided by MLB’s push into hosting games in London and across Europe in recent years — Topps has several other licenses that are more in line with traditional European sports fandom.
Last year, Topps secured the exclusive trading card rights to the Premier League and will launch that collection for next season. It also holds the rights to the UEFA soccer national team and club team competitions, in addition to the NBA, F1, UFC, WWE and entertainment brands like Disney, Marvel and Star Wars.
Leiner said that Fanatics Collectibles’ goal is to potentially open other locations in major cities in Europe, which would hopefully inspire the opening of other hobby shops across those countries, as well as boost distribution into stores already selling cards.
Success with this strategy could lead Fanatics Collectibles to open a store in a major U.S. city like New York or Los Angeles. However, that approach won’t be mirrored across the U.S. at large, where Leiner said there is already a “very, very vibrant hobby market.”
“We want to convert many more fans into collectors,” he said. “We’re trying to elevate the hobby.”
