Formula 1 driver Hamilton opens TCG shop

MANILA: Scuderia Ferrari HP Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has opened a trading card game (TCG) shop.

Dubbed Card Culture, the business is a joint venture between Lewis Hamilton Ventures and Dave & Adam’s Card World. The partnership “brings together one of the most respected names in the hobby with one of the world's most iconic athletes.”

And together, the two will create “a new home for collectors across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and beyond.”

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Sir Hamilton the hobbyist

Among Hamilton’s many hobbies, collecting cards was probably the least kind of pursuit anyone would expect from a high-performance athlete such as the England-born formula car driver.

Sure, he surprised a lot of fans when he connected with Kim Kardashian (and God bless her for whatever she’s done to Hamilton), but opening a TCG outlet seems far off from the character of someone who wears designer outfits, sports Richard Mille watches, and drives rare, custom-built cars.

But apparently, the Ferrari driver has always been a card collector.

“Collecting has always been personal for Lewis,” Card Culture wrote in its website.

“From football cards and Pokémon as a child to today’s thriving collectibles market, his passion for the hobby has never faded,” it added.

“That lifelong connection, combined with the decades of industry expertise from the Dave & Adam’s team, is the foundation of Card Culture,” it explained.

As it turns out, Hamilton might just as well be a knight in some fantasy faction as he is in real life.

Card Culture offerings

The TCG industry covers almost anything under the sun, with popular categories being sports and fantasy.

Filipino kids who grew up in the 90s will remember collecting National Basketball Association (NBA) cards. While those who grew up playing Nintendo’s Pokémon will likely have some cards in their stash. And those who dabbled in fantasy would have heard of Magic: the Gathering (MTG) at some point. 

In the United States (US), a popular category is baseball cards. In Europe, they have soccer cards, and Formula 1 cards.

The list goes on.

Browsing Card Culture’s website, the company has everything from NBA cards, US football cards, soccer cards, hockey cards, and racing cards. There are also MTG cards, Pokémon cards, and even Disney cards (Marvel characters included).

Collectors can also get them in boxes, packs, and singles. There are also supplies like sleeves and deck boxes.

Aside from cards, the store also carries toys and memorabilia. Stuff like Star Wars figures and Marvel miniatures are available at the place.

They also have heavy hitters such as Lebron James’ game-used Nike sneakers, Valtteri Bottas’ autographed 2023 replica full-sized Grand Prix Formula 1 helmet, Charles Leclerc’s 2023 Scuderia Ferrari race-used Formula 1 visor, Lionel Messi’s autographed Argentina National Team Adidas Jersey, and even Zhou Guanyu’s 2023 special-edition Alfa Romeo Formula 1 boots — signed of course.

“Whether you're opening your first pack, chasing the biggest hits, completing a lifelong collection, or connecting with fellow collectors, Card Culture is built to bring people together through a shared passion for collecting,” Card Culture said.

“Our stores are designed to be more than retail spaces. They are places where collectors can discover new products, trade, participate in events, join live breaks, and become part of a growing community. Alongside our physical locations, our online store offers access to the latest releases from the world’s leading brands, including Topps, Panini, Pokémon, Upper Deck, and many more,” it noted.

At the time of writing, Card Culture has one store in Frankfurt, Germany. The other location, named Dave & Adam’s Europe, sits in Roermond, The Netherlands.

More stores are expected to open, according to Hamilton himself.

“I’m so excited to share the site and store for Card Culture! It’s an honor to reach these milestones with our partners at Dave and Adams and tap into their expertise to bring something new, exciting, and premium to the collector community globally,” he wrote on a social media post.

“Can’t wait to share all that we have coming up. A lot of work has gone into this and, really, this is only the beginning. Head to dacardworld.eu to check us out online and if you’re in Frankfurt, be sure to check out the store. Hope you enjoy, stay tuned for future locations,” he said.

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