Fanatics to Open First Collectibles Flagship Store in London

The store is set to open in the spring on Regent Street in London.

Fanatics Collectible Flagship Store Rendering. / Fanatics

Fans in the UK will soon be able to get their cards directly from the source.

Fanatics Collectibles is opening its first flagship store in London and it will feature plenty of cards, memorabilia and everything for sports fans to love.

The store is set to open in the spring on Regent Street in London.

This is big news for the growth of sports cards overseas. While North America is a hotbed for sports card collecting, the hobby hasn’t yet matured in places like the UK and Europe.

Slowly, that is changing.

Inside View of Fanatics New London Store / Photo Courtesy of Fanatics

CGC, one of the top grading card companies, has offices where collectors can submit cards for grading in London and Munich.

And, now, sports card fans can get their cards when the store opens later this year.

The store will showcase trading cards as the centerpiece. In the middle of the store, a display will highlight valuable cards.

Fanatics is building the store to be a hub for collectors by offering exclusive products, trade nights, athlete signings and more. The store will also offer Mitchell & Ness apparel.

Because of the popularity of breaking, the store will also have a breaking studio. It’s unclear who will be breaking, but there are a number of growing possibilities.

Topps has fewer than five direct accounts in the UK and fewer than 30 in Europe. When you compare that to the U.S. market where there are hundreds, it shows the difference in collecting between to the two regions.

There is room for collectibles growth internationally. The Asian market has seen a huge surge in recent years while also hosting a number of trading card events that rival some of the biggest sports shows in the U.S. and Canada.

Fanatics also previously bought Voggt, a live European streaming service, and featured Topps Hobby Rip Night in Europe and the UK.

The next untapped territory is the UK and Europe and here is Fanatics putting down a foothold.