Kids spend thousands of dollars on trading cards, chasing the thrill of uncovering their favorite players. The excitement these cards bring is unmatched, often lighting up young faces with joy. While the craze has faded of late, trading cards have evolved into high-stakes collector’s items, with serious money on the line.
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But things were very different in the 20th century — collecting cards was simple, fun, and inexpensive. It’s no surprise that for sports fans everywhere, including a young Tom Brady, this was their favorite hobby.
According to the GOAT, he was completely obsessed with collecting cards. As a kid growing up in San Mateo, California, What’s on Second Sports Shop was his favorite hangout. Every chance he got, he’d jump at the opportunity to grab a new pack. But for 10-year-old Tom, buying cards wasn’t just an easy pastime. It was a privilege that he had to earn by getting good grades.
“I was a huge sports fan growing up and obviously loved collecting. From the age of seven till seventeen, when I left for college, I continued to collect and I got a pretty good collection of football and baseball cards, mostly baseball cards,” revealed Brady.
Brady picked up anything he could afford, though football and baseball cards were always his top choices. He collected them religiously for 10 years, right up until he left for college. Over time, he built an impressive collection, and thankfully, his parents kept them safe.
“Then finally, I graduated from college, they [his parents] are like, ‘Take all of your stuff. We are tired of storing it’. Had it in a safe for a long time, continued to collect and build my collection over the years,” added Brady.
The Patriots legend kept the cards tucked safely away and got back to adding to the collection after making it to the NFL. What started as childhood fun eventually became a lifelong hobby. TB12 even joked that trading cards taught him valuable life skills, especially math.
He claims that math was the only subject he excelled in as a kid, thanks to all the hours he spent studying stats on the back of those cards.
While Brady is an avid card collector, he playfully declined to compete with actress Emma Roberts, who has recently rekindled her love for trading cards. She’s now on the hunt for one of the most coveted items in the hobby: The 2023 Bowman Draft Tom Brady Gold Auto, specifically the card numbered 12/50.
What makes it iconic is not just Brady’s autograph — it also features a witty inscription: “If baseball doesn’t work out, there’s always football.”
The card includes a photo of young Tom from 1995, the year the Montreal Expos drafted him as a catcher. Of course, instead of pursuing baseball, he chose football, and the rest is history.
Now a savvy businessman as well, Brady recognized the explosive growth of the card-collecting industry — now worth billions — and seized the opportunity. He partnered with Card Vault, a premium platform that caters to buyers and sellers of trading cards, sports memorabilia, and collectibles, while also offering fans a high-end, immersive experience.
