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Tom Brady draws huge crowd for opening of CardVault store in Palo Alto
San Mateo native Tom Brady returned home Saturday to open the 17th CardVault by Tom Brady location in Palo Alto, drawing fans who waited more than eight hours for a chance to see the NFL legend.
PALO ALTO, Calif. - Tom Brady is used to drawing a crowd, but Saturday's was a little more special.
Waiting for hours
Some fans waited more than eight hours outside the grand opening of CardVault by Tom Brady at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto, hoping rumors of a surprise appearance by the seven-time Super Bowl champion were true. They were.
When Brady arrived, fans erupted in cheers as the Bay Area native made his way through the crowd. He posed for pictures, signed memorabilia and spent time with fans and members of the CardVault team before cutting the ribbon on the company's 17th retail location.
Brady grew up just a few miles away in San Mateo and said his passion for collecting started when he was a child.
"Very surreal. Growing up in San Mateo. I got into collecting when I was a young kid. A huge fan of the 49ers Niners, and San Francisco Giants, the Warriors, and it was very surreal to come back," said Brady, co-owner of CardVault by Tom Brady.
At one point during an interview with KTVU, Brady turned his attention to the young fans gathered nearby.
"Wait, turn that camera around show all these amazing fans that have come out, I was their age at one point. This is pretty cool," said Brady.
Some fans had arrived as early as 2:30 a.m. amid anticipation that Brady would make an appearance.
"There's just a lot of excitement right now, and I think we can all feel it. And you know, you see an event like this, and I think it just inspires us more," said Brady.
CardVault continues rapid expansion
The Palo Alto store is CardVault's 17th location nationwide and its second in the Bay Area. The company opened its San Francisco flagship across from Oracle Park in February.
The retailer specializes in sports and trading cards, authenticated memorabilia and other collectibles.
Brady acquired a 50% stake in CardVault in 2025, when the company had three locations.
The company is now looking to expand significantly beyond its current footprint. This week, CardVault announced a new group of strategic investors that includes high-profile names from sports and entertainment, including Jay-Z, Aaron Judge, and Dana White.
When asked about plans to eventually reach 100 stores, Brady suggested the company's ambitions are even bigger.
"Why only 100? It was 150 yesterday. We have big goals, but it's all about how do we deliver in the right locations for people where there's great collectors and we can provide them with what they want," said Brady.
For Brady, the Palo Alto opening was also a chance to spend time back home.
"My parents still live here, I had dinner with them last night in Palo Alto," said Brady.
Local collectors said having a CardVault nearby will give them a new place to regularly pursue the hobby.
"There's no card shop within 20 minutes of here that we're able to go to, so it's nice to have one that we can actually go to weekly," said Alex Mizrahi of Menlo Park.
The Source: Interview with Tom Brady, fans, CardVault by Tom Brady