A sports memorabilia and trading card chain co-founded by former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is opening a store in downtown Indianapolis, taking over a storefront on the northwest corner of Meridian and Washington streets that sat empty for nearly two decades. CardVault by Tom Brady has signed a 10-year lease inside the historic H.P. Wasson & Company Building, and the space will mark the brand's 18th brick-and-mortar location.
The storefront at 2 W. Washington St. had been occupied by a T-Mobile store for 18 years, according to Indianapolis Business Journal, until the carrier closed the location after its lease expired in August. The wireless retailer moved out of the storefront earlier in September, as reported by IndyStar, leaving the corner space available for the first time since 2008. Nick Wright, who leases retail spaces on the H.P. Wasson & Company Building's ground floor, told the outlet the store will benefit both downtown and the growing collectibles industry.
An Experiential Shop, Not Just a Storefront
CardVault got its start during the pandemic in 2020 and has since grown to 17 brick-and-mortar stores, along with vending machine operations in Los Angeles, Boston and Minneapolis. Per the same account, Wright said he wanted an experiential store rather than a typical coffee shop or restaurant occupying the space, and that the company has been experimenting with downtown store locations as part of its broader strategy.
The shop sells sports memorabilia and trading cards, including Pokémon, and offers item grading submissions. Wright said the Indianapolis location will be a place for people to gather and trade, and that it should bring collectors, sports fans and visitors together. He added that the store reflects positively on the city itself.
Timing Uncertain for the First Colts Home Game
CardVault leadership wants to open the Indianapolis store as soon as possible, and initially hoped to have it ready by the Colts' first home game on Sunday, Sept. 13. That timeline now looks unlikely, with the store expected to open later in 2026 instead. Wright indicated the opening will follow, per IndyStar's reporting, without a firm date attached.
Brady will likely attend the Indianapolis store's grand opening, according to Wright's comments to IndyStar. The building itself carries its own history: the eight-story H.P. Wasson & Company Building opened in 1937 as an Art Deco flagship department store and was acquired in 2023 by Illinois-based Government Investment Partners, according to a historical marker database entry.
A Rivalry Baked Into the Address
Locals may notice a bit of symbolism in the numbers. The new location marks CardVault's 18th store, matching the jersey number worn by former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, whose career rivalry with Brady saw the former Patriots star hold a 16-4 head-to-head record against Indianapolis, per the Indianapolis Business Journal. Manning led the Colts from 1998 to 2011, and the storefront's arrival on his old home turf adds an ironic footnote to a chain built around his longtime rival's brand.
CardVault's expansion accelerated after Brady acquired a 50% ownership stake in the company in February 2025, a deal that triggered the brand's rebranding to CardVault by Tom Brady and helped push it from three stores to 17 locations within 18 months, according to PR Newswire. In August, the company announced a strategic investment round backed by Jay-Z, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge, Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, UFC CEO Dana White and Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry, according to Heavy Sports, part of a stated goal of surpassing 100 national stores.
Why Downtown Indy Fits the Model
CardVault typically opens stores in major cities near iconic venues, according to the company's own website, and Indianapolis offers plenty of draw beyond Lucas Oil Stadium. Gen Con has an annual presence at the Indianapolis Convention Center, and the National Sports Collectors Convention was held in Chicago earlier this summer, underscoring the density of collector-focused events in the region that could feed foot traffic downtown.
The chain's growth mirrors a broader boom in the collectibles market. The sports and trading card industry is projected to be worth nearly $7 billion by 2035, and the broader global sports trading card market was valued at roughly $11.52 billion in 2024, on track to reach $23.64 billion by 2034 at a 7.45% annual growth rate, according to Zion Market Research. Brady's own card has helped drive that valuation skyward — an autographed 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket rookie card of his set the all-time record for the most expensive football card ever sold, fetching $3.1 million at auction in June 2021, per CBS News.
CardVault has also been building flagship-style stores elsewhere, including a 2,800-square-foot location directly across from Oracle Park in San Francisco that opened in February as the brand's 12th store and largest to date. Brady has continued to court attention for the brand's showcase pieces too — at Fanatics Fest last month, he displayed a rare 1-of-1 rookie card for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza after personally purchasing it for six figures, as Hoodline previously reported. Whether the Indianapolis storefront gets a similar showpiece remains to be seen once CardVault settles on an opening date.
