A 17-year-old teenager from Saguenay has become a millionaire thanks to a trading card owned by Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, which he just sold for more than a million dollars.

Almost two years ago, on July 11th, 2021, Jean-Nicolas Gagnon had no idea that buying his first trading card game would make him a millionaire!

“I didn’t know anything about maps,” he admitted.

In the TW Chicoutimi collector’s shop, the teenager happened to buy one of the 18 packs in a box of Formula 1 tickets. In his pack was the most valuable card in the world, that of Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.

“This is the only 1 of 1 autographed card, there are several numbered versions. The same unsigned 1-of-1 version, oddly enough, came out on the same day as us, but in Japan. It’s a detailed package that changed the young man’s life for around $50,” explained Gabriel Normand, co-owner of boutique TW Chicoutimi.

Dozens of offers

Jean-Nicolas received a dozen offers from collectors after posting a photo of his card on social media.

“I’ve been messaged by a buyer in the United States, in Quebec, even by public figures,” said the young millionaire.

He was then approached by the producer of a reality show for collectors on Netflix in the US King of Collectibles: The Golden Touch.

“After that it was a snowball effect,” said Jean-Nicolas Gagnon.

Accompanied by his father, the young man traveled to Philadelphia to take part in the show. It was then that he met American entrepreneur Armandon Gutiérrez, who offered him more than $1 million for the card.

“I don’t really know how much it sold for,” said the 17-year-old.

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never seen

When the card was unwrapped, the boutique TW Chicoutimi had only existed for a year. Since there were so few items in stock at the time, it took sheer luck to get your hands on such a rarity.

“For a shop like ours, unwrapping a package of this magnitude is a record. There has never been such a card with seven digits. “It’s a box that we had on the shelf for two to three weeks,” the co-owner recalls.

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It was really a matter of luck. “There are people who have told me that they stopped by a week ago and were hesitant to buy a box or package,” the teenager said.

Two years later… prices have tripled. “The further we progress over the years, the smaller the supply is relative to the demand. in the 15 [ou] In 20 years the enthusiasm for the menu will be incredible, we will see it at auctions. That’s for sure,” said Mr Normand.

“I realized how lucky I was and I changed my plans,” admitted Jean-Nicolas Gagnon, who wanted to be a police officer but is now considering becoming an entrepreneur.

“I would very much like to invest in real estate or my personal business projects. I want to travel the world, live in Dubai but also travel around the world,” he hopes.

Though lucky, he has no intention of buying a lottery ticket when he comes of age.

“I try to create my own happiness,” he said.

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• Listen to the interview with Anthony Doyon, co-owner of Imaginaire boutiques, on QUB radio: