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A new generation of collectors is driving the popularity of Pokemon trading cards, fueled by nostalgia, social connections, and investment opportunities. While fans like Kathy Nguyen value the artistry as a counter to AI-generated content, entrepreneurs like Arunthavasothy have capitalized on the trend through online marketplaces, with resale prices spiking significantly during the pandemic era.
For 19-year-old Kathy Nguyen, Pokemon – and its motley crew of monsters – has been a fixture of her life since she first spotted them on the franchise’s 1990s television series.
“I just fell in love with it. And I think it really heightened when I started making friends because of that shared interest,” says the commerce/law university student from Sydney, who used to beg her parents for Pokemon cards to trade with classmates when she was younger.
“The idea of having these creatures with all these different designs – they kind of just follow you. It’s the same idea as having a pet. ”Like other collectors, Nguyen displays her favourite cards in a binder as a way of honouring the art .
“That’s so important now because AI is becoming more normalised in creative mediums. So having this strong appreciation forNguyen wasn’t alive when Pokemon was first dreamt up by Japanese video game designer Satoshi Tajiri in 1996 but she’s part of a new generation finding fun, friendship and, for some, fortune in the Millennial hobby.in the hope of snagging the brand’s anniversary pack, which promptly sold out and reappeared on resale platforms like eBay at mark-ups as high as 230 per cent.
The Kiwi-born, Brisbane-based entrepreneur believes COVID – when people were stuck at home and left to rediscover their card collections – and the rise of cryptocurrency helped create the “perfect storm” for the craze.
“Many people got crypto-wealthy in our demographic and started to invest in what they liked,” says Arunthavasothy. Compared with investing in the sharemarket, collectables like Pokemon cards carry potent cultural currency: “It’s like owning a piece of your memory … Millennials are suffering from nostalgia,” he says. Arunthavasothy has turned this passion into a business, launching online trading-card marketplace Fetch in 2023.
Today, the platform – where IP like Japanese manga seriesThe founder of trading-card event CardCon, Jose Caballero, 22, thinks social media – replete with “unboxing videos” of users displaying their card collections – and celebrities are helping amplify the hype and inflate value.
“It tells the world, ‘hey, wait a minute – Pokemon is a hobby but there’s serious money to be made’,” says Caballero. “I know people who’ve been able to find a house deposit in their parents’ attic because they found their binder from when they were a kid and sold it at CardCon. ’” Rachel Schmid, senior manager of collectables at eBay Australia, where overall Pokemon searches surged 34 per cent this year, says Pokemon is a multigenerational fandom.
“Millennials grew up with Pokemon in the ’90s and a lot of them regret giving away their collections. But they have kids now and are bringing their family into it, too. ”, which burst with rising inflation, tariffs and the prevalence of scalpers creating artificial scarcity. So he’s introduced measures like mobile number verification on Fetch to try ward off bots.
Meanwhile, Nguyen took time away from the hobby in 2023 because of surging costs.
“People I was talking to were very centred on profit … It really takes away from the enjoyment,” she says. Jacob Sulte, pictured at General Games Highpoint, has been playing Pokemon trading card games competitively for the past few years. Pokemon was a childhood obsession for Jacob Sulte, 16. But as peers grew out of the hobby, Sulte’s passion only grew.
The Melbourne high schooler has been playing Pokemon competitively for the past few years. It has taken him to tournaments across the country . The game, Sulte explains, is about strategy and luck. Each card is printed with manoeuvres like attack and special abilities to guide players.
Like Nguyen’s, his love of Pokemon is not about investment but about the skill and higher-level thinking involved in the game .
“I think overall are a bit healthier than collecting. People have built up these strong communities and it’s all family-friendly as well. ”“There is a heap of pressure, there’s so many people who tune in to these Pokemon livestreams now – hundreds of thousands, sometimes even millions around the world. ” The year 10 student, whose favourite subjects are biology, PE and English, hopes to be a pilot one day.
“I love to travel, so I was thinking I could get my own plane and be able to play a bit of Pokemon on the side. ”
Pokemon Trading Cards Collectibles Nostalgia Entrepreneurship
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