It has been loved by many generations since the introduction of Pokemon to American audiences back in 1997. The show’s debut in the U.S. was a huge success. Kids were instantly captivated by Pikachu and Ash’s adventures. When the Pokemon Trading Card Game was launched in the late 1990s, Pokemon cards began to invade classrooms all over the country. Many schools tried to stop the trend by banning them to ensure students remained focused on schoolwork. In 2016, Pokemon Go was a worldwide phenomenon. People ventured into the real world to learn Pokemon, and the 25th anniversary for the $90 billion franchise is fast approaching.
Logic, multi-platinum artist, made headlines when he won a 1999 1st Edition Charizard card. More recently Logan Paul, YouTube star, filmed a live stream video in which he opened a sealed 1999 Pokemon Base Set Booster box that he had purchased for more that $200,000.
Lee Steinfeld (known as Leonhart on YouTube) told ABC News that celebrities like Justin Bieber are driving the new trend.
It’s a great mix of people my age. I’m 33. They’re getting nostalgic by looking through their old collections and then realizing that they are valuable.
Soon after Logic was awarded his prized card, he posted on Instagram that he regretted not buying Pokemon cards as a child. His family couldn’t afford them. This made the triple-digit purchase more meaningful because he can now have that special experience he always desired. Steinfeld explained that Charizard’s dragon-like charm is what makes it the most popular Pokemon card.
“Charizard is one the most rare cards, pulls wise. This means that you will open a pack to find several cards. You’re hoping to find the holographic Charizard card, which is the most sought-after and difficult [card] to pull out of a pack. Now, let’s fast forward to today. How many packs are still available in the wild? What number of these packs might be in random storage units? We don’t know. They aren’t many left, but it is worth pulling the Charizard card for the nostalgia and because it is so difficult to pull.
Did You Know? PKM Store stock the best Pokemon Kuscheltiere…
Jeff Woolf, owner and operator of Iconic Auctions that sold the card for $220,000 to Logic in March, stated to Perspective that he believes the COVID-19 pandemic caused people to revisit their childhoods and accelerated the hype about Pokemon. However, these cards are a long-awaited market.
“I saw a Pokemon card, and it was beyond my generation. Although I see the potential for investment, it is the people who will get it that will drive the market. It brings them back to their youth or makes them happy. It’s the same kind of identification people have for sports cards. We’ve seen it regularly now.
It is no secret that sports cards are highly valued. A LeBron James rookie card sold earlier in July for $1.8 million. Woolf said there was some hesitation among collectors about Pokemon cards due to the 90s baseball card bubble. However, he stated that technology has made it possible to collect Pokemon cards and makes them a viable investment.
It’s a community that appreciates and understands it. It’s rare. It’s not just a matter of willingness to invest their money, but also the willingness to compete for it. It includes all the factors that make something an investment.
There is a slim chance that cards from forgotten collections found in dusty garage boxes are in excellent condition. Two of the most respected card grading companies in the world, PSA and BGS, give cards a score between 1-10 based on their condition. The higher the number, it will sell for. Steinfeld said that it was worth looking at old collections, and he revealed to ABC News the amount he paid for an older collection of Pokemon cards.
“I actually went through an old Pokemon card collection of a subscriber that had been sitting in a box for 20 years. I paid them over $10,000. It contained a 1st Edition base set Charizard card.