Pokémon cards are increasingly becoming an investment for young people. So much so that traditional stocks are falling behind.
Nearly 30 years ago, in 1996, the popular Pokémon cards were launched. While most Pokémon fans likely know them from their childhood and adolescence, there are also adults who continue to be engaged in the hobby.
However, the cards are not only popular as collectibles nowadays. They are also increasingly appreciated as investments. Followers of Gen Z and Millennials sometimes see them as a more appealing investment than stocks of the world’s most valuable companies or the strongest stock index. And there might be a reason for that.
You can watch the trailer for a crossover of another card game here:
Cards increase more than 7 times the S&P 500
Why are young people investing in Pokémon cards? While many people invest in stocks, ETFs, or real estate to build wealth or create an additional pension, there are also other potential investments that are gaining popularity.
This includes Pokémon trading cards. This can be reasoned by the fact that they have achieved truly insane returns in recent years that overshadow other options.
How has the value developed? According to an article by fortune.com, which refers to figures from Card Ladder, the value development of Pokémon cards over the past 20 years has far exceeded that of the S&P 500. The S&P 500 is a stock index that summarizes the 500 strongest US companies listed on the stock market.
While the S&P 500 showed an increase of 421% during this period, the value of Pokémon cards increased by an impressive 3,261% in the same timeframe. Some of the most valuable Pokémon cards today are valued in the 6-figure range.
When looking at the time span of one year, Pokémon cards also showed an increase of 46%, making them record a larger increase than the S&P 500 and the stock of the most valuable company in the world, NVIDIA.
The great interest in the cards is also reflected on sites like eBay. According to Adam Ireland, Vice President and Manager of global collectibles on the site, the term “Pokémon” was searched nearly 14,000 times on eBay in 2024 – per hour.
Value increases due to streamers?
What do streamers have to do with it? Both German and international streamers are also part of this scene and could thus be responsible for the significant increases as the topic becomes accessible to a wider audience.
While Trymacs is likely one of the most well-known streamers in the German-speaking world, who opens Pokémon cards and collects them as investments, Logan Paul is a prominent figure on the international stage.
Trymacs is also known for conducting so-called pack openings in his streams. Here he opens a large number of cards live and lets his viewers participate in which cards he pulls. He has already spent over €130,000 on this.
Such pack openings are likely also responsible for the great interest in the cards and the resulting value increases. However, opening packs in the hope of obtaining valuable cards resembles more of a gamble than a targeted investment.
How will the value develop in the future? Whether the significant value increases of recent years represent a bubble that will eventually burst, or whether this trend will continue is uncertain. Increases in the past do not indicate how development will look in the future.
Some collectors might still have treasures at home that were collected in childhood. This was the case for one user on Reddit, who discovered a great card from his childhood in a highly unusual place: Player discovers a Pokémon card in an old book, for which collectors pay up to 10,000 euros.
