Your children’s Pokémon cards that are gathering dust in boxes are now being sold at a high price

Year after year, passion of fans is more lively around the Pokémon cards. Some collectors are willing to pony up five or six-figure sums for the most prized examples. Enough to make many French people want to search drawers and cupboards in search of the
rare pearls.

It is in 1996 that video game enthusiasts have discovered the world of Pocket
Monsters as they were named in Japan. And it didn’t take long for the Pocket Monsters Vert
et Rouge on Nintendo Gameboy become a real
phenomenon in the land of the rising sun then in the rest of the world. Quickly, many derivative products will emerge and among the most popular are collectible cards.

The popularity of Pokémon cards has soared

If they have always been popular with fans of the license, the cards seem to be enjoying real popularity since the covid pandemic. This was explained by an expert who confided that prices have literally exploded in a few years.
“At the end of 2019, I had the card Bloody hell which was worth 1,000 euros at the time. I traded it with a friend around this time. Today, it is worth 15,000 euros“, Price Pokémon said.

The latter is a YouTuber who “one of the most big collectors French” and he was questioned on the subject by the newspaper West France. For him, the phenomenon is largely due to the nostalgia
of those who collected cards when they were younger and have now become adults. “We fall back on our old maps, the souvenirs resurface and then we want to have them back.”he admits.

Pokémon cards reach stratospheric amounts

But given the amounts involved, we are now very far from
game for child. And if the person whose real name is Pierre only spends 500 to 2000 euros per piece, the prices sometimes skyrocket to stratospheric sums. This is particularly the case in Japan and the UNITED STATESwhere it is a very lucrative business. “We can find cards sold for 50,000 euros up to almost 400 000
euros.”our colleagues point out.

In France, dedicated stores are opening their doors, like the very recent Fuji Store in Lille. As for the bosses, we are rubbing our hands. “It’s madness for a week.”, said Bob, the store manager at France 3, all smiles. “Everyone who comes through this door is warm and eager for advice. Owe really feel the need for collectors to have a specialized store
to buy and resell their cards.“, he added.

The hunt for Pokémon cards is on

But that doesn’t mean that all models sell at a high price. THE first editions which date from 1999 or 2000 are the most popular. If you are not an expert on the subject, you should know that certain signs are indicative of a rarer card. “Also look if there are symbols after the name of the Pokémon: an X, LEGEND or SP (for Pokémon Special). A card marked EX (Pokémon current collections) will also be more sought after.”our colleagues point out.

Condition is of course important. Torn or stained cards are much less valuable. This trend is not about to fade, according to Florian Bourguet, expert at the house of
auctions Vermot & Associates. “Between our sales in 2018 and the last one we held two weeks ago, prices have been multiplied by ten. Cards that were worth 500 euros are now worth between 8 and 10,000 euros.” The treasure hunt
is launched.