149865 SEK.
That’s how much rare “Shadowless Charizard holo PSA 7” Pokemon card is clubbed on Tradera. An unopened version of the “Pokémon Neo Destiny 1st Edition booster box” went for a staggering 450,000 SEK.
Expensive cards are no exception but part of a trend.
During the pandemic, the demand for collectible cards has increased – like Pokémon cards, NHL cards, and cards from Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards – completely.
During 2020, a quarter of a million collector’s photos were sold on the Tradera auction site. Sales there increased in the first half of last year by 121 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
The most popular of all are the cards on the Japanese anime Pokémon. Nearly 500 Pokemon cards change their owners daily through the site.
1990s leadership
Tradera press officer Sophia Hagelin explains which type of Pokémon cards were the most in-demand.
– As with all collectibles, they are the ones that disappear into hundreds of thousands of rare and unused items. There are many more expensive cards on Charizard.
She believes the epidemic has given more people time to browse their card albums, which has increased sales of unusual cards, and made more people want to renew their collections.
– Those who are in high demand now are basically professional collectors who have large groups and do not have a particular card. Many artists in the ’90s collected Pokemon cards when they were young and now have their own income and more money to spend on cards.
Celine has been gathering for 16 years
Celine Belloc Rosskvist, 20, is a fan of Japanese petite monsters, and she’s been collecting Pokemon cards constantly since she was 4 years old. Today it has more than 20,000 in its range.
Celine Bellock Roskvist explains what made her stick with the group:
– The older characters are very nice too. It’s the whole series really – everyone helps each other out and it’s a beautiful world. And she says it’s a cozy place when things look the same in the world.
TT: What is your most expensive card?
I might not want to give it a go, but I can say I have a similar card to what everyone is talking about, the Charger, but in a slightly different form.
TT: How much money do you spend on your group?
I put more than the average person, but I don’t think money should be what matters without the collection itself and the real interest. For me, those expensive cards aren’t the goal without getting the most Pokemon possible.
“Ok to be a nerd now”
The growing demand doesn’t just apply to used cards – newly manufactured collection cards have gained momentum, too. This is attested to by Anders Neiker, founder of Coolcard.se, one of Sweden’s largest companies in the field of hockey pictures, soccer cards and card games.
There is nothing that can be compared throughout the years of our activity. We’re working hard to provide the products right now as delivery can be finished within two minutes, he says.
Anders Necker believes, however, that the timing of the recovery depends more than the pandemic.
It’s a combination of factors, and I think the reason for that is because it’s okay to be a “nerd” now. The internet has made you friends all over the world, even if you have a special interest.
Ida Vanhainen / TT
The word “Pokémon” means “pocket monster” and was originally a role-playing adventure game developed into the Nintendo handheld Gameboy console and released in 1996. The game aims to capture cute little monsters, and it was a huge hit.
In 2016, the game appeared in Niantic’s “Go” mobile version that has also become a success story.
In 2019, the eighth generation of mini monsters launched with the “Sword” and “Shield” games – then the total number of Pokémon characters surpassed 1,000 (even though the games themselves contain less than half).
In addition to the various games, for all Nintendo consoles from the Nintendo 64 onwards, today there is a TV series, a Hollywood movie, playing cards, stuffed animals, and everything related to Pokemon.