Pokémon celebrated its 30th anniversary on February 27, 2026, celebrating not only the kids who grew up with it, but also the adults whose passion for collecting trading cards has grown from a childhood hobby to a full-blown phenomenon.
The milestone comes at a time when the card-collecting hobby, including Pokémon, has seen a massive resurgence. After years of rising interest, the COVID-19 pandemic played a key role in rekindling the passion for these collectible cards, with many returning to old hobbies during the lockdown. What was once seen as a youth pastime has now evolved into a booming market, with cards crossing different genres, sparking heated debate and even breaking records in terms of sales.
Experts Geoff Wilson and Leon Steinfeld, both longtime collectors and now prominent content creators, shed light on the growing world of card trading. Both were introduced to trading cards in the 90s when franchises like Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Saw his initial rise. He recalls his days trading baseball cards in school and how, despite drifting away from the hobby as he grew up, his love for it rekindled with the advent of content creation and growing digital presence.
For Wilson, the world of card trading soon became more than a hobby – it turned into a full-time career, with his focus being on content creation, particularly through his YouTube channel, Sports Card Investor. Steinfeld, meanwhile, never completely abandoned the hobby, maintaining a collection of some sort over the years. In 2010, he started creating content, and eventually, he took a leap and left his career as a lawyer in 2017 to pursue card-based content creation full-time.
The increase in popularity after the pandemic cannot be denied, the prices of cards have become very high. For example, sports cards, which previously cost $1,000, were selling for up to $10,000 by the beginning of 2021. Pokémon cards, especially rare ones like Pikachu and Charizard, have also become high-value collectibles. Some older packs, like the 1999 Pokémon Base Set Booster Box, sold for about $32,000 in 2022.
Although the market is fascinating, it can also be a bit difficult to navigate for new collectors. As Wilson and Steinfeld point out, tracking card prices and understanding their value has become a complex task, but collectors can easily stay updated with the help of their respective apps – “Market Movers” and “Rare Candy.”
Social media has become the heartbeat of this hobby. Popular creators like Wilson and Steinfeld have a presence on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, with audiences in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. Collectors often tune in to watch exciting “breaking” moments – when rare cards are revealed from unopened packs, or “grading reveals”, when cards’ authenticity and value are evaluated. The growing presence of online card shows, where collectors interact and purchase coveted items, adds a social aspect to the hobby that goes beyond the physical exchange of cards.
The future of card trading looks bright, however, as both Wilson and Steinfeld point out, the industry may be slowing in terms of annual growth. But as long as people continue to find ways to buy, sell and trade, he believes the hobby will endure. “Card shows will continue to grow in popularity,” Wilson predicts, and Steinfeld agrees, adding that “physical media is here to stay.”
With the market continuing to grow, and with the rise of digital and physical events creating communities in the field, it seems likely that trading cards will remain an important part of collector culture for years to come.