Summary
When thePokémon Trading Card Gamefirst launched in the 1990s, it may not have been a guaranteed success. Even with how popular the franchise was becoming in the United States,Pokémonwas in its infancy and baseball cards were arguably the TCG to beat. Times have certainly changed, but almost thirty years later,it’s hard to describe just how wild collectingPokémoncards was in the ’90s. Even with the more recent spike that started in 2020, the firstPokémon TCGcraze was one for the ages.
I was in fourth grade when Poké mania seemed to hit my corner of the country. The local TV station played episodes of the anime in the mornings before we caught the bus, people would bring theirgames inside Game Boysand GBCs to school to attempt to trade and evolve their precious Pokémon, and the shelves at my local Walmart were lined with TOMY action figures. Butit wasPokémoncards that finally seemed to seal the deal with the franchise’s popularity, and soon, it seemed like every kid at my school was trading them on the playground and battling during lunch.
Just How Hard Were Pokémon Cards To Find In The ’90s?
How Collecting Pokémon Cards Has Changed
Initially, it didn’t seem likePokémoncards were all that hard to find. Sometime between theJungleandFossilsets of the TCG, though, it felt like buying even a single booster pack required a lot of luck and standing in line. I lived in a small town and the only place that carried cards was Walmart. Somehow, people would get wind of new cards arriving.We’d stand in line outside the electronics section, sometimes for 30 minutes or more, where it was limited to one booster pack per person.
If you were really lucky,your parents might drive you 45 minutes away to the Toys “R “Us where there was a chance the inventory there would be higher, and the selection would be wider. At one point, I lucked into getting thePokémonTCG Fossil Booster Boxand felt like Indiana Jones getting ahold of the Holy Grail. In fact, of all thePokémonsets that have released since, it’s the one I always think about - the earthy-brown box with the giant Poké Ball and Ken Sugimori’s Aerodactyl on the front. It’s still vivid in my mind, and I could kick my younger self for not holding onto it.
10 Pokémon Cards Worth At Least $10,000
Pokémon cards can be highly collectible items, with many older, classic cards now valued at $10,000 or more when still in mint condition.
So, yes,Pokémoncard collecting felt harder in the ’90s. The internet was still limited, especially in a rural area like mine, so you had to rely on your friends and cousins to trade cards with rather than browsing sites like eBay and TCGPlayer today.The surrounding schools also bannedPokémoncards, which meant trading them got harder - we’d have to hide behind trees on the playground where the teachers couldn’t see us, or wait until the bus ride home, where cards weren’t outlawed.
None of this is hyperbole, and I’m sure any ’90s kid could back me up on this. Even with the card scarcity that appeared within the past four years, it never felt quite like cards were as difficult to obtain as they were back then.
Why Are Old Pokémon Cards Worth So Much Money?
Is it Nostalgia, Or Something Else Entirely?
Anyone who’s remotely interested inPokémoncards knows how valuable a1st Edition Charizard cardis, even if they may not know terms like “Shadowless” or “holographic” right off the bat. It’s such a storied card at this point, and it’s one of several olderPokémoncards that sometimes sell for wondrous sums of money. Even sealed copies of my preciousFossilbox are listed right now on eBay for thousands of dollars. The argument over whether they’re actually worth that much is moot - they do, after all, often sell for that much money.
The real question is why. And as someone who is sentimental and nostalgic for that era ofPokémon, I feel equipped to at least attempt to answer it. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who only care about the monetary aspects of it, and I’m sure rarity plays a part - after all, some of these cards will be 30 years old soon and that makes them naturally harder to find. But I thinka lot of people out there are like me - we’re nostalgic for these cards because of how much of our childhoods hinged on collecting them.
How Much Japanese Pokémon Cards Are Worth Compared To English Ones
Japanese Pokémon cards differ in value from English ones, but the exact factors that affect their worth are complicated. Here’s how they compare.
I still have most of my originalPokémoncards, and despite the occasional temptation to sell them off, I haven’t. They’ve moved with me across five different houses, three different states, and countless life events. I’ve kept them because they’re important to me, and I think for at least some of the people who bid for these expensive cards, it’s more about regaining a lost part of their childhood than it is about snagging a card they can hopefully sell in a few years for a profit.
I think for at least some of the people who bid for these expensive cards, it’s more about regaining a lost part of their childhood than it is about snagging a card they can hopefully sell in a few years for a profit.
We May Never Have Another Pokémon Era Like The ’90s Again
Will Pokémon Cards Stand The Test Of Time?
It’s hard to explain that first Pokémon craze to people who weren’t there. It was a cultural phenomenon that disrupted life in a way that we may not see again. After all, there was an anime, video games, cards, toys, clothes, and lots of other merchandise. Rarely has such a zeitgeist franchise been so multifaceted when it debuted. Andit speaks to the longevity of Pokémon that it’s still such a popular IP, even decades later.
I can’t definitely sayPokémoncards will stand the test of time. The market may crash like it did for baseball cards, and values may plummet. Historically,Pokémoncards have managed to retain their value through the years, but that may not always be the case. What I can say is that there will always be people like me who grew up loving Pokémon and still do, who may have kids of their own they want to share it with, and who will move from place to place with theirPokémon TCGcollections in tow, remembering a time when they had to stand in line for a single booster pack.
