Pokémon cards are being stolen from stores, banned from schools, and locked inside glass cabinets — and the frenzy shows no signs of stopping. But this obsession didn't come from nowhere. It traces back to 1970s Japan, where snack companies like Calbee and Lotte discovered that kids would do almost anything to collect the cards hidden inside their products. A young Satoshi Tajiri grew up in that culture, and it directly inspired him to create Pokémon in the 1990s — a franchise built entirely around the thrill of collecting.
The brand exploded globally after the English-language version launched in 1998, with character names carefully anglicised for new audiences. Nyarth, a lucky-cat-inspired monster, became Meowth. Ash replaced Satoshi. A shared Pokédex gave players worldwide a common language, and by 2004, the first World Championship for the Pokémon Trading Card Game was held in the US. But by the early 2010s, the franchise was losing ground to rivals and struggling to stay relevant.
Then came Pokémon GO in 2016. The enormous success of Pokémon GO played a key role in re-energising the global Pokémon fandom, pulling millions of nostalgic adults back in. With more time at home during COVID lockdowns, people dug out old binders and rediscovered their childhood cards — many of which had quietly become coveted collector's items worth serious money.
That nostalgia has now turned into a full-blown investment frenzy. The ultra-rare Pikachu Illustrator card — only 39 copies known to exist — sold this year for over US$16 million. What started as a free gift inside a snack packet has become one of the most lucrative collectables markets on the planet.
