economy
March 1, 2026
£12m for a Pokémon card? If you’re not in the game you’re missing a trick
The record sum paid at auction for a rare example is part of a boom in trading cards – and the prices can be staggering
TL;DR
- A rare Pokémon Illustrator card sold for £12m, with the seller making a significant profit.
- Trading card sales are booming, with Walmart Marketplace seeing a 200% increase and eBay reporting consistent surges.
- The Pokémon franchise is now the world's largest media franchise, generating $147bn in revenue.
- Football cards and niche sets are also seeing high demand and prices.
- Collectors like Penny prioritize enjoying and playing with cards over investment, donating duplicates.
- Concerns exist about the hobby becoming too focused on gambling and investment, with parents sometimes confiscating valuable cards from children.
- The Covid-19 pandemic revived interest for some collectors, with the Pokémon company seemingly targeting an older demographic.
- Scalping and the pursuit of high-value cards are identified as significant problems within the current hobby landscape.
- Many new entrants are drawn to the hobby with unrealistic expectations of making large sums of money.
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