Game cards are worth a Pokémon worth 3 million! Senior players dismantle two valuable bits

To get rich by investing, in addition to speculating in stocks and properties, more and more people are buying emerging “assets” that appreciate in value, such as Bitcoin, sneakers, Be@rbrick, etc. But have you ever thought that a game card can be worth it A car, or even a downstairs floor?

According to foreign media reports, in November 2020, a rare Pokémon first-generation fire-breathing dragon card was sold for US$369,000 (equivalent to approximately HK$2.88 million).

What is driving the wave of nostalgia that makes childhood playthings now priceless collectibles?

Helen, a veteran player who is engaged in the financial industry and has 22 years of experience in collecting Pokémon cards, not only shared his personal collection with reporters, but also dismantled one by one why "high-priced cards" are so valuable!

It has been more than 20 years since the premiere of "Pokemon", and its popularity has not diminished, and its game cards have been sold at "high prices" from time to time.

(Photo by Luo Junhao)

"Pokemon" (Pokémon) was first broadcast in Japan in 1997, and it has been 24 years since then, but the popularity has not diminished over time, and peripheral products have become popular among the public, among which Pokémon cards have become the new favorite of the collectors.

In August 2019, an intact original Charizard card sold for $50,000.

But in April 2021, the same card was sold at the US auction house "Goldin Auctions" at a price of 360,000 US dollars (about 2.8 million Hong Kong dollars), which attracted much attention.

Pokémon card originates from the Trading Card Game (TCG), which refers to the game played by using special cards sold. Players play one-on-one two-player battles according to specific rules, ​a set of cards There are 60 cards, and there are three different types of cards, namely Pokémon, Energy and Trainer. The stronger the Pokémon's attack power, the more advantageous it is in the game.

With thousands of cards, players hunt for treasures

Helen has been exposed to Pokémon cards since he was a child. When he grew up, he began to collect a large number of cards. At first, he wanted to get back his old feelings, but gradually he collected thousands of cards. Most of the cards were drawn, and they were also purchased online or exchanged with friends .

Due to the low cost of drawing cards, the toy store costs about 20 to 30 yuan per pack of cards. As long as you are lucky enough, "two or three mosquitoes can get a priceless card!"

She revealed that on average, new game cards are released every two years, and the old ones will be "retired". Some players who are mainly participating in the game may give up the cards in their hands. She starts with these players and saves them now. A better set of first-generation cards was purchased from the champions in

Kong for only 600 yuan. Among them, 12 Pokémon cards have a market value of at least several hundred thousand yuan

. "

However, there are some cards that these players will not put on sale. "For example, after winning each war zone, you will get two champion cards, which are of commemorative value. When you bought the first-generation cards back then, they all picked them up and refused to sell them."

Looking for childhood memories, old cards are the most "hyped"

Many people may find it strange and don’t understand why these childhood playthings have repeatedly achieved sky-high prices, but in Helen’s eyes, they have become highly potential collectibles, even comparable to antiques. There are two main reasons.

One is that Pokémon cartoons began to be played in the 1990s. People who would watch the cartoons in those days happened to be a group of people with more financial ability. Coupled with the rise of the home economy due to the epidemic, they wanted to retrieve their childhood memories at this time.

Therefore, the old cards are also the most "hyped", especially "Fire-breathing Dragon". "Although the main character of Pokemon is Bikacha, many people like Bikacha products on the market, but in the world of cards, The most popular is the fire-breathing dragon.”

Why is the beloved Bika super card not the most valuable?

Helen explained that the fire-breathing dragon has the highest HP (blood volume) and the strongest attack power in the card game. "In the game, as long as you draw the fire-breathing dragon, you will win. Even if the auspicious egg can resist the attack, the auspicious egg will attack people. Self-depleting HP."

There are more and more Pokémon characters, and there are endless card styles.

(Photo by Luo Junhao)

Rising appraisal fees make high-scoring cards increasingly rare

Another reason, Helen believes, is nothing more than the word "money".

She explained that there are mainly two certification agencies in the market that certify and score cards. The higher the score, the higher the value.

However, due to the privatization of one of the authentication agencies, PSA, which was funded by a group of players and raised its fees, the current authentication fee for each card has risen from more than 10 US dollars to 120 US dollars.

In addition to shipping costs, the total cost of identifying a card may reach several hundred dollars. Cards are generally not identified unless they have a high chance of getting a high score. Therefore, high-scoring cards are becoming more and more rare in the market, and they are sold in the market. are also expensive.

Dismantling Report:

Although there are more and more Pokémon characters and more and more card styles are emerging, Helen said that the newly released cards are getting more and more flashy. The simple, pure feeling before.

Senior player Helen revealed that he intends to sell some cards, laughing that the card combination is like a stock, and the "blood stasis" must be cleared regularly.

(Photo by Luo Junhao)

Consider selling some "Blood"

Although Pokémon cards are valuable, are they really comparable to antiques that "the older they are, the more valuable they are"?

Helen said that antiques do not become more valuable the longer they are placed. Antiques have a tendency to be collected, as well as cards. "Chinese art has only risen in the past 30 years. When modern Western works are hyped, ancient calligraphy has not. So it all depends on the buyer’s taste, collectibles are like Fashion, they are cyclical.”

She pointed out that investors who want to speculate will be disappointed, because the value of expensive cards can reach a parking space or a floor, but the appreciation potential may not be comparable, "I would rather you buy a house, the wealth will increase faster and the value is low. It's very frustrating to expect it to double as a card."

During the interview, Helen revealed that he intends to sell some of the cards, "It's like investing in stocks, regularly selling the bruised and weak in the portfolio."

Although she was accused of "blood stasis" and "weak", she revealed that the market value of this batch of game cards was also hundreds of thousands of yuan.