Forget about Pokemon Go – Pandemic just makes you glow

149865 SEK.

That’s how much the rare “Shadowless Charizard holo PSA 7” Pokemon card is clubbed on Tradera. An unopened version of the “Pokémon Neo Destiny 1st Edition booster box” went for a staggering 450,000 SEK.

Expensive cards are no exception but part of a trend.

During the pandemic, the demand for collectible cards has increased – like Pokémon cards, NHL cards, and cards from Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards – completely.

During 2020, a quarter of a million collector’s photos were sold on the Tradera auction site. Sales there increased in the first half of last year by 121 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

The most popular of all are the cards on the Japanese anime Pokémon. Nearly 500 Pokemon cards change their owners daily through the site.

1990s leadership

Sophia Hagelin, press officer for Tradera, explains which type of Pokémon card was the most in-demand.

– As with all collectibles, those who go away are hundreds of thousands of unused and rare rare items. There are several more expensive cards on Charizard.

She believes the epidemic has given more people time to browse their card albums, which has increased sales of unusual cards, and made more people want to renew their collections.

– Those who are in high demand now are basically professional collectors who have large groups and do not have a particular card. A lot of ’90s artists collected Pokemon cards when they were young and now have their own income and more money to spend on cards.

Celine has been gathering for 16 years

Celine Belloc Ruskvist, 20, is a fan of Japanese petite monsters, and she’s been collecting Pokemon cards constantly since she was 4 years old. Today it has more than 20,000 in its range.

Celine Belloc Roskvist explains what made her stick with the group:

– The older characters are very nice too. It’s the whole series really – everyone helps each other out and it’s a beautiful world. And she says it’s a cozy place when things look the same in the world.

TT: What is your most expensive card?

I might not want to give it a go, but I can say I have a card similar to what everyone is talking about, the Charger, but in a slightly different form.

TT: How much money do you spend on your group?

I put more than the average person, but I don’t think it should be money that counts without the collection itself and the real interest. For me, those expensive cards aren’t the goal without getting the most Pokemon possible.

“Ok to be a nerd now”

The growing demand doesn’t just apply to used cards – newly manufactured collection cards have gained momentum, too. This is attested to by Anders Neiker, founder of Coolcard.se, one of Sweden’s largest companies in the field of hockey pictures, soccer cards and card games.

Nothing can be compared throughout the years of our activity. We’re working hard to provide the products at the moment as delivery can finish within two minutes, he says.

Anders Necker believes, however, that the timing of the recovery depends on more than the pandemic.

It’s a combination of factors, and I think the reason for that is because it’s okay to be a “nerd” now. The internet has made you friends all over the world, even if you have a special interest.

Ida Vanhainen / TT