A recent spike in the popularity of the Pokémon Trading Card Game is overwhelming appraisers. The popular trading card game was first published back in 1996, just months after the release of the franchise's first video game Pocket Monsters: Red and Green in Japan. Since then the trading card game and video game series have grown together, with new cards being added to reflect new material from the video games.
While playing the actual Pokémon Trading Card Game can be great fun, there is also real monetary value to be found as well. Infamous YouTube streamer Logan Paul recently opened a number of first-edition Pokémon TCG packs which wound up being worth over $2 million. Paul purchased 36 packs of first-edition card packs, originally published in 1999, for an average of $39,206 per pack. After opening all 36 packs the streamer had discovered two first-edition Charizard cards along with a first-edition Mewtwo, Blastoise, and Venusaur. The combined value of every card he opened exceeded $2 million, resulting in a profit that very well may have exceeded half a million dollars.
A report from Vice reveals that the recent spike in Pokémon TCG's popularity has overwhelmed card appraisers, resulting in wait times of up to one year or more. The card game's rise in popularity has been attributed to both the COVID-19 pandemic and a new generation of gamers taking an interest in the franchise thanks to games such as Pokémon GO. Card appraisers are professionals who are able to inspect trading cards and determine their worth based on a card's condition, age, and importance. As collectors rush to sell their Pokémon cards while their value and price are high, appraisers have become overwhelmed by the influx of business.
As collectors and sellers look to past releases to make a profit, The Pokémon Company continues to release new expansions for Pokémon TCG. The game's next upcoming release, Pokémon Sword & Shield - Chilling Reign, will add legendary Pokémon from the franchise's Galar region such as Calryex, Glastrier, and Spectrier. The new expansion pack for the ever-evolving game is set to release on June 18.
Pokémon TCG has exploded in popularity lately, and collectors are eager to take advantage of the situation. High demand means a high price on the market, and card appraisers are being caught in the crossfire. Another major Pokémon TCG transaction occurred recently, as a rare promotional card depicting The Pokémon Company founder and president Tsunekazu Ishihara was sold at auction for $250,000. The promotional card, signed by Ishihara himself, was distributed to Pokémon Company employees on the founder's 60th birthday in 2017. While business is certainly good for those who make their business inspecting trading cards, wait times of up to one year are sure to drive away impatient customers.
Source: Vice