| Dreamstime.com
Call it Pokémon-mania. What tulip bulbs were to the Netherlands in the 17th-century, Pokémon cards may become in our own time, especially with the company (estimated valuation $90 billion) —the world’s highest- grossing media franchise — celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Helping to fuel the craze — rare, vintage cards in mint condition that are shifting the childhood hobby into something closer to a collectible asset, especially for Gen Zers, who have been swept up in the nostalgia for all things 1990s. (Pikachu, Charizard and Umbreon are the most collectible characters, with Pikachu Illustrator and first edition Shadowless Charizard being the most sought after.)
That nostalgia, plus limited supply and third-party grading ,have pushed parts of this market meaningfully higher. So has mainstream attention: In February, influencer and wrestler Logan Paul sold a Pikachu Illustrator card for $16.5 million, setting a Guinness World Record for the most expensive trading card sold at auction to date.
It reminds us of what happened with vinyl records, which aficionados often prefer to CDs and which can fetch anywhere from a few dollars to thousands.
Let’s be clear: We are not recommending this as an investment strategy. Markets like this can be unpredictable. They’re often driven as much by hype and emotion as they are by fundamentals. Values can go up. They can also come down. Fast.
During the Dutch Golden Age, when the Netherlands was a global trading powerhouse, contract prices for the recently introduced and quickly fashionable tulip reached a fevered pitch. The acceleration, which began in 1634, only lasted until February 1637. But while the obsession flamed out, the passion never died. Today, the Dutch agricultural and horticultural export economy produces more than three billion bulbs, supplying more than 75% of the world’s traded tulip bulbs and generating $2 billion-plus annually.
So a craze can give way to a thriving industry that has stood the test of time and thus is ripe for investment. But anyone joining the Pokémon craze should do so with realistic expectations and a healthy dose of caution.
From a planning standpoint, we view collectibles as a small slice of the overall picture. A good rule of thumb is to keep alternative assets like this under 10% of your portfolio. That way, your core strategy stays grounded in diversification and long-term thinking.
We’re sharing this because it reflects something bigger — a shift in what people assign value to. Things tied to culture, nostalgia and personal meaning are increasingly showing up in conversations about wealth and assets.
And it might not be the worst idea to take a quick look through your kids’ old toy bin. You never know what kind of “diversified asset” might be hiding in there.
It’s worth paying attention to. The question is: Is it worth paying for?
Ben Soccodato and Chris Kampitsis are with The SKG Team at Barnum Financial Group in Elmsford. Michael Kouropakis, also with the team, contributed to this column.
