History

Timeline

To get into the space of Pokémon card investing, it is important to know the history of Pokémon TCG. Pokémon TCG has over 25 years of history and a lot of the value of the cards has to do with the past. It all started on October 20, 1996, when the first set of cards was released in Japan following the success of the Pokémon games. This series is called "Based Set," and it was adapted into an English version in 1999 by the trading card company, Wizards of the Coast. Wizards of the Coast would continue releasing the English version of the Pokémon cards, initially released in Japan, for a total of 15 series. Since then, Pokémon TCG publishing has been handled by Pokémon USA, but it is the first 15 series that have become the most valuable.

Switching publishers meant the first 15 series will never be reprinted again, or at least, not reprinted in the same format as the original. This essentially cut off the supply of the "original" prints. As common knowledge iterates, a limited supply means an increase in price. The prices have further blown up due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, when the whole world was locked up indoors to escape contracting the virus, people were also looking for other sources of income. There was constant news on cryptocurrency, shorting stocks, and giving power to the 99%, and this desire for investing brought to light collectibles investing. In 2020, celebrities and influencers created excitement surrounding Pokémon card investments. The rapper, Logic, bought a first edition Charizard card for $220,000. This news was shortly followed by the YouTuber, Logan Paul, buying a box of cards from the "Based Set" series for $200,000 and auctioning off the cards to other influencers. Since then, the prices of Pokémon cards have skyrocketed, and so has the danger of investing.

Not only are there financial dangers to Pokémon card investing, but there are also physical dangers. In 2021, a Target in Wisconsin was locked down after a physical altercation occurred over trading cards. In response, Target and other stores temporarily stopped selling trading cards, further decreasing supply and increasing prices. This site hopes to help readers be wary of the cautions in Pokémon card investments. Observe the following for important dates in Pokémon history!

First Pokémon World Championship

The start of the Pokémon TCG World Championships was significant because it started the category of promotional cards. At special events, like the World Championships, limited edition cards are given out to participants or the winners of the trading card game. These cards are usually made in a very limited quantity and hold a lot of special value since they represent special times. These aspects have made cards from World Championships some of the most sought-after cards.

First Edition Charizard

Out of all the 102 cards in the Base Set series, the first edition Charizard is, indisputably, the most popular card. Charizard was very popular back then since it was the mascot of the Pokémon Red game. Its popularity and name recognizability led to the first edition Charizard to be one of the most sought-after cards in Pokémon card investing.