Pokémon Marks 30 Years as 1,000-Plus Cards Fuel Global Craze
Updated
Updated · RNZ · Aug 3
Pokémon Marks 30 Years as 1,000-Plus Cards Fuel Global Craze
2 articles · Updated · RNZ · Aug 3
Summary
Pokémon turns 30 this year, capping a rise from a creature-battling video game into a global franchise spanning anime, movies and trading cards.
More than 1,000 cards now exist, turning the old slogan of trying to “catch ’em all” into a mathematical challenge that Griffith University lecturer Nathan Garland examined.
Rare cards sell for hundreds and even thousands of dollars, underscoring how the trading card business has become a major commercial force within the franchise.
That demand has spilled beyond fandom: coveted cards have been linked to international crime, banned from some schools and locked behind glass cabinets in stores.