US Edition30 years after Pokémon’s release, fans are still trying to catch ‘em all
The 30-year-old Pokémon franchise drives a $70,000-plus trading card market but faces rising thefts and scalping, impacting collectors and businesses, experts say.
- This week marks 30 years since Pocket Monsters launched in Japan, with the franchise now spanning shows, movies, trading cards, and mobile hits, reportedly the highest-grossing media franchise.
- When Pocket Monsters first hit Game Boy in 1996, strong word-of-mouth and the low price helped it sell over 12 million copies in its first year, inspired by creator Satoshi Tajiri's childhood insect-collecting.
- Celebrity buying and resale activity show that social media star Logan Paul sold a Pokémon card for a record $16.5 million after buying the PSA Grade 10 Pikachu Illustrator card for $5.3 million.
- Rising store break-ins in Southern California show hundreds of thousands lost in recent months and last Tuesday thieves stole more than $80,000 from Do-We Collectibles, Anaheim, owner Duy Pham said.
- Collectors emphasize nostalgia and the community's inclusiveness, as Monique Budden and Ariana Stidham say friendships and lifelong engagement thrive alongside Pokémon's accessibility and varied playstyles.
72 Articles
72 Articles
Thirty years after its creation in Japan on 27 February 1996, the enthusiasm for the Pokémon franchise does not seem to be slipping away.
30 years after Pokemon's release, fans are still trying to catch them all
Benson Lu's life revolves around Pokemon. The 26-year-old has played the mobile game Pokemon Go every day for a decade, watches the animated show every week, goes to the local card shop in his Los Angeles suburb to play the brand's trading card game every week and has a whopping collection of cards worth more than $70,000.
Pokemon fans are still on quest to 'catch 'em all' 30 years after release
For Benson Lu, Pokemon is more than nostalgia – it’s a daily ritual and a five-figure investment. Three decades after the franchise’s debut, the pocket monsters still command fierce devotion, soaring resale prices and even criminal attention, proving the quest to “catch ’em all” is far from over.
30 years after Pokemon's release, fans are still trying to catch 'em all
“I think the longevity of it has to do with the characters and world-building it does with the characters,” said Heather Cole, teaching assistant professor of game design and interactive media at West Virginia University.
30 years after Pokémon's release, fans are still trying to collect them all
In the years “Pokémon Red” and “Pokémon Green” were released in 1996 for Nintendo Game Boy in Japan, marking the debut of Pokémon, the franchise has taken over the globe with its animated shows, mobile games and highly coveted trading…
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