A Pikachu Illustrator card goes on sale for … 1 million euros, on eBay, in February 2023. So dig into your attics, because playground games can be worth a fortune. Purchased for a few francs in tobacconists in the 1990s, collectible and playing cards have indeed seen their value climb over the years. And Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon and Magic enthusiasts are now ready to spend a fortune to enrich their collection, by scanning the news on the Internet.
Alexandre Boissenot, head of the trading card category at eBay, tells us what to know about this market.
When did the trading and playing card business start?
Playing and collectible cards appeared in 1993 with the creation of the game “Magic: The Assembly”. But this craze gained momentum in 1999, with the release of Pokémon cards, popularized with games and cartoons. This franchise is the most profitable of all time, with over $100 billion in revenue generated since its inception. That’s three times more than Marvel and Harry Potter, 50% more than Star Wars. As for Magic, it is the second most played card game in the world after poker.
There are also collection cards such as sports cards (baseball, basketball, hockey) in the United States. They date from a century ago and are not intended for gaming, but their popularity is stronger than ever.
Who are the collectors?
There are those who play with friends and collect for personal enjoyment. We also find the big players, who chain tournaments on weekends and travel abroad to participate in conventions, in order to buy or exchange their cards. They are the ones who invest. They scan the news on the Internet. Finally, there is the category of investors, who buy to sell.
How to make money?
Regarding Pokémon, collectors can notably estimate the value of their card on eBay. They should look up the serial number and compare successful and completed sales. This will serve as a basis for knowing the market prices.
The other solution is to buy a card that will be stored for a few months, even a few years, to resell it. But this requires a fine understanding of the market, trends and, potentially, a resale network.
How do you know if a card is rare?
The shiny cards, sold in few copies, are generally the rarest. For Pokémon, we can find a small star at the bottom of the card [la rareté fluctue en fonction du nombre d’étoile et de sa couleur].
In Magic, there is an edit symbol in gold or red. But a rare card does not necessarily have to be expensive. For this, its conservation must be in very good condition.
How high can the cards go?
For the moment, the record has been reached with the purchase of the Pikachu illustrator at 5 million euros by the American youtubeur Logan Paul, in April 2022. As for Magic, the rapper Post Malone spent 800,000 dollars for the card the more expensive last July. But there are no limits, since the deductibles are bound to increase over time, which is reflected in the price.
Take Magic’s “Black Lotus” card: its value has increased 5,000 times between 1995 and 2022. It is therefore more profitable to invest in playing and collectible cards than in the stock market.
Will NFTs revolutionize the trading and playing card market?
No. There are certainly models of success in this field, such as the startup Sorare, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and is valued at $5 billion. However, what counts in playing and trading cards is the physical aspect. We take care of it, we cherish it… And play is essential. Competing in a duel or participating in tournaments is extremely pleasant, it is an aspect that is not found in NFT.