Why Adults Are Getting Back Into Pokémon

It was fall 1998 and I had total control of the TV. Suddenly, this amazing theme song caught my attention. The hypnotic guitar strings, the amazing voice I (an incredibly knowledgeable 9-year-old) thought was Michael Jackson, came together with my first viewing of adorable anime characters. Pokémon’s gotta catch ‘em all rang through my room…and it sure caught me.

Skip ahead to 2022.

I, like many other millennials, had lost my coveted first-edition Pokémon card collection to garage sales, mandatory donations to cousins, and time. And now my midlife crisis was on the rise with the soon to be birth of our first child. Was I actually old enough to be a mom? Yes, very much so. If only I could go back to a simple time. When my biggest worry was whether I would be able to pull a holographic Charizard card. My wife and I were introduced to beautiful fully illustrated cards called Art Cards. And suddenly, we were both swept back into the craze. (Thanks Steph).

The best part (and also, financially the worst)? We were stationed in Japan, surrounded by card shops like Book Off, Toys R Us, and the Yokohama Pokémon Center, and even at home we couldn’t escape the temptation, enslaved by the YPC (Yokosuka Pokémon Club), a huge Pokémon community on base.

Let the debt begin!

Why Are Adults Collecting Pokémon Cards Again?

As with many things, COVID-19 is a major contributor to the rise of adults collecting Pokémon cards. We were all stuck in our homes for weeks (or months) and were looking for new hobbies to take up. In a time when so much was unknown what better hobby was there than one that sparked childhood memories? According to Business Insider prices for cards went up nearly 500% during the pandemic.

It didn’t help that Tiktok and Youtube, which had become a crucial dopamine hit during quarantine, became flooded with countless channels dedicated collecting Pokémon cards. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the countless hours my wife and I spent writhing in envy as many of these channels appeared to effortlessly obtain our chaser cards. It looked too easy. If RealBreakingNate or Leonhart could do it, so could we.

Some people see it as an investment opportunity. The newest Elite Trainer Box (ETB) for Destined Rivals (released May 2025) retails for 59.99 and is being sold on eBay for as much as $194 (as of this posting). I know I was in line at GameStop at 7AM to get my hands on it!

How to Start Collecting Pokémon Cards as an Adult

If you want to get into collecting like the rest of us millennials and experiencce that amazing dopamine hit when you unveil a secret rare card for Pikachu, then you must choose your collecting style.

The Casual Collector

This is best if you just want to buy a pack or two and try your luck. You’re in this for the fun of it If you get a cool card, that’s great! But really, you’re just here for the vibes and cute Pokémon. Our wallet wishes this was us.

The Competitive Collector

You want to fill your binder up! You are ready to shove your amazing collection in your friends’ faces and gloat about how you pulled the 151 Charizard art card everyone was drooling over. This means you’re going to want to keep your eye on drop schedules and be ready to hit those lines early to grab your copy. Preorders will be your best friend.

The Investor

You’re here for the possibilities of financial gain. You did not get hurt in the great Beanie Baby debacle of 1999 and are here to profit off of children toys once more. You have your penny sleeves ready. Top loaders on standby. And your heart in your throat. Will you pull the coveted Umbreon secret rare card from Prismatic Evolutions that you can sell for $800?

Whatever style you choose, you’re going to want to protect those cards. Even the casual collector could end up with a high value card. For keeping my collection safe I prefer these penny sleeves, these top loaders, and this X PRO ringless top loader binder that has kept our cards significantly safer than the shoe box we all stored our cards in in the 90s.

Keeping Track of Your Cards

Instead of telling you all the different ways we have tried to keep track of our ever-growing collection, let me just tell you what worked best: Collectr. This app lets you take a picture of your card and will tell you what card it is and allow you to add it to your portfolio. On the free version you only get 35 scans but paying 5.99 a month gets you unlimited access. When your collection starts to grow, you’re going to want to use this. You can even search your collection by Pokémon name to see every card you have of them.

If you’re hesitant on dropping the cash that could be used instead to buy a new pack on this app, consider what my wife did. She meticulously took pictures of all of our cards and put them in folders for each Pokémon on her phone. This was time consuming, but free.

The last thing you can do is trust your memory. This is the easiest way to buy repeat cards at card shops. I cannot discourage you against this method enough. When shopping for singles, make a wish list for cards you want. Do NOT stray from that list.

Finding Community as an Adult Collector

As an adult it’s hard finding friends. Sure, there are work friends but do they have the same passion as you? Did they ever want to catch them all? Be the best, like no one ever was? Doubtful.

Now with your new hobby you have unlocked a whole new world of friends and community. Join the Facebook groups, the Reddit threads, and especially Discord if you want to be informed on the latest drops. We’re all going bankrupt together for these beautiful pieces of cardstock.

You can take this even further by finding local meetups (our local GameStop has trading events weekly) and even go to a Trading Card Convention! Does it sound nerdy? Yes, but who cares! You’ll be having fun with people who understand that every Pokémon is not named Pikachu (jeez, mom).

It’s More Than Just a Hobby

For some of us, Pokémon was never just a phase. It was an escape from the mundane. Something we could immerse ourselves in when life got a bit too hard. I know I used it as a way to deal with my dad’s disappointment in me and rebel against him. Despite the dent these cards have made in our savings, collecting and caring for cards has become a shared passion in my home. In the future we even plan to share our hobby with our sons! We already have cute little trade binders set up for them, have armed our parents with trade binders of their own, and have been storing unopened packs for them to earn instead of allowance. It’ll be a family bonding hobby! So, join us as we catch em’ all!

Do you collect Pokémon cards? Drop your favorite card in the comments!