Jackpot or scam? The madness of the Pokémon cards

Take a good look at the back of your drawers, because maybe you could get rich from just cards. This is what many French people and now potential investors attracted by Pokémon cards have done. But beware, warns the UFC-Que Choisir, especially because of the bad influence of Youtubers or bloggers who make the youngest believe so much and wonder. Because if before Pokémon cards were found in playgrounds with friends, now young people are speculating on it.

Most are attracted by “boosters”, those ten-card packs where they hope to find rare cards in order to resell them at a high price. Asked by the UFC-Que Choisir, the wealth management advisor, Karl Toussaint du Wast, laughs at the “naivety” of these children who hope “to become rich by unearthing a rare card”. A craze that now affects 18 to 30 years, persuaded to make profitable investments in the long term. The health crisis has indeed exacerbated this passion for Pokémon cards, with an explosion in sales and slowed production. Result: rarity is the order of the day.

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Watch out for fake cards

Whether at auctions or on specialized sites, prices can sometimes soar. In June, as Capital echoed, a card had sold at auction for more than 12,000 euros, while in February, a Dracofeu card went for 418,000 euros on eBay, recalls the consumer association. Something to dream of … Except that not all cards are worth this price, far from it. Karl Toussaint du Wast believes that “the chances of finding a rare card are infinitesimal”, and deplores the role of Youtubers who keep making videos, seen by young people, by asserting that cards have value. However, they open “dozens of packages” and “exult when they fall on rare cards”, points the finger at a collector also facilitator on the site Pokégraph.

According to her, the universe around Pokémon has changed and some packs of cards are no longer even for sale in stores for fear that “speculators are throwing themselves on all stocks”. Especially since the risks are great notes the UFC-Que Choisir, starting with a deception on the merchandise. If you do not know the area well, you can get ripped off on the price of a card which is often overpriced. Some companies analyze the cards, but depending on the demand, it can sometimes take several months. Last advice, buy only in stores. According to the host of the Pokégraph site, “all those sold on Wish and Ali Express are fake.”