How Pokémon cards are becoming a survival strategy for Aussie retailers

"We're talking 50-year-old men who've transitioned from watches to Pokémon, because Pokémon holds more value than a Rolex."

The surging price of Pokémon products has been no secret over the past few years, with some turning the trading cards into a lucrative side hustle.

And as the cards become a commodity, larger businesses are now following suit.

George Kozma started the multi-million-dollar streetwear business, Waves Never Die, in 2018, out of his home in Sydney's west and has kept his finger on the pulse of upcoming trends ever since.

He began selling high-end sneakers and streetwear from brands such as Supreme and Yeezy before adding coveted collectibles like Labubus and even Rhode beauty products into the mix during their highest demand.

After transforming a Moorebank warehouse into a streetwear store and dessert shop, he now has his eyes set on Pokémon cards, a hobby he claims is "going through the roof".

"I've got 45 to 50-year-old men calling me. I had one guy ask me for 50 packs of the bundles.

"We're talking 50-year-old men who've transitioned from watches to Pokémon, because Pokémon holds more value than a Rolex."

"You buy a Rolex, you're gonna flip it maybe in a year and make [up to] five grand, while you buy 50 packs worth five grand, and you might pull out a card that's worth a few grand.

"It's got a gambling aspect, it's like a thrill."

George isn't wrong. Earlier this year, professional wrestler and YouTuber Logan Paul broke a world record after selling his Pikachu Illustrator card for an eye-watering $US16.5 million ($23.3 million) in an auction, a card many consider the rarest of all time.

That is enough money to buy a harbourfront mansion in a luxury Sydney suburb, a garage full of supercars, or, in this instance, a piece of holographic cardboard cased in plastic and gold. 

Australian YouTuber Michael Anderson, better known as Unlisted Leaf, garnered more than 2.7 million subscribers and almost 1 billion views by opening Pokémon packs and even had the opportunity to reveal the value of a card that Paul opened in a pack live on stream in 2021.

"One of the most incredible cards I've ever filmed was the PSA 10 1st Edition Charizard, the same card that Logan Paul just sold for over $1 million," he told Nine.com.au.

"I got to reveal the PSA 10 grade of that card with its owner Will years before that sale, the whole day was very surreal."

Anderson told Nine.com.au he believes that COVID lockdowns and influencers such as Paul promoting the trading cards created the "perfect storm" that skyrocketed collecting to new heights.

"I've seen card shows go from small events with maybe 100 attendees to massive conventions with thousands of people walking through the doors," he said.

That is the story for Trading Card Show Australia founders Drei and Blair, who say their event began in 2021 with 20 vendors at a small community hall in Sydney's Inner West before it became a national show.

"Each show seems to be breaking records. We just did one in Brisbane with over 4500 people through the door," Blair said.

They say that Pokémon cards make up "at least 80 per cent" of tables at their shows, and they have seen cards worth as much as $80,000 at the events.

"Retail stores will always have a place in the hobby, though, especially as a space for people just to go during the week, to buy cards and sell cards," Blair said.

Despite being one of the few secondary retailers flipping Pokémon products, George said it is only a matter of time before his competitors hop on the trend.

"Everyone's gonna start, I guarantee every secondary resell store in Australia will be selling Pokémon within the next two, three, four weeks, because no one is spending money on anything else.

"Pokémon sells out instantly, they've got to go to the secondary market.

"You just got to chase what's selling at the moment," George said.

"In these current times, it's so tough, so we're hustling harder than ever."

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