Pokemon Cards Outperform S&P 500? From Childhood Toy to Serious Investment

Pokemon cards, once just toys from childhood, are drawing attention as investment assets that rival stocks.

According to the New York Post, Peter Levin, founder of gaming and sports venture capital firm Griffin Gaming Partners, recently claimed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, "If the world were to end tomorrow, I am convinced that the world's currency the next day would be Pokémon cards."

Levin is known as a collector who owns more than 500,000 Pokémon cards and actively participates in card trading.

Levin highlighted "accessibility," noting that anyone can purchase cards at specialized stores and supermarkets, and that the opportunity to get their hands on rare cards is open to everyone.

He believes that this democratization of the experience is the driving force keeping the industry moving forward.

In fact, a report by The Wall Street Journal last year, citing data from a card price analytics firm, showed that Pokémon cards have recorded a return of about 3,821% since 2004.

Over the same period, the S&P 500 rose 483%.

Simply put, the growth rate of the Pokémon card index was about 8 times higher than that of the benchmark U.S. stock index.

High-priced transaction cases have also fueled the market enthusiasm.

YouTuber and professional wrestler Logan Paul purchased the rare "Pikachu Illustrator" card for about 6.7 billion won and later sold it this year for about 21.4 billion won, setting a global trading record.

Of course, not all Pokémon cards are traded at high prices.

The value of a card varies greatly depending on its scarcity, preservation condition, grading, and character popularity.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Lee Yu-jin | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.