There was a time when Hong Kong trading card enthusiasts had to either visit dingy speciality shops or trawl the internet to find editions that were missing from their collections. One title in this game genre has changed all that: Pokemon.Since last year there has been a huge rise in demand for trading cards based on the 30-year-old multibillion-dollar Japanese video game franchise due to a surge in nostalgia among older millennials, who collect, trade and take part in competitions.Collecting Pokemon cards has evolved from a hobby to a form of high-return investment, with several authentication companies offering grading services to protect and safeguard the value of these collectibles, such as PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), whose grading system dates back some 26 years.A top grade “Pikachu Illustrator” card previously owned by US YouTuber Logan Paul entered the Guinness World Records in February this year when it fetched US$16.5 million, becoming the most expensive Pokemon trading card sold at auction.A collector sells a card at the 2026 Hong Kong Trading Card Show at AsiaWorld-Expo on March 14, 2026. Photo: Elson LiWhile there are no official statistics on the number of stores selling Pokemon cards in Hong Kong, those in the business speak of a spike in demand for rare, vintage and high-grade cards in recent months that has sparked a proliferation of these outlets. Collectors and players can now easily find and buy cards in areas such as Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong.