LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Card shops across the Las Vegas Valley say demand for Pokémon cards is at an all-time high as new releases for the franchise’s 30th anniversary celebration hit shelves.
Collectors across the valley are racing to storefronts as the highly anticipated 30th anniversary set rolls out.
“I’m at the store today just to look at different types of cards, hopefully to find my favorite Pokemon,” said Giselle Brustos, a Pokémon card collector.
A card shop worker said demand has grown steadily.
“Pokemon is more popular than ever. It has been. And I think that just keeps growing every year,” said Saul Arroyo the card manager at 888 Collectibles.
When asked whether customers are frequently coming in looking for Pokémon cards, a worker said, “Oh, all the time. It’s pretty much the main thing we sell.”
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Shelves wiped out at Henderson shop
At Vegas Singles Trading Cards in Henderson, shelves were wiped clean almost immediately.
“We had the 30th celebration ETBs yesterday for about an hour. And we had a bit more of the product until closing last night,” said Ryan Brikman, associate of Vegas Singles Trading Cards.
That frenzy is sparking large lines across Southern Nevada.
“Um, yeah. I went to GameStop this one time. It was like a really big line, which I was kind of annoyed,” one Pokémon fan said.
“I’ve seen lines that span a whole shopping center, ”said Arroyo.
Crowds described as unprecedented in Chinatown
At 888 Collectibles in Chinatown, workers say the crowds are unprecedented.
“Since I started working here, like on a daily basis, there was like maybe like seven, eight people in the store at a time,” Arroyo said. “Now it’s like we have to have like a whole line outside.”
With some individual cards fetching up to $6,000, collectors see them as investments.
“You know, like, these ones, and the fat Pikachus, obviously, right? Like, these ones right here,” said Arroyo. “And those could become more valuable later.”
Celebrity visitor stops by shop
Local fans aren’t the only ones turning out. The 888 Collectibles worker said RM from BTS visited the shop during his tour stop in Las Vegas.
“RM from BTS came to the shop, actually,” said Arroyo. “And yeah, he came here on his BTS tour here. And I was shocked seeing him here.”
Shops are already waiting for their next batch of cards. Because of increased demand nationwide, there is no guarantee if or when the next shipment will arrive.
Businesses say their sales are up with the attention. They say the 30th anniversary celebration is drawing attention because of rare Pikachu chase cards, new releases, and reprints of classic vintage sets.
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