Pokémon cards are a lot more than just shiny pieces of cardboard. With cards costing as much as they do, there are people who take advantage of the unknowing – learn how to protect yourself and the kids
Pokémon cards first made their debut in Japan in 1996, and later on in the rest of the world in 1999. The very first set launched with 102 base cards, including iconic Pokémon like Pikachu, Mewtwo, Charizard, and many more. They initially were very affordable – no one batted an eye, and kids treated them like they were supposed to, like toys. But today, Pokémon cards have become an investment, and have brought along with it an ‘underbelly’ of crime and unsavory practices. Even if you’re not a Pokémon fan, it’s important to know how to enjoy the hobby without being caught in any of the pitfalls – especially if the kiddos are starting to get into it.
Understanding Pokémon cards
Why are Pokémon cards so expensive?
It’s hard to ascertain the one reason that made the prices of Pokémon cards skyrocket. One of the more obvious reasons is simply the law of supply and demand. As the interest and popularity of Pokémon grew, more and more people started collecting cards. While new sets were released, older sets were phased out of printing, which eventually led to a scarcity as more collectors bought up the supply.
Another reason could be due to the boom of Pokémon Go back in 2016. While I was primed and ready to go with the app already installed the moment it came out, I did not expect the craze to take the world and the whole of Singapore by storm. Uncles and aunties were out in droves, scouring the island for Pokémon even though the only Pokémon they knew of was Pikachu just a few days prior. Pokémon Go was the gateway into Pokémon for the uninitiated and introduced them to the world of Pokémon. Which is why many speculated that this spilled over into the Pokémon card hobby, and eventually drove the popularity of cards, as well as their prices, to never-before-seen numbers.
Celebrity hype definitely has played a role, especially in more recent times. YouTuber and internet celebrity Logan Paul made headlines after auctioning his rare Pikachu Illustrator card for $16.49 million USD. Yes, you read that right. In March 2026, Kim Kardashian was also spotted with her son Saint West, who spent $1,300 USD on a Charizard card. Not too crazy, but it does add to the fact that even more people who may have never interacted with Pokémon cards before might now be aware of them and may even start collecting them. Plus, the price of the cards these celebrities buy will definitely be impacted, solely because they bought that specific card.
You may have also noticed in the pictures above that the cards are encased in a plastic holder. While it does offer more protection for the cards, that’s not the only reason. These cards are what are known as graded cards, where the Pokémon cards have been sent to authenticating companies like Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), who give a rating of the card based on its quality. Ranging from a ‘mint 10’ to a ‘poor 1’, the quality of the grade heavily determines its price, sometimes even increasing the price by 10 times or more for a gem mint 10.
How to buy Pokémon cards in Singapore
There are so many different products and ways to get them that it might get confusing for someone just starting out. In terms of types of products, you can purchase single packs, a box of packs, special products that contain several packs, and a special promotional card, tins that have a few packs in them – honestly, there are too many to name. Each pack, depending on whether they’re English cards or otherwise, contains between five to 10 cards. There is no guarantee you’ll get an expensive card, which is why most would consider opening packs akin to gambling for kids, but that’s a topic for another time. You can find these products sometimes at the official Pokémon Centre Singapore (I’ll get into why it’s only ‘sometimes’ later on), online platforms like the official Pokémon store on Lazada, or from various retailers and card shops across the island.
If you’re not a fan of the gambling aspect, you can also choose to buy the single card you want. You can often find singles available at card stores or trade shows, which are community-hosted events where sellers rent a table to sell their cards. I’ve also learned recently that these shows are very frequent in Singapore nowadays, with at least one a week, so you’ll definitely find the card you’re looking for as long as you keep visiting the shows. Or if you’re like me and are too lazy to step out of the house, you can shop for singles on Carousell or dedicated Telegram channels – just make sure to look up the market price of the cards using websites like TCGPlayer, PriceCharting, or viewing the last sold listings on eBay to avoid overpaying.
The problems with Pokémon cards in Singapore
As the hobby transitioned into a mix of collecting and investing, several problems arose. Scams, theft, scalping, market manipulation, just to name a few. Which seems ridiculous considering all of this is happening over Pokémon cards. Literal cardboard. But ever since the popularity of cryptocurrency, people have come to realise that almost anything can be made to have value as long as there’s a willing buyer. But for those curious as to what exactly goes down in the ‘underbelly’ of the Pokémon card world, let me shed some light on the pressing issues that are occurring, especially in Singapore.
Scalping
Scapling isn’t an issue that’s unique to Pokémon cards – anything that’s collectable or limited edition is susceptible to the plague of scalpers looking to make a quick buck. However, Pokémon isn’t making it easy, especially with how product is being sold for retail price in Singapore. Remember how I brought up that Pokémon Centre Singapore only ‘sometimes’ has Pokémon cards? Unless you know when they make the product available, you’ll probably never see them sitting on shelves anywhere in the country. Almost every day, you can see snaking queues like the one above at the Plaza Singapura Pokémon Centre pop-up and sometimes, there isn’t even a guarantee that there will be any Pokémon card products – they’re just queuing in the hope of something being sold.
While are limited amounts of product being sold, with limits on how many each person can buy. Seems like a good way to get around the issue, right? Well, not really. Some infamous members of the community have been hiring proxies to queue for them and get more product. This allows the ringleader to obtain several times the limit of product, which they will then resell online for two to three times the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). Members of the largest Pokémon card Telegram group, PokémonTCG_Singapore, often vent their frustration of not being able to queue up in time to get the products. Those who do make it into the queue also share that they often see the same faces in queues – even aunties and uncles who more than likely aren’t Pokémon fans. While I don’t want to assume that to be the case, recent articles online have discussed the issue of using proxies to queue during the Swatch x AP Royal Pop watch drop, which leads me to believe the same is probably going on for Pokémon cards.
The issue persists even with the online Lazada official store. There are often Pokémon card products released on weekdays but you’ll be lucky to even see the option to buy them – they go out of stock within seconds of being released. Members of the PokémonTCG_Singapore Telegram group have shared evidence that people are using bots to snipe these products, which again end up being resold on Carousell for almost triple the price sometimes. While many don’t wish to support scalpers, it seems like getting product for MSRP is out of reach for most, and they end up resorting to paying the scalper’s premium prices. So much for the kiddos who just want to feel the joy of opening some Pokémon packs!
Scams and theft
Because of all the scalping, many resort to purchasing packs or singles through third-party sources, like Carousell or Telegram. Which opens up a whole other can of worms – scams and thefts. Again, not something new when buying things online, but there have been new methods that have been popping up recently, such as phishing scams. The one that’s been floating around is that the scammer requests to use Carousell doorstep delivery and claims they’ve already paid. Then, they’ll request your email to confirm the delivery, where they’ll use it to phish for your personal info. The best advice I can give is to deal in person, especially with cards or products of higher value. If your child is involved in any transaction, make sure a trusted adult is present.
Tampered products
For those buying products like packs or boxes, there are even more things to take note of. You have to check first if the products are fake or not – the fakes are getting much better nowadays, with only small details that you can spot to tell the difference. Next, if you’re buying unsealed products like a box of packs, for example, the insides may be tampered with, and the box resealed. The key is knowing the difference between a factory seal and a reshrink — factory seals typically have a slight curve and sit a little looser than repackaged ones. A quick search for “factory sealed vs reshrinked Pokémon box” will show you what to look for.
There have also been sets where packs with rarer cards weigh more, or people have used a metal detector to find packs with rare cards that have foil on them. Do your research before any purchase, especially if you’re new to the hobby.
Is it worth it to get into Pokémon cards?
Having only recently started getting into Pokémon cards myself, I’ve been having a blast both collecting and chasing for cards by opening packs. I’ve also enjoyed meeting people from the community who’ve taught me the tricks of the trade – some of them have even been kind enough to share their stories.
A mum from the PokémonTCG_Singapore Telegram group shared how she got into cards through her two sons.
“My boys started it first last year… they kept coming home with 1-2 packets that never had any hits and cost $12-$15. I stepped in as I felt like they were being scammed. Now, we’ve opened multiple boxes as a family, scored some big hits and even sold them at some card shows.”
I even had the chance to speak to the co-owner of a Telegram channel, Soluna Claims, that sells and auctions cards. The person I spoke to, nicknamed Espeon, shared their experience both as a buyer and seller of Pokémon cards in Singapore.
“I think for kids, it could be a good side hustle if they have the right mentality… in terms of investing, it’s definitely good for them. There have been kids who look like they’re Primary One or Primary Two who’ve come to pick up cards from my house and had a bunch of $50 notes in their wallet!”
Pokémon cards can be a genuinely fun family hobby — and for the switched-on ones, even a smart way to earn. Just go in with your eyes open, do your research, and don’t let the bad actors put you off.
Are you gonna collect them all? Be smart and don’t let Team Rocket win!
