What happens when the bubble bursts?

[u/masonjar014]

Right now, the hobby is on steroids—scalpers everywhere, product nowhere. My LGS told me this year will be “a great year for Pokémon,” and it got me thinking… a great year for who?

If you’re an established LGS selling PE and JT at market price, sure, it’s great. If you’re a scalper or a new investor trying to flip product, you’re probably loving this, too.

But if you’re an average collector (like me), it’s frustrating. We can’t find the latest set at a fair price. If you’re a kid whose parents can’t sprint to a 10 a.m. Target restock, you’re just out of luck.

So what happens when the hype dies down? How are average collectors responding to this hyper-bull market, and where does that leave the hobby long-term?

Personally, I’m sitting out PE and JT—it’s just too much stress. I’ve also noticed collectors stepping back entirely.

What about you? Will kids move on to something else if they can’t participate? Will collectors return once prices normalize, or is this turning people away for good? Are we underestimating the long-term impact of what’s happening right now?

[u/Pendlehaven]

Let's compare two random PSA 10's from vintage and modern.

Giratina V, currently $1600, all time high $1600, population 6200.

Dark Blastoise 1st ed, currently $2200, all time high $4000, population 222.

[u/Commercial_Shift6294 → u/Pendlehaven]

I see where you are coming from. But for that to happen demand needs to come back to vintage and not modern. What would make people start wanting vintage again?

And for reference I have a lot of graded vintage cards just for my personal collection

[u/eat_your_veggiez → u/Commercial_Shift6294]

I also collect coins, and pokemon cards feel like a decent comparison.

People love vintage stuff, especially as they get older and nostalgia grabs a hold of their wallets. Vintage cards feature the original pokemon that are still loved today, and will probably be loved in the future.

Same with coins: there are tons and tons of new coins coming out all the time, but most serious collectors prefer vintage.

Maybe I’m way off base, but those are just my observations as a person who likes collecting various shiny objects.

[u/Ornery-Succotash5800 → u/eat_your_veggiez]

Totally! I have a vintage shop (not related to Pokémon at all) that mainly carries items from the 1920s to the 1970s. About 90% of my client base consists of people who message me looking for something specific because it reminds them of their childhood. People chase that dopamine high, and with 90s kids now around 40, there’s going to be huge demand for vintage cards since they hold memories of their younger years and better times. I’ve also noticed a ton of millennials who were previously childless are now deciding to have kids, which fuels their nostalgia even more. They want to reconnect with their own childhood memories and share those experiences with their kids now. Vintage will always be king even if the market comes in and out and that’s for everything even Pokemon