I remember in the late '90s and early '00s, collecting Pokemon cards was a casual hobby. You'd go to your local brick-and-mortar store with the money you made from mowing the lawn or whatever, drop maybe $10 on a couple of packs, rip them open, then go to your middle school to trade cards with your friends. No one knew how to actually play the game; the cards just looked cool, and everyone wanted something. Me? I wanted a holographic Charizard, and I would've traded literally anything to get my hands on such a rarity.
It was so low-key back in the day. Saying that grosses me out, as I sound like a Boomer or Gen Xer, but it's true: Collecting Pokemon cards wasn't that serious, and we didn't put much stock in the cards, stuffing them in bags or pockets and watching them turn up in washing machines.
Now? Things are totally different. You can't just collect Pokemon cards as a hobbyist anymore. You've got to fight with scalpers looking to make a quick buck off nostalgia, as well as the kids who are either getting into the TCG for the first time or hoping to get something tradeable for their friends. (I don't decry the kids. They're not at fault.)
There have been plenty of incidents involving card collecting and violence lately. Robbers stole over $100,000 in rare cards from a California store in December 2025. A different set of robbers made off with nearly $120,000 in rare cards at gunpoint in New York in January 2026.
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