Special editions and nostalgia - why trading cards are as popular as ever

Usually, you might associate Boxpark Wembley with football, packed to the brim with punters ready to throw pints at a moment's notice should their team score under the famous Wembley arch. But when Skiddle visits, the bustling crowd are here for a different reason: to look at a huge range of trading cards and collectables.

The Cards and Collectibles TCG and Sports Event Presented By Whatnot took place on Sunday 6th April, with a plethora of traders offering cards from across Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic: The Gathering, with tonnes of sports cards available too. In recent years, trading cards have had a huge boost in popularity, with the market now projected to be worth over a billion US dollars. 

We had the chance to speak to a few attendees about their interests in trading cards, as well as a few of the vendors themselves. “Nostalgia is a big thing for me, I’m still watching cartoons; I’m stuck in the 90s right now,” one attendee says. This was backed up by one of the event organisers, Jack Stuart, who emphasised how the cyclical nature of trends combined with nostalgia plays a significant role in the recent uptick in interest.

“With the big Pokémon boom right now, I think our generation [Gen Z] is getting back into everything from their childhood. Everyone’s pouring money back into it to relive their childhood. I think trends are very cyclical, things come around every two to three decades in fashion and hobbies. I think it’s a natural cycle.” When it comes to Gen Z, it has been reported that they’re much more likely than other generations to invest in collectables, and there’s been an increase in young women taking up the hobby too as card collecting moves away from the stereotypes of being white-dominated and exclusively for “nerds”. 

Aside from nostalgia, there’s the appeal of having a tangible item to hold in your hand, which is why Gen Z has also been a big part of the vinyl resurgence of the last few years. People want things to collect and put on display. There’s a cross-generational appeal to trading cards, a common ground that is found between collectors of all ages. “If you look around, there are young kids here who are now going to grow up with the Pokémon TV show. I remember watching it when I was around five or six, and then there are guys who grew up with the original games here in their thirties. It’s massive with all walks of life,” Jack says.

Within the sense of fandom that surrounds trading cards, social media has played a part in capitalising on their increased popularity. You can find influencers on YouTube and TikTok who are opening the latest packs and showing off their most prized collections. Some of the vendors we speak to also create content, discussing rare and unique editions of cards and playing into the excitement of being a fan. 

There’s big money to be made from trading cards, with the highest-ever sale being a 1952 Topps Micky Mantle card, which was sold for $12.6 million. It far eclipses the total value of $5.275 million Logan Paul famously spent on a Pikachu Illustrator card in 2022. Pokémon brings in the highest figures of any trading card game outside of sport., The brand has had a huge cultural impact since the 90s with hugely popular video games and TV shows, which have only increased the fandom surrounding the card game. 

But what determines the value of a card? We spoke to Kareem of Trust Grading, who uses the PSA scale to rank how valuable a card is, with ten being the best you can get. “The value of a card can be to do with timing, it can also be to do with rarity. Normally, it’s easier for a Japanese card to get a PSA 10 than it is an English one.” Multiple factors are taken into account, with values rising and falling all the time.

There are plenty of rare cards on offer throughout the convention at Boxpark. One vendor disappears down the back of his display for a moment with a set of keys, re-emerging with a rare, one-of-a-kind edition of Mew, complete with a display case. Another is selling a rare Yu-Gi-Oh! Card, a misprint of XYZ Dragon Cannon, which has Master Monk mistakenly printed over the top. Value can come from mistakes as much as a card’s mint condition, as it’s valued at £6000. 

He also has a set of Eeveelutions from Pokémon, which are paired together for a combined price of over £1000. That’s including a slight discount, which he believes should happen at conventions to account for the lack of an eBay fee. There’s a real sense of community surrounding the event. The traders are just as excited as the attendees to be here, united by their fandom in trading cards. It makes finding what you’re looking for much easier and has clear advantages over buying online.

“It’s about meeting the community. You get to meet people and see stuff in real life. There’s more of a social aspect and you know what you’re buying, you’re buying from legitimate people,” one vendor says. Elsewhere, Jack sees these events as a crucial gateway. “It’s great for people starting the hobby. How can you trade cards with people if it’s not in person? You’ve got cards here that you can’t find online. Events like this have died down post-Covid, so we try to get as many people as possible through the door.”

At one point, we come across Yu-Gi-Tuber! A vendor who also makes content based around Yu-Gi-Oh! He tells us of his journey into card trading for a living. “It was never the plan, I quit my job in finance in November, and I’ve been doing this full-time since. It’s 100% better than sitting back in an office chair.” Such is the strength of the market for trading cards that it’s allowing people to quit dull 9-5 jobs and pursue their passions. 

Amongst all the high-value cards on offer, there’s a very simple reason that has drawn people to the Boxpark event. We met two women who had brought binders of cards just to trade with other people. When quizzed on their interest in trading cards, one replies, “I’m just looking for the prettiest cards, I don’t really spend huge amounts.” 

A huge part of collecting is the aesthetic value, which is truly intangible and only relevant to the individual. You don’t need to spend huge amounts, you just need to follow your passion. Having a piece of artwork that you appreciate is enough to bring satisfaction, and it’s this love of the creativity and unique designs that the fictional worlds of Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering and more provide that brings fans together. 

It’s one of the main reasons why trading card games have these cyclical spikes in popularity; their aesthetic value is deeply personal and stays with people from childhood to adulthood. Pair this with a huge social media community and greater diversity in the range of people getting involved in trading cards, and this boom is set to continue for the foreseeable future.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.