If a world-ending catastrophe suddenly struck tomorrow, completely collapsing the global economic system, what would humanity use as currency? Pete Levin, founder of venture capital firm Griffin Gaming Partners, has an answer: Pokémon cards.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Levin stated that Pokemon has long been a global phenomenon, and its trading cards possess international recognition and market value. He even boldly declared, "I fully believe that if the world ended tomorrow, by the next day, the global currency would be Pokémon cards."
Levin claims to currently manage over $1.6 billion in gaming industry assets, while also personally collecting around 500,000 cards. He pointed out that Pokémon cards' investment performance in recent years has been astounding, even stating that their appreciation is "3000% higher than the S&P 500 index." He believes that after sweeping the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the market is now entering another period of rapid growth.
He also mentioned that appraisal organizations like PSA have established standardized grading and authenticity certification systems, providing a clear basis for each card's quality and value. Furthermore, adult players' nostalgic demand for childhood toys, retro video games, comics, and cards continues to fuel the collector's market.
However, Pokémon cards have also been heavily impacted by shortages and scalping issues in recent years. Some US retailers have even started cutting open product packaging to prevent reselling, while Japan has seen measures like restricting purchases to local residents and limiting daily purchase quantities via facial recognition. Even though approximately 10 billion cards were printed worldwide last year, market demand shows no signs of cooling down.
via： THR