How many packs of Pokémon cards do you have to buy to catch ’em all? Probably hundreds, and most will be quite boring

Pokémon turns 30 this year. Beginning life as a video game which spawned a wildly successful trading card game and an anime series, the franchise – based around collecting an assortment of fanciful “pocket monsters” – has become an inescapable piece of the world’s pop-culture furniture.

A dedicated 30th-anniversary card set is due to be released to celebrate the occasion. A wave of nostalgia has created high demand for trading cards, with resale prices rising and sellers adopting…

© La Conversation - dimanche 2 août 2026