Pokémon card launch creates Glastonbury-style buzz
Some collectors camp overnight as they rush to get their hands on sets of Pokémon trading cards.
**Pokémon card launch sparks Glastonbury-style excitement**
There were lengthy queues at The Potteries Centre in Stoke-on-Trent as enthusiastic collectors pitched tents, unfolded camping chairs and settled in for overnight waits on high streets for the release of new Pokémon trading card sets in shops.
"I think it's bigger than it's ever been," said Mike Stanier, owner of Trading Card Land in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire.
"If you went round Hanley yesterday morning it was like Glastonbury Festival - people pitching tents up and little deck chairs," he said.
Shopkeepers said they were pleased by the excitement generated by the event, with more queues expected on Friday.
The first batch of cards went on sale on Wednesday, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Japanese media franchise, and stores were preparing for additional releases.
More queues are anticipated on Friday with further cards released
Stanier cautioned that prices for some cards had become "massively inflated" by people reselling them online, with some going for as much as £600 each.
But he said the market was unstable, as some cards had fallen sharply in price after the official release once they became easier to obtain.
He said the anniversary edition focused on vintage-style cards, which had strong appeal for collectors.
"People kind of stereotype the kind of person that's into Pokémon," he added, but said the fanbase included a wide variety of people.
Stanier said social media and influencers had helped introduce Pokémon to new audiences while also sustaining interest among those who remember playing the games as children.
Mike Stanier, owner of Trading Card Land in Kidsgrove, says interest in Pokémon cards has been "bigger than it's ever been" during its 30th anniversary year
Pokémon collector Scott took a day off work specifically for the launch because he knew it would otherwise be hard to get the cards.
"I actually pulled the card that I was after the most," he said. "I'm absolutely buzzing with that."
He said the card could be worth up to £200 if he sold it, but he considered it "priceless" and planned to keep it.
Joanne Wright, manager at the Potteries Centre, said she expected a busy start on Friday when more cards were released.
She said there were queues outside the shopping centre before it opened on Wednesday, and the stores selling the cards had sold out within 15 minutes.
"It's been a big boost for every shop, even if they don't sell Pokémon cards," she added. "It brings a bit of buzz back into the centre."
Some rare Pokémon cards can command high prices on the re-sale market
Carly, a member of staff at Forbidden Planet in Hanley, said the shop played the Pokémon theme music to get customers in the mood while they waited in line.
"I've personally not been in for a Pokémon launch, so I had no idea what to expect. When I walked around and I saw the queue, I was like 'oh my goodness'," she said.
She said the launch felt so "heightened" this week because of a mix of nostalgia and the significance of the anniversary.
"There's a lot of people love opening stuff where they don't know what's going to be inside it - it could be blind boxes, it could be like packs of cards or whatever.
"I think people just like the not knowing, the surprise of what could possibly be in it."
Pokémon cards were first released in 1996, and included 102 different designs with artwork by Ken Sugimori, Mitsuhiro Arita and Keiji Kinebuchi.
They quickly grew in popularity, with tournaments appearing, and millions of cards have since been made and played worldwide.
Earlier this year, one of the rarest and most sought-after Pokémon cards sold for $16.5m (£12m).
It belonged to American influencer and wrestler Logan Paul, who purchased it for $5.275m (£3.8m) in July 2021.
At the time, this also set a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold.