Collector scores 'holy grail' at B.C. Pokemon shop

A Pokémon card shop in Richmond is coming off a record-setting month, highlighted by a customer opening a pack to discover one of the most sought-after cards in the world.

“The first edition Charizard, which is what he pulled, is known as the holy grail of Pokémon,” said Jesse Peng, Co-owner of Vancity Pokémon.

Peng says the card is worth approximately $250,000 U.S. The customer did not want to be interviewed for this story.

“When you hit that card, it has to be in perfect condition for it to be worth that much, and that card happened to be in pretty much perfect condition,” said Peng.

Peng says the pack alone, known as a 1st Edition Pack, cost $10,000 and that the customer had around a 2.5 per cent chance of landing the coveted Charizard.

“In the long-term, opening packs will not make you money,” said Peng, adding that he advised the customer not to open the pack.

Peng has co-owned Vancity Pokémon with his wife C.J. Dong since 2021. They tell CTV News August was their busiest month since they opened.

“The month of August was crazy,” said Dong, while holding her dog Raichu, named after a popular Pokémon character. “We sold over $300,000.”

Dong says that’s more sales than all of 2023. The two credit an uptick in their social media which they say has attracted serious collectors from all over the country.

Ethan Pritchard of Calgary tells CTV News he spent tens of thousands of dollars at the shop during a trip to Vancouver in August. He says he treats the cards as both a hobby and an investment.

“Pokémon was, and still is, something that I grew up with and something that for some reason still has a lot of hype,” said Pritchard via Zoom from Calgary. “The hype with Pokémon is just going to continue to thrive, I think.”

Peng believes the Pokémon boom, which saw record-setting values during the pandemic, is here to stay.

“Most of us are in our 30s now, we have adult money to put the money towards the things that we want,” said Peng. “So that, combined with the pandemic, people having extra money and the 25-year anniversary, that’s what really kick started the Pokémon boom.”

He warns, however, that while some collectors, including Peng, have seen the value of their collection increase, people should be in it primarily for their passion.

“This is not a guarantee. It could be worth a lot less tomorrow,” said Peng. “If you’re not into Pokémon, don’t be in it. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme.”

Despite the risk, Peng believes Pokémon collectors aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and the cards could see a bump in value heading into the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2026.

Peng also expects some of North America’s biggest collectors in Vancouver next month for the Vancity Card Show Oct. 11 - 13 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.