At 10 a.m. on the 28th in front of a Pokémon card shop in Yongsan District, Seoul. There were still 30 minutes until opening, but a long line had already formed in front of the store. In the outdoor garden right next to it, people who had kept their spots since dawn sat on camping chairs. They waited for the opening while cooling their faces with portable fans or drinking bottled water.
A couple standing toward the back of the line watched the growing crowd and said, "We should have come earlier." Someone farther back kept fanning and said, "This is so hard."
The store opened at 10:30 a.m., but the line barely moved. As those who arrived early received queue numbers, new customers kept joining. The ages ranged from couples in their 20s to soldiers, families with children, and middle-aged couples. Within 30 minutes of opening, the queue numbers had surpassed the 170s.
◇ Why they lined up from dawn… "To buy at sticker price"
What they are after is Pokémon cards. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the original Pokémon game and the 20th anniversary of Pokémon Korea, and a series of related events and commemorative products have boosted interest in Pokémon cards.
Kim Jong-min, 24, from Guro District, Seoul, visited the store around midnight the day before with friends and received a queue number in the 30s. He bought three card boxes that day, but said he was disappointed he couldn't get "Storm Emeralda," which was recently officially released in Korea.
Kim said, "Resale prices for popular products are too high, but if you spend the time to come here, the advantage is you can buy at sticker price," and added, "I've come about 10 times to buy cards, and with the 20th anniversary of Pokémon Korea, it seems more people are crowding in than usual."
Popular cards or discontinued products often sell out right after release and then see prices jump sharply in the secondhand market. That's why collectors who want to buy at sticker price wait for hours in front of stores.
◇ A free card goes for 100,000 won… Discontinued items sell for dozens of times sticker price
Even cards received for free fetch premiums in the secondhand market. Following Seongsu in May, at "Pokémon Mega Festa 2026" held around Lotte World Mall in Jamsil this month, preregistered visitors were given one "Magikarp promo card." These cards have been listed on secondhand platforms for 70,000 to 100,000 won.
Prices for discontinued cards climb even more steeply. The "Tag Bolt" expansion pack, which had a sticker price of 15,000 won in 2019, is currently listed online for 980,000 won. The Japanese edition of "Remix Bout," which had a sticker price of 20,000 won, goes for up to 1.5 million won. "Eevee Heroes," released in 2021 at 30,000 won, now sells for about 170,000 won on the secondhand market, and the "25th anniversary collection," released at 40,000 won, trades at an average of about 320,000 won.
Compared with bitcoin, a representative investment asset, the gains are even more striking. In Aug. 2019, bitcoin was $9,700 per coin; it is now around $80,000, up about 8.2 times.
By contrast, Tag Bolt is about 65 times its sticker price, Remix Bout up to 75 times, Eevee Heroes about 5.7 times, and the 25th anniversary collection about 8 times. In terms of simple price appreciation, some Pokémon cards have delivered far higher returns than bitcoin.
◇ 22 billion won for a single card… "Grades" set the price
Card condition also affects the price. Even the same card can have different values depending on scratches, corners, and print quality.
PSA, CGC, and BRG are "grading" companies that evaluate whether a card is genuine and assess its condition, assigning grades such as 1 to 10 and sealing it in a dedicated case. U.S.-based PSA and CGC have strong global recognition and are relatively preferred for overseas transactions or valuing high-priced cards, while Korea-based BRG's strengths are expense and convenience because submissions can be made domestically without international shipping.
Prices differ as well. At BRG, the standard grade costs 19,800 won per card, and the express grade is 39,800 won. PSA's standard grading currently starts at $79.99 per card, and prices rise sharply depending on the service level. Ultimately, for domestic collecting, BRG is more accessible, while for overseas sales or considering the market value of high-priced cards, many choose global firms like PSA and CGC.
Prices for rare cards have already surpassed hundreds of millions of won. In Feb., a PSA 10 "Pikachu Illustrator" card once owned by prominent U.S. influencer Logan Paul sold at auction for about $16.5 million (about 22 billion won). It is the most expensive trading card ever globally and was listed in the Guinness World Records.
A collector who uses grading services said, "Even the same card has different market prices depending on the grade," and added, "You can preserve your favorite cards for a long time, and cards in good condition are recognized for their value in transactions, so I opt for grading."