Gen Z, comprising individuals aged 18 to 25, represents the age range most likely to invest in collectibles, with 76 percent of this demographic actively collecting. Millennials follow closely behind at 72 percent participation among those aged 26 to 41. These two generations have fundamentally reshaped the collectibles market, treating items like Pokémon cards not merely as nostalgic keepsakes but as legitimate alternative investment vehicles. Consider a 22-year-old who purchased a PSA 10 Charizard VMAX in 2021″they’re not just displaying it on a shelf; they’re tracking its value fluctuations with the same attention their parents might give a stock portfolio.
The dominance of younger collectors in this market has far-reaching implications for anyone involved in Pokémon card collecting, whether buying, selling, or simply trying to understand where prices are heading. More than half of Millennials now purchase collectibles specifically as investments, while 47 percent of Gen Zers believe their collectibles and NFTs will pay off financially”the highest confidence rate of any generation. This optimism, combined with the sheer volume of young collectors entering the market, has helped drive the toy collectibles industry to a $19.2 billion valuation in 2024. This article examines why younger generations dominate collectibles investing, what motivates their purchasing decisions, how gender and income factor into collecting behavior, and what these demographic trends mean for the Pokémon card market specifically. Understanding these patterns can help collectors make more informed decisions about when to buy, sell, or hold their cards.
Table of Contents
- Why Are Gen Z and Millennials the Most Likely Age Groups to Invest in Collectibles?
- The “Kidult” Phenomenon and Its Impact on the Collectibles Market
- Gender Differences in Collectibles Investment Behavior
- How Investment Mindset Differs Between Generations
- Market Growth Projections and What They Mean for Young Collectors
- Regional and Economic Factors That Influence Collecting Behavior
- The Future of Generational Collecting Trends
- Conclusion
Why Are Gen Z and Millennials the Most Likely Age Groups to Invest in Collectibles?
The answer lies at the intersection of nostalgia, digital fluency, and evolving attitudes toward investment. Gen Z and Millennials grew up during the original Pokémon boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s, creating an emotional connection to these products that older generations simply don’t share. But emotional attachment alone doesn’t explain the investment mindset. These generations came of age during the 2008 financial crisis and have watched traditional investment vehicles like real estate become increasingly inaccessible. Collectibles offer an alternative path to building wealth that feels more tangible and personally meaningful than a retirement account they can’t touch for decades. The numbers support this dual motivation.
According to research from MagnifyMoney, 83 percent of collectors overall believe their collection will eventually pay off financially. Among younger collectors, this belief manifests as active investment behavior rather than passive hope. When a Millennial purchases a sealed booster box of Pokémon cards, they’re often calculating potential returns alongside the joy of ownership. Compare this to a Baby Boomer collector, who might accumulate items primarily for sentimental reasons with financial appreciation as a pleasant afterthought rather than a primary goal. Digital platforms have also lowered barriers to entry in ways that particularly benefit younger, tech-savvy collectors. Price tracking websites, authentication services, online marketplaces, and social media communities have made it easier than ever to research values, verify authenticity, and find buyers. A Gen Z collector can check the recent sales history of any Pokémon card within seconds, giving them information parity with seasoned dealers that would have been impossible even fifteen years ago.
The “Kidult” Phenomenon and Its Impact on the Collectibles Market
The term “kidult” describes adults who purchase toys, games, and collectibles originally marketed to children”and this demographic now commands approximately 34 percent of market revenue share in 2025. This isn’t a small niche; it represents a fundamental shift in how the industry operates. Toy manufacturers and card game publishers have responded by creating premium products specifically designed for adult collectors with disposable income, from high-end Pokémon card sets to limited-edition releases with price points that would make no sense for the childhood market. However, the kidult label can obscure important distinctions in collector motivation. Not everyone buying Pokémon cards as an adult shares the same goals. Some are completing childhood collections interrupted by growing up. Others are speculating on sealed product as a pure investment play.
Still others are active players who compete in tournaments and value cards for their gameplay utility rather than their market price. If you’re trying to understand market dynamics, lumping all adult collectors together misses these crucial differences in behavior. A competitive player will value a card based on its tournament viability, which can diverge significantly from its collectibility premium. The kidult phenomenon also carries certain risks that younger investors should understand. Products marketed to adult collectors often carry premium prices at release, meaning the bar for appreciation is higher. A $400 special edition set needs to appreciate more in absolute terms to deliver the same percentage return as a $40 standard release. Some of the most successful collectibles investments have come from products that were originally undervalued precisely because they weren’t positioned as premium collector items.
Gender Differences in Collectibles Investment Behavior
Men collect at significantly higher rates than women, with 70 percent of men identifying as collectors compared to 51 percent of women. This gap persists across most collectibles categories, including trading cards, though the disparity varies by specific type of item. Understanding this demographic split matters for anyone trying to predict market movements, because it suggests that nearly half the potential market remains relatively untapped. The reasons for this gender gap are debated. Some point to marketing practices that historically targeted boys more aggressively for products like trading cards and action figures.
Others note that collecting communities have sometimes been unwelcoming to women, creating barriers to entry that have nothing to do with interest level. Whatever the cause, the practical implication is that significant market growth could come from increasing female participation rather than further saturating the male collector base. For Pokémon cards specifically, there are signs that the gender gap may be narrower than in other collectibles categories. The franchise has always had broader gender appeal than many competitors, and the Pokémon Company’s marketing has evolved to be more inclusive over time. Collectors should watch whether female participation rates increase in coming years, as this could represent a major source of new demand that current valuations don’t fully account for.
How Investment Mindset Differs Between Generations
The way different age groups approach collectibles as investments reveals important distinctions that affect market behavior. While both Gen Z and Millennials show high participation rates, their specific investment approaches diverge in meaningful ways. Thirty percent of Gen Zers and 26 percent of Millennials are considering purchasing NFTs as collectible investments, suggesting younger collectors are more open to digital-only ownership models that older generations often view with skepticism. This willingness to embrace new formats represents both an opportunity and a risk. Gen Z collectors who diversified into NFT-based collectibles during the 2021-2022 boom experienced the full volatility of that market, with many digital assets losing 90 percent or more of their peak values.
Physical Pokémon cards, while certainly not immune to price corrections, have historically shown more stable long-term appreciation patterns. The lesson for younger collectors is that enthusiasm for innovation should be balanced against the proven track record of physical collectibles with established markets and authentication standards. The tradeoff between physical and digital collecting often comes down to liquidity versus tangibility. Digital collectibles can theoretically be bought and sold instantly anywhere in the world, but they lack the tactile satisfaction of holding a card and depend entirely on the continued operation of their underlying platforms. Physical cards require storage, insurance, and more effort to sell, but they exist independently of any company’s servers staying online. Most successful collectors in the 18-41 age range maintain portfolios that lean heavily toward physical items while experimenting cautiously with digital alternatives.
Market Growth Projections and What They Mean for Young Collectors
The toy collectibles market is projected to grow from $19.2 billion in 2024 to $45.2 billion by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate of 10.6 percent. This growth is attributed primarily to Millennial market entry and increasing interest in collectibles as alternative investments. For context, this growth rate exceeds most traditional investment categories over comparable periods, though past performance in any market never guarantees future results. These projections should be interpreted with appropriate caution. Market research firms have incentives to present optimistic forecasts, and the collectibles market has historically experienced boom-and-bust cycles that can punish investors who buy at peaks.
The 2020-2021 Pokémon card surge, driven partly by pandemic-era interest and stimulus money, saw cards that have since declined substantially from their highs. A first-edition Base Set Charizard that sold for over $400,000 at the market’s peak would likely fetch considerably less today, though it still represents substantial appreciation from its original retail price of a few dollars per pack. The key takeaway for young collectors isn’t that collectibles are a guaranteed path to wealth, but rather that the demographic foundation of the market appears solid. With 76 percent of Gen Z and 72 percent of Millennials actively collecting, demand isn’t likely to evaporate the way it might for products dependent on a single aging demographic. The question isn’t whether young people will continue collecting, but which specific items within the broader market will appreciate most.
Regional and Economic Factors That Influence Collecting Behavior
While age remains the strongest predictor of collectibles investment behavior, economic circumstances shape how that interest manifests. Young collectors with higher disposable incomes can pursue graded vintage cards and sealed product, while those with tighter budgets often focus on modern singles or build collections more gradually. The accessibility of the Pokémon card market at multiple price points”from bulk commons at pennies per card to five-figure chase cards”allows participation across economic strata in ways that markets like fine art or classic cars cannot match.
Geographic factors also play a role, though global connectivity has reduced their importance. A collector in a rural area with no local card shops faces different challenges than someone in a major city with multiple gaming stores and regular tournament scenes. Online marketplaces have largely leveled this playing field for buying and selling, but the community aspects of collecting”trading with friends, attending local events, discovering cards in the wild”remain tied to physical location.
The Future of Generational Collecting Trends
Looking ahead, the most significant question for the collectibles market is what happens as Gen Z and Millennials age. Will they maintain their collecting habits into middle age and beyond, potentially with increased purchasing power? Or will competing financial obligations”mortgages, children, retirement savings”crowd out discretionary spending on cardboard? The precedent from previous generations offers mixed signals. Many collectors do reduce activity during peak family-formation years, only to return with renewed enthusiasm once their financial situations stabilize.
The Pokémon franchise itself shows no signs of fading relevance, with new games, cards, and media releases maintaining engagement across age groups. As long as the property continues producing culturally significant products, the foundation for collecting should remain intact. Young collectors today are establishing the baseline values and market conventions that will likely persist for decades, making their preferences and behaviors essential knowledge for anyone participating in this market.
Conclusion
Gen Z leads all age groups in collectibles investment participation at 76 percent, with Millennials close behind at 72 percent. These two generations have transformed collectibles from purely sentimental keepsakes into recognized alternative investment vehicles, with more than half of Millennials now purchasing items specifically for their investment potential. The 47 percent of Gen Zers who believe their collections will pay off financially represents the highest confidence rate among any generation surveyed.
For Pokémon card collectors, these demographics suggest a market with strong fundamental demand that should persist as today’s young collectors mature. However, high participation rates don’t guarantee appreciation for any specific card or set. Successful collecting still requires understanding which items are likely to retain or increase value based on factors like scarcity, condition, and cultural significance. The age data tells us who is buying; the harder work is figuring out what to buy and when.
