The answer is nuanced but increasingly clear: while Millennials and Gen Z together dominate the collecting world with 94% expressing interest in collectibles, Gen Z is emerging as the more aggressive collector generation. According to the 2024 Bank of America Private Bank Study of Wealthy Americans, Gen Z allocates a remarkable 26% of their total wealth to art and collectibles””more than any other generation. This isn’t just casual interest; it’s a fundamental shift in how younger generations view tangible assets as both investments and expressions of identity. Consider the Pokemon card market specifically.
A Millennial who collected cards in the late 1990s might have held onto a Base Set Charizard out of nostalgia, only to discover its value surged during the pandemic boom. A Gen Z collector, by contrast, is more likely to approach that same card with a blend of childhood appreciation and calculated investment strategy. The distinction matters: 39% of younger investors cite sentimental value as a significant factor in investment decisions, compared to just 6% of older investors. For Pokemon collectors, this means the market is shaped by buyers who genuinely care about what they’re purchasing. This article examines how these two generations compare across collecting categories, what drives their purchasing decisions, where Pokemon cards fit into the broader collectibles landscape, and what these trends mean for card values going forward.
Table of Contents
- How Do Millennial and Gen Z Collecting Habits Actually Compare?
- Why Gen Z Allocates More Wealth to Collectibles Than Any Other Generation
- Where Pokemon Cards Fit in the Broader Collectibles Landscape
- How Investment Motivations Differ Between Generations
- The Challenge of Authenticity and Market Saturation
- How Online Communities Shape Collecting Trends
- What the Future Holds for Generational Collecting
- Conclusion
How Do Millennial and Gen Z Collecting Habits Actually Compare?
The numbers reveal a clear pattern: younger collectors outpace older generations in nearly every collecting category except one. Gen Z dominates sneaker collecting at nearly five times the rate of any other generation, with 30% participating compared to just 2% of older collectors. Sports cards show a similar gap, with 29% of younger collectors active in the market versus 12% of older generations. Watches, rare memorabilia, wine and spirits, and classic cars all follow the same trend of youth-driven enthusiasm. The lone exception is coins, where older collectors match or slightly exceed younger ones at 27% versus 26%.
This outlier makes sense: coin collecting requires specialized knowledge typically accumulated over decades, and the entry point often involves understanding historical context that appeals more to established collectors. Pokemon cards occupy an interesting middle ground””they share the accessibility and pop culture relevance that attracts Gen Z while also triggering deep nostalgia for Millennials who remember opening packs at the kitchen table. What separates these generations isn’t just what they collect but how they approach collecting. More than half of Millennials now purchase collectibles as a form of investment, treating their hobbies as alternative asset classes. Gen Z takes this further, viewing collecting through what researchers describe as “a widening definition of connoisseurship, where art increasingly sits alongside design, luxury goods, and lifestyle collectibles.” A PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator isn’t just a rare card””it’s a cultural artifact that sits comfortably next to a vintage Rolex or limited sneaker release in a Gen Z collector’s portfolio.
Why Gen Z Allocates More Wealth to Collectibles Than Any Other Generation
gen Z’s willingness to dedicate 26% of their wealth to art and collectibles reflects both practical calculation and generational psychology. Traditional investment vehicles like real estate have become increasingly inaccessible to younger buyers, while stock market volatility and student debt have bred skepticism toward conventional financial planning. Collectibles offer something different: tangible assets with personal meaning that can appreciate independently of broader economic conditions. The investment perspective is particularly pronounced in trading card markets. When a YouTuber pays six figures for a sealed Pokemon booster box and documents the opening for millions of viewers, it validates collecting as both entertainment and wealth-building.
Gen Z grew up watching this content, understanding intuitively that rarity plus demand equals value. They’ve internalized market dynamics in ways previous generations learned only through experience or formal education. However, this approach carries risks that older collectors understand better. The 2021-2022 Pokemon card boom saw prices spike dramatically, only to correct sharply as pandemic-era enthusiasm cooled. Gen Z collectors who entered the market during peak hype often paid premiums that haven’t recovered. The lesson: allocating significant wealth to collectibles requires the same due diligence as any investment, including understanding market cycles, authentication risks, and the difference between genuine rarity and manufactured scarcity.
Where Pokemon Cards Fit in the Broader Collectibles Landscape
Pokemon cards occupy a unique position in the collectibles market, benefiting from cross-generational appeal in ways that other categories struggle to match. The collector item industry is projected to reach $500 billion by 2025, with comic book collectibles alone crossing $10 billion in 2025. Trading cards represent a substantial slice of this market, driven by the same forces pushing sneakers, watches, and sports memorabilia. The shift toward online purchasing has particularly benefited Pokemon card collecting. With 62% of collectors now shopping online, platforms like eBay, TCGplayer, and specialized auction houses have made it easier than ever to buy, sell, and price-check cards.
This accessibility removes barriers that once limited collecting to those with local card shops or convention access. A teenager in rural Montana can now compete with established dealers in major cities, at least at entry and mid-tier price points. One concrete example: the 2023 release of Pokemon 151 cards triggered immediate secondary market activity, with certain chase cards selling for hundreds of dollars within days of release. Gen Z collectors, comfortable with online marketplaces and real-time pricing tools, were often faster to capitalize on these opportunities than older collectors still adjusting to digital-first trading. The speed of information flow now favors those who treat card collecting like they treat everything else””mobile-first, research-heavy, and community-connected.
How Investment Motivations Differ Between Generations
The distinction between collecting for nostalgia and collecting for profit creates meaningful differences in market behavior. Millennials who kept their childhood Pokemon cards often did so without any expectation of financial return””they simply couldn’t bear to throw them away. When those cards unexpectedly gained value, it felt like a windfall rather than a strategy. Gen Z, having witnessed this phenomenon, approaches collecting with investment potential built into the equation from the start. This creates an interesting tradeoff. Millennial collectors may have more genuine emotional attachment to specific cards and sets, making them less likely to sell at optimal prices.
A 35-year-old might hold a sentimental Base Set collection through market peaks simply because letting go feels wrong. Gen Z collectors, treating cards more explicitly as assets, may be quicker to liquidate positions when prices favor selling. Neither approach is inherently better, but they produce different market dynamics. The statistics support this dual motivation: 39% of younger investors factor sentimental value into investment decisions, meaning emotion and economics coexist rather than compete. For Pokemon specifically, this suggests a market where some cards are valued primarily for investment potential (sealed vintage products, high-grade trophy cards) while others maintain value through genuine collector demand (fan-favorite Pokemon, aesthetically striking artwork). Understanding which category a card falls into matters when predicting long-term value.
The Challenge of Authenticity and Market Saturation
As younger generations pour money into collectibles, the infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Grading services like PSA and CGC face persistent backlogs, with submission times occasionally stretching to months. For time-sensitive investments, this creates real problems””a card’s value can shift significantly while waiting for authentication. Gen Z collectors, accustomed to instant gratification in other areas, often find this process frustrating. The market also faces growing concerns about counterfeits and manipulated grades. As Pokemon cards have become more valuable, the incentive to produce convincing fakes has increased proportionally.
Younger collectors who learned to buy and sell through social media may lack the hands-on experience that helps veterans spot suspicious cards. A sealed booster box purchased through Instagram looks identical to one from an established seller until the shrink wrap comes off. This represents a real limitation on the “collectibles as investment” thesis. Unlike stocks or bonds, collectibles require physical verification, secure storage, and eventual resale through channels that take significant cuts. A Gen Z collector who calculates returns based on price appreciation alone may not account for grading fees, platform commissions, shipping costs, and insurance. When these factors are included, some “profitable” cards become break-even propositions at best.
How Online Communities Shape Collecting Trends
The collector item statistic showing 62% of collectors shopping online understates the role of digital platforms. Communities on Discord, Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube don’t just facilitate transactions””they actively shape what’s considered desirable. A single viral video can spike demand for previously overlooked cards, while negative sentiment can crater prices for cards that were hot weeks earlier.
Gen Z lives in these spaces more naturally than older collectors. They understand how to read community sentiment, identify emerging trends, and position themselves accordingly. When a popular content creator pulls a rare card, Gen Z viewers are already searching for similar cards in their own collections while Millennials might not see the video for days. This information asymmetry creates both opportunities and risks, as trends can reverse just as quickly as they emerge.
What the Future Holds for Generational Collecting
Gen Z’s spending power is expected to grow to $12 trillion by 2030, fundamentally reshaping every market they participate in. For Pokemon cards, this suggests sustained demand from buyers who grew up with the franchise and view collecting as a legitimate wealth-building activity. The Pokemon Company’s continued production of new sets, combined with finite supplies of vintage cards, creates a market structure that should benefit patient collectors.
The traditional fine art market’s 18.3% decline in 2024, while categories like watches, jewelry, and cards showed growth, signals a broader shift in how wealth is allocated. Younger collectors aren’t rejecting the concept of tangible assets””they’re redefining which assets matter. Pokemon cards, once dismissed as children’s toys, now compete with wine collections and classic cars for a place in serious portfolios. Whether this represents a lasting change or a generational bubble remains to be seen, but the current trajectory favors those who took the hobby seriously early.
Conclusion
Millennials and Gen Z together represent the dominant force in modern collecting, with 94% expressing interest compared to just 57% of Baby Boomers. Within this partnership, Gen Z is emerging as the more committed generation, allocating more wealth to collectibles and participating at higher rates in nearly every category. For Pokemon card collectors, this means a market sustained by buyers who combine genuine affection for the franchise with serious investment intentions.
The practical implications are significant. Card values will increasingly reflect what younger generations care about””condition, rarity, cultural relevance, and investment potential. Collectors of any age who understand these priorities will be better positioned to build valuable collections. Those who dismiss younger collectors as speculators may miss the larger point: Gen Z isn’t changing what collecting means so much as revealing what it always was””the intersection of passion, identity, and asset accumulation.
