Is Pokemon a Better Asset than Stocks in the Short Term?
People often wonder if investing in something fun like Pokemon cards or games beats putting money into stocks, especially over a short time like months or a year. In 2025, Pokemon shows strong signs of being a solid short-term asset thanks to huge demand for its cards, games, and merchandise. The franchise racked up 103.6 billion dollars in total retail sales, outpacing giants like Star Wars at 46.7 billion dollars and Mickey Mouse at 61.2 billion dollars.https://www.accio.com/business/top-selling-entertainment-franchise This makes it the top entertainment franchise right now.
Recent numbers back this up. The Pokemon Company hit net sales of 411 billion yen, or about 2.9 billion dollars, for the fiscal year ending February 2025, a 38.1 percent jump from the year before.https://martini.ai/pages/research/The%20Pok%C3%A9mon%20Company%20International-169d62b19c80161f17dcee9431fb17d4 A big part came from the mobile app Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, launched in October 2024. It got over 100 million downloads in four months and pulled in more than 1 billion dollars in player spending within seven months. Trading cards alone saw over 10 billion produced in 2024-2025, with stores like Pokemon Center adding 201 million dollars in sales.https://martini.ai/pages/research/The%20Pok%C3%A9mon%20Company%20International-169d62b19c80161f17dcee9431fb17d4
On the collectibles side, Pokemon dominated eBay’s top searches in 2025. Three of the top ten spots went to Pokemon items, like cards and PSA 10 graded ones. A 1999 Charizard card sold for 550,000 dollars at auction in December 2025, proving rare items can skyrocket in value fast.https://www.antiquetrader.com/pokemon-reigns-supreme-ebays-2025-search-trends Even old games like Pokemon Ruby and FireRed sold single retail copies in 2025, showing lasting interest.https://gamerant.com/old-pokemon-games-sales-record-2025/https://www.thegamer.com/pokemon-fire-red-2025-retail-sales-database/
Games keep selling too. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet hit 27.15 million units by March 2025, one of the best for Nintendo Switch.https://www.statista.com/statistics/1347322/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-units-sold/ The whole franchise has generated up to 150 billion dollars in revenue as of 2023, with more growth since.https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Best-selling_game_franchises Nostalgia, new apps, and global licensing drive this, from movies to theme parks.
Stocks can swing wildly in the short term due to news or economy shifts. Pokemon assets, like sealed cards or graded rares, ride on fan hype and scarcity, often gaining value quick in hot markets like 2025’s. Over 12 billion cards sell yearly, and apps bring steady digital cash.https://www.accio.com/business/top-selling-entertainment-franchise For short-term plays, grabbing trending items could outpace average stock returns, but it needs market timing and luck.
Sources
https://www.accio.com/business/top-selling-entertainment-franchise
https://martini.ai/pages/research/The%20Pok%C3%A9mon%20Company%20International-169d62b19c80161f17dcee9431fb17d4
https://gamerant.com/old-pokemon-games-sales-record-2025/
https://www.antiquetrader.com/pokemon-reigns-supreme-ebays-2025-search-trends
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1347322/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-units-sold/
