Pokemon 30th anniversary trading cards go on sale with fans queuing overnight
New limited edition Pokemon trading cards marking 30 years have gone on sale in the UK, triggering long queues and sell-outs as collectors chase rare pulls.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Queues formed before dawn outside gaming and comic shops across the UK as the first Pokemon trading cards for the brand's 30th anniversary went on sale. In Halifax, fans started lining up from 6 a.m., while in London and other cities some camped out overnight, with one collector reporting a 13-hour wait.
The new range, described by one outlet as the brand's biggest day in the last decade, is a limited edition marking three decades since the original set was released. Shops reported rapid sell-outs; one Halifax store sold its stock of the prized Elite Trainer Box in 20 minutes. The boxes contain booster packs with randomly assigned cards, and buyers were seen opening them on the spot, hoping for rare illustration cards. One such card, featuring Gengar, was said to be worth hundreds of pounds, sparking gasps when pulled.
Pokemon began as a Japanese video game in 1996 under the name Pocket Monsters, then evolved into a TV show, toys and a highly collectable card game. The cards have since become a serious investment market. YouTuber Logan Paul recently sold a Pikachu Illustrator card for a reported $16 million (about £12 million), underscoring the potential windfalls for mint-condition rarities. An original Charizard was cited as another example of a card that could be worth a fortune.
For many, the appeal is nostalgia. Adult collectors described being told as children that it was just a phase, only to return decades later. One fan, who queued in Halifax, said he had been collecting since 1999 and had kept his childhood cards. Another admitted he was buying for his son, calling it exciting rather than stressful. The hobby has also become a trading and flipping business for some, with one collector suggesting Pokemon is now at its peak.
The release also drew comments on the social side of the hobby. In an increasingly digital world, fans were meeting face to face, trading and bonding over their shared interest. A 5 News reporter noted the community spirit, while ITV News interviewed a content creator who said the 90s nostalgia was bringing people back.
Not everyone was caught up in the frenzy, but the queues spoke for themselves. As one shopper put it, the thrill of the chase was worth bedding down for.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| Logan Paul sold a Pikachu Illustrator card for $16 million. | ||
| New Pokemon trading cards went on sale in the UK to mark the brand's 30th anniversary, with large queues expected. | ||
| A Gengar card from the new Pokemon set could be worth hundreds of pounds. | · | |
| A shop in Halifax sold out of the new Pokemon range in 20 minutes. | · | |
| Pokemon cards were banned in some schools in the early 2000s for being too distracting. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The coverage from 5 combined a brief lunchtime announcement with a longer, human-interest report from Halifax. The evening piece focused on local fans, their personal stories and the excitement of pulling rare cards, while also referencing the record sale of a Pikachu Illustrator card. The tone was lighthearted, ending with a Pokemon-themed joke.
- “They don't mess around here in Halifax, queuing from 6 a.m. to get their hands on the Pokemon 30th anniversary range.”
- “What is it you love about Pokemon? Money. The money? Getting the cards that are worth the money.”
- “I would say that Pokemon is bigger now than it has ever been.”
ITV1 treated the release as a national event, reporting queues from Leeds to London and fans camping overnight. The report placed the story in a wider context, referencing the brand's history, school bans in the 2000s and the record price paid for a Pikachu Illustrator card. It also featured a content creator and a collector who said Pokemon is at its peak now.
- “I arrived last night at about half eight so it should be about 13 hour wait.”
- “It's the 90s nostalgia that's bringing people back.”
- “I think Pokémon is at its peak now, more so than it's ever been, especially with the release of this set as well.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.