What started as a children’s card game has grown into a worldwide collecting hobby where serious money changes hands. And last weekend, Meerssen was the beating heart of that world. Hundreds of enthusiasts gathered at the Pokémon fair to trade, buy, and get their cards appraised.
Everyone knows Pikachu, Charizard, and Eevee. But did you know that every single Pokémon has its own fanbase? Even the small and obscure ones.
So how do you know what your card is worth? The vendors made it simple:
- Open the Cardmarket app and select Netherlands 🇳🇱
- Search your card and check the average price
- Low-print cards = worth more
- Heavily printed ‘bulk cards’ = worth less
When selling at the fair, vendors take roughly an 8 percent margin. So a card valued at 155 euros gets you around 120 euros cash. Many collectors are chasing the ultimate goal: completing a ‘masterset’, meaning every card from one series, including holographic and reverse holos.
One visitor proudly showed off his prized Mega Charizard, worth around 160 euros. ‘Gotta catch ’em all’, but easier said than done!
The Pokémon Trading Card Game launched in Japan in 1996 by Media Factory. The rarest card in the world, the 1998 Pikachu Illustrator, sold in 2022 for over 5 million dollars to rapper Logic. Only 39 copies exist, originally awarded to winners of a Japanese illustration contest.
Source: Municipality
