Former data analyst Jordan Dunne quit his £70,000 law firm job in Chester in 2025 to run Big Box Gaming full-time from Liverpool. His business is on track for £4mn in sales this year, up from £1.2mn in 2025, fueled by livestreams on eBay that can generate £60,000 in hours. Vintage cards are driving record prices: Goldin, eBay's auction house, sold a 1998 Pikachu Illustrator card for $16.5mn in February, with multiple cards exceeding $1mn.

Analysts cite a "double whammy" of nostalgia and disposable income from millennials now in their 30s and 40s. Professionally graded Pokémon cards hold a combined estimated top market value near $9bn, per Chase Society. The 2023 "151" set and a mobile game revived interest, with the 30th anniversary expected to spur more demand.

Dealers like Tom Lake report massive returns — a Mario Pikachu bought for £30 sold for £20,000. "Everyone's waiting for a crash but it just keeps going higher," said veteran dealer Elliot Cabrol from Canterbury.