HONG KONG | In a city long synonymous with skyscrapers and stock tickers, an unlikely subculture is staking its claim: trading cards.
The just-concluded Grade10 Festival, drawing a record 23,000 attendees to Hong Kong’s bustling convention hall in Wan Chai, underscored the territory’s ascent as Asia’s go-to hub for collectors chasing everything from vintage Pokémon rarities to autographed NBA gems.
Amid the frenzy, a towering wall of Pikachu cards, each a PSA10 homage to Vincent van Gogh, stole the show, symbolising how pop culture nostalgia is blending with high-stakes investment in the world’s fastest-growing collectables market.
Originally released in 2023 as part of a special Pokémon collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the card pays homage to Van Gogh’s Self‑Portrait with Grey Felt Hat, reinterpreted with Pikachu wearing the artist’s signature grey felt hat, a cheeky fusion of 19th-century genius and 21st-century mascot mania.
More than just cards. This wall of Van Gogh Pikachu cards represents the fusion of pop culture and high-stakes investment in the booming collectables world.
Overseas participation was notable, with 20 percent of attendees travelling from outside Hong Kong, among them world‑renowned collector Nick Uliano from the United States.
Sixty percent of the floor space pulsed with anime icons like Pokémon, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh! and the rest bowed to sports cards from basketball to soccer.
The festival featured dedicated zones, including areas for grading, gameplay, networking, trading, and the Threads interactive experience.
Beneath the frenzy lies serious economics. Asia’s collectables surge, from Labubu’s to serialised Pokémon merch, has minted millionaires overnight, with cards like the Illustrator Pikachu fetching six figures.
