It was a little bit of a raffle spending $100,000 on three decks of cards. But it paid off: two of them together were price greater than he paid.
“You could argue that Pokémon cards and trading cards are a better place to store value than something like the U.S. dollar, just given the scarce nature of the cards,” the Edmonton resident said in an interview.
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What are alternative investments?
Alternative investments – assets apart from stocks and bonds – could also be paying homage to hedge funds or real estate. But for Millennials and Generation Z, having fun with area of interest collectibles like limited-edition shoes, handbags or trading cards is one other way unconventional investing has taken shape.
The popularity of trading cards grew through the pandemic as people wanted to speculate money and time in hobbies, said Patrick O’Neill, senior vp of sales and business development at NFP Canada. This interest drove up prices, and other people who owned cards and memorabilia saw the worth of their possessions increase.
“It rose much faster than inflation or investments in the stock market – very comparable to art, sculpture, fine wine or expensive jewelry,” O’Neill recalled.
He said the shift in price and value has attracted younger generations to speculate in memorabilia.
“For young people, it’s about learning life lessons – even investing – at a young age,” he said.
Why Canadians see value in alternative assets
O’Neill, who’s in his 60s, has been collecting hockey and playing cards for five a long time. For him, it was nostalgia when he entered the room for the primary time.
