Record-breaking sales
The Pokémon Company International has reported that during its 25th Anniversary Year in 2021, it had a stunning record-breaking year in Europe at retail. With strong increases in sales of its Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and toy lines across Europe.
As we reported last year, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has been selling alot of cards. In fiscal year 2020/2021, the Pokemon Company sold 3.7 billion Pokemon cards worldwide (as of the end of March 2021).
On the secondary market, it's also doing very well. During the first half of 2021, online marketplace eBay recorded a 536% rise in gross merchandise value (GMV) for Pokemon cards. Even eBay Japan saw for the fifth time in a row, that Japanese Pokemon Card Game products has been the best-selling item.
According to the NPD Group, a market research firm, "Pokémon is the #1 gaining property in 2021 across the EU8**, growing by +106 percent compared to 2020.". It was also awarded 'Best Gaming Licensed Property' at the 2021 Licensing Award (by Max Publishing).
The Pokémon TCG Battle Academy was one of five Pokémon items in the top 50 toys of the year. The first-ever board game adaption of the Pokémon Trading Card Game was named 'Game of the Year' at the Toy Foundation's 2021 Toy of the Year awards, ranking #7 with over €5 million in sales.
In the spring of 2022, a new version of the Pokémon TCG Battle Academy will be released.
TPCi claims that, in addition to Pokémon's success in Western Europe, the company is currently planning for future expansion and is expanding its localized marketing efforts for the Pokémon TCG to Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Israel.
TPCi released the following sales figures:
- Pokémon was the #1 NPD toy property in France with sales nearly double those of the second-placed brand and a 102 percent year-over-year increase.
- In both Germany and the United Kingdom, Pokémon reached its highest-ever annual position in 2021. It was ranked #9 in Germany, with a 100% increase, and #7 in the United Kingdom, with a 78& increase.
- Pokémon was #1 in both Belgium and the Netherlands, achieving 183% growth in the Netherlands and 125% in Belgium, where its sales were nearly double those of the second-placed brand.
Simon Benton, VP Pokémon TCG Sales Europe, says: “Pokémon TCG sales were simply sensational in 2021, breaking all previous records. We would like to thank our retail partners and distributors for their continued support in showcasing the products to consumers. Pokémon is the #1 NPD property in three countries and also saw astonishing three-digit year-on-year gains across the majority of our key territories. These figures have cemented the phenomenal success of the brand’s 25th anniversary year. With increased TCG distribution set to launch in Eastern Europe, we look forward to expanding our reach in 2022.”
What are your thoughts on these figures and accomplishments? Please let us know!
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I don't know anything about Pokemon cards, but I have over 400 of them ,all are in excellent condition. I would like to sell them, and need help from someone that does know how to get what they are worth HELP
Just Google Search The Value.
Hey Johnny. I’m Jared. Nice to meet you. I’m hearing that you have trouble figuring out the value of your Pokémon cards. If you are looking to sell your cards, a good idea is making an auction listing. Start at 100 bucks and see how far it goes. If nobody bids, you probably don’t have SUPER valuable Pokémon cards. If you have SUPER valuable cards, on the other hand, you might make a heap of cash for them.