Pokémon Fan Raises $80,000 Medical Tuition By Selling Rare Cards

Never let anyone tell you that investing in small rectangular pieces of cardboard is a waste of money.

Had University of North Georgia student Caleb King listened to his parents and decided against spending $4,000 on Pokémon cards, he’d no doubt be looking for other means to pay off the huge debt associated with higher education. Fortunately for Caleb, however, he did what most teenagers do and ignored the advice of his elders, going all-in on snapping up a collection of rare, graded cards. Owing to the gigantic explosion in prices of vintage cards and sealed product from older releases throughout 2020 – helped in no small part by high profile purchases from influencers such as Logan Paul and others – King’s four-figure investment has since accrued incredible value.

Speaking to Fox 5 Atlanta in a recent interview, the aspiring orthopedic surgeon reveals that he’s so far made in the region of $80,000 selling off parts of his Pokémon collection, stating his own belief that the price inflation comes down to folks desiring distraction from a bleak reality dominated by lockdowns, social distancing and isolation. “People kind of want a distraction from everything that’s going on,” he says, adding: “I think [Pokémon] is one of the ways people can.”

Studying at medical school, of course, is an expensive venture, though King still has plenty of time and assets left to raise the necessary funds. A pristine first edition Red Cheeks Pikachu believed to be worth $20,000 remains to be sold, as too, do 21 other cards that the collector says are worth in the realm of $50,000.

A tidy sum then, no doubt, but still a far cry from the jaw-dropping amounts that some Pokémon cards fetch. Earlier this year, for instance, a single card went under the hammer at auction for a whopping $230,000. See here for the full story.