The Good Old Days

IF YOU’RE A MILLENNIAL or Gen X, you will probably wholeheartedly agree that “nostalgia” has taken a firm hold on our generations: “Kidults” has become its own demographic. And it’s a demographic of special interest for toy and video game manufacturers that are monopolizing on the current love (obsession?) for all-things ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. They’re primarily tapping a market that is determined to “heal their inner child” through collecting their favorite childhood toys, games or media. And, hey, I get it. Right now, I’m in the process of decorating a Strawberry Shortcake-themed guest room, so I guess I’ve hopped on that bandwagon too.

Toy brands like The Loyal Subjects are profiting big from the resurgence in popularity for reproductions of 1980s mainstays like Rainbow Brite, Popples and Jem. Even Gen Z and Gen Alpha are pining for the bygone days (ones that many of them never experienced firsthand) of mall shopping, Y2K fashion, flip phones, emo/scene styles and, dare I say, those unflattering gaucho pants I thought we swore off in 2010.

My point is that nostalgia is now its own profitable vertical, not only for manufacturers and influencers, but also for beloved franchises like Pokémon, one which never disappeared from the limelight but has experienced a growing popularity on the card collecting side of things in recent years.

Take, for example, our cover story for this issue, The Trainer Court (formerly Poké Court, pg. 36). At a glance, the store looks like a high-end accessories gallery, equipped with rich finishes and glossy green subway tile. Upon closer inspection, however, you’ll find its main product is Pokémon cards and card collecting accessories. Instead of leaning into “the expected” when one may think of Pokémon and its general aesthetic – over-the-top graphics, swirling bright colors and in-your-face messaging – this store goes the luxurious route, catering arguably toward a refined Pokémon collector, perhaps someone who takes the ethos of “Gotta Catch ’Em All” quite seriously. Stores like The Trainer Court prove that the market is there for serious adult collectors.

Let’s just hope my holographic Birthday Surprise Pikachu card that I bought back in 1999 for about $45 USD – a big chunk of change for a 10-year-old in those days – continues to go up in value. I’d at least like to break even! (Just kidding, that one’s part of the personal collection.)