Gotta catch 'em all: Passion turns business for Pokémon enthusiast

New Indian Express

12-07-2025

'Every collector starts off wanting 1 or 2 cards, but slowly it turns into more than you expected. I was spending way too much on Pokémon cards and needed a way to sell them,' he laughs, adding that when he started, his collection was around 500. 'Initially, the idea was just to have a shop. But since we (including volunteers) are trying to grow Pokémon card collecting in Bengaluru as well, we thought, why not set up our inventory in our car and drive around, just to see who's interested. People are always curious when they see us driving by,' he adds. It turns out quite a lot of people are, with most of Reddy's collection selling out in a week, and one reel about him on Instagram getting upwards of 30,000 likes.
Ranging from ₹50 to ₹45,000, Reddy's Pokémon cards include those in three different languages – English, Japanese, and Korean, with a focus on vintage and rare cards. 'I like to focus on cards that came out between 1996 and 1999, because that's when Pokémon cards started being released. They are also rare in varying levels – those that were released on the first day and those that were released in the first year. I have most of the non-first edition cards that are rare and valued around ₹30,000, but not those that go up to ₹5 lakh,' he explains.