Japanese resale platform Mercari suspended listings for specific Pokémon 30th-anniversary cards, initially spooking investors and triggering a sell-off of the company’s stock. However, Citi deemed the market reaction excessive, prompting bargain hunters to step in; Mercari’s share price rebounded for two consecutive days, rising over 4% on Friday and outperforming the Nikkei 225 index.
According to CNBC, Mercari stated that the launch of the Pokémon 30th-anniversary cards could lead to a surge in trading volume, potentially sparking transaction disputes or even harassment of users involved in trades; consequently, the platform suspended listings for these items starting Wednesday. The restrictions will remain in place until the platform can ensure transaction safety.
Citi noted that while the suspension of certain product listings negatively impacts performance, the effect is not significant enough to warrant a downgrade of Mercari’s financial outlook. The company’s Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) for the second half of the 2026 fiscal year exceeded expectations; activity across multiple product categories has rebounded, and double-digit growth is anticipated going forward. With the stock recently appearing oversold, this pullback actually presents a buying opportunity.
Pokémon cards have sparked a global craze in recent years. eBay reported over 6 million searches for Pokémon on its UK site this July, while an index compiled by Collectors shows that Pokémon card prices have surged 1,350% since 2020.
In February of this year, influencer Logan Paul sold a rare “Pikachu Illustrator” card for over $16 million—a card he had purchased in 2021 for just over $5 million.