# Pokémon Trading Card Game US launch

> TIME reported 850,000 Pokémon trading-card sets sold in the US since January.

- Owner: Nintendo (licensor); Wizards of the Coast (US publisher)
- Kind: Game
- Sector: Toys & collectibles
- Seed date: Dec 1998
- Milestone date: 1999-11-22
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 38 (Niche, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Identity badge, Scarcity drop, Resale market, Controversy, Platform jump

## Summary

Wizards' cards reached US buyers in December. Mall events and playground trading accompanied shortages and school bans. Charizard became a resale target before the secondary market collapsed.

## Timeline

- Dec 1998 — Wizards of the Coast (Retail) — Wizards began selling Pokémon trading cards in the US in December.
- 1999-01-09 — Wizards of the Coast (Retail) — Wizards released Base Set in the United States.
- 1999-01-10 — Musashi and Brian Brokaw (Open web) — Usenet users asked about the starter set and shared its card list.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/pokemon-trading-card-game-1999

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Pokémon Trading Card Game US launch.” Case HIS-01421. Spread Score v1.2: 38/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01421