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Library/Game/Pokémon Trading Card Game US launch
Grade B22 sourcesHIS-01421

Pokémon Trading Card Game US launch

Game · 1999 · Niche

38Editable slideCertificate

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

A large Pokémon card collection, 2015
Jarek Tuszyński
Pokémon card backs spread out
TIME

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth40VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet38

Numbers

Milestone date
Nov 22 ’99
Dec 1998 to Nov 22 ’99
Platforms
4
Started on Retail
Origin
Mixed
Toys & collectibles

Mechanics

  • Identity badgePrimary
  • Scarcity drop
  • Resale market
  • Controversy
  • Platform jump

How it spread

Trace the origin

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.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Jan ’98DecMay ’99OctApr ’00Mar ’01May ’05Jul ’10Sep ’15Nov ’20Dec ’22Jun ’24RetailOpen webPressGroup chats
RetailOpen webPressGroup chats

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. December 1998

    Wizards of the Coast seed · Dec 1998

    Wizards began selling Pokémon trading cards in the US in December.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. January 1999

    Wizards of the Coast commercial · Jan 9 ’99

    Wizards released Base Set in the United States.[3]

  3. Musashi and Brian Brokaw platform jump · Jan 10 ’99

    Usenet users asked about the starter set and shared its card list.[4]

  1. press · Jan 29 ’99

  2. commercial · May 10 ’99

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Why it worked

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  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Toys & collectibles
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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