Being a collector is a hobby that many adults enjoy. Whether it’s stamps, figurines, baseball cards, or coins, 61% of Americans consider themselves to be collectors. However, to some, this hobby seems childish, especially if you collect items that, in our culture, are perceived as “childish.”
This guy was an avid Pokémon card collector until his wife decided to get rid of his considerable collection. Calling the hobby “playing with kids’ stuff,” the woman unceremoniously threw his collector’s cards in the trash. Feeling incredibly hurt and disrespected, the man vented online and even hinted at considering divorce.
A couple got into a huge fight over the husband’s “childish” Pokémon card collection
Image credits: Erik Mclean / unsplash (not the actual photo)
The wife threw it away without telling him, and he got so mad that he started considering divorce
Image credits: varyapigu / envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: JudoPlant
“When she decided to do this, she threw away our marriage along with the cards”
Commenters sided with the husband, marveling at the wife’s ignorance about how valuable these collectibles are
Young people are the most avid collectors, and it’s how they express their personalities
Collecting is a hobby that’s almost as old as time. Even Roman emperors and noblemen in the Middle Ages were coin collectors, and cabinets of curiosities can be considered in the realm of collecting as well.
People can choose to collect almost anything, as long as it has sentimental or monetary value. In essence, collecting is just like any other hobby. And having a hobby has been proven to have a positive effect on our well-being and overall happiness.
This may come as a surprise to some, but collecting “childish” items or those that are considered “kids’ stuff” is actually on the rise. In 2022, 28% of U.S. adults said they had bought toys or collectibles for themselves or another adult once or twice that year. In 2025, that number rose to 35%.
Gen Z and millennials are leading the way in buying collectibles for reasons different from those 45 and older. Younger people are buying collectible toys (like Funko Pops, Labubus, Squishmallows, etc.) to express their personalities and aesthetics. Those who are 45 and older cite childhood nostalgia and financial investment as the primary reasons to collect.
The most popular item to collect is coins (17%), with toys/dolls (12%), trading cards (12%), and jewelry (12%) as the second most popular items. Other Americans also collect sports memorabilia (9%), but most millennials (18%) collect trading cards of some sort.
Collecting Pokémon cards can be a serious investment
Image credits: Jovan Vasiljević / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Pokémon cards, in particular, have been gaining a lot of popularity lately. Even Professional Sports Authenticators, or PSA, a company that authenticates and grades collectibles, admits that Pokémon cards have doubled their business. In 2022, they graded seven million cards. In 2023, the number rose to 14 million.
“There’s a real emotional connection people have to these players or characters,” the president of the PSA, Ryan Hoge, told the LA Times. “We’ve seen several Pokémon cards sell for over $400,000.”
Of course, for the husband in this story, the value of the Pokémon cards was more sentimental than monetary. Still, as many commenters pointed out, the wife clearly had no idea how much money she had just thrown out in the trash.
A Charizard card in pristine condition, for example, could be worth up to $20,000 today. Just a couple of months ago, the co-owner of the Hidden Gems Card Shop in Michigan, Jonathan, explained to Detroit Local 4 News how the bubble keeps getting bigger and shows no signs of bursting.
In the ’90s, collectors could have bought a first-edition limited-printing card set for around $99. Today, that set is worth around $16,500. “It’s more popular now than it’s ever been,” Jonathan explained to Local 4 News.
So, why is collecting some items considered cooler than others? Why are Pokémon cards childish, but FIFA cards are okay? Why do some people think that it’s less respectable to collect Darth Vader figurines than to have a drawer full of postage stamps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, Pandas, and share what items you are collecting!
A few days later, the husband came back with an update
Image credits: Mick Haupt / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: JudoPlant
“File a police report and recoup that money in the divorce,” one commenter advised
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