Multi-billion-dollar cards of gold: How Hong Kong cashes in on collectibles

Childhood nostalgia has collided with big business, transforming what was once a simple schoolyard pastime into a sophisticated global financial engine. The trading card market, long dominated by franchises like Pokémon, has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry—and Hong Kong’s wealthy elite are moving quickly to cash in.

According to a recent report by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the global trading card transaction market was valued at an astonishing US$158 billion in 2024 and is projected to skyrocket to US$235 billion (approximately HK$1,235 billion) by 2030. 

In Hong Kong, this booming market is no longer just for hobbyists. The demographic has shifted heavily toward adults with disposable income looking for financial returns. "Most of our customers are collectors and investors, and about 80 percent of collectors essentially function as investors now," explained George, an independent card seller in the city. "Competitive cards needed for actual gameplay are incredibly cheap... a meta deck costs only around US$40."

Recognizing the immense financial allure of this alternative asset class, prominent local investors and billionaire heirs are formalizing the industry. 

Recently, investor Lui Yu-kin—widely known as Ken Sir—partnered with third-generation billionaire Derek Cheung to launch a dedicated trading card and sports card business segment. 

Derek, who has always strived for excellence in everything he does, revealed that his passion for card collecting was reignited in July of last year after participating in several card games at the Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong.

Seeing that people from Hong Kong previously had to fly to Japan to hunt for cards, he immediately had an ambitious idea: "I want to open a card shop in Hong Kong that is even better than the ones in Akihabara, Tokyo. That is the founding vision of HKTCG."

By launching a dedicated business segment to capture Hong Kong's strong market momentum, the company aims to diversify its revenue sources, a strategic move that saw its stock rise by 2.8 percent to close at 0.73 dollars following the announcement.

The joint venture, operating through Hong Kong Trading Card Game Limited (HKTCG) with EDICO Holdings Ltd holding a 51 percent stake, aims to capture Hong Kong's strong market momentum.

The venture has established a highly comprehensive monetization model. Instead of relying solely on standard retail sales, HKTCG generates revenue by charging fees for specialized card storage, consignment, and professional card authentication and grading services. 

To anchor this empire, the company has opened a massive 21,000-square-foot flagship store inside Tsim Sha Tsui’s iSQUARE shopping mall. 

The brick-and-mortar hub offers a membership-based system for card battle facilities and will host paid tournaments, collector exhibitions, and celebrity meet-ups.

This commercialization of nostalgia has captured the attention of other elite Hong Kong families as well.

The grand opening of the HKTCG flagship coincided with the launch of Smile Card Shop, a specialized One Piece card store owned by Howard Lam, a descendant of the late billionaire tycoon Lim Por-yen. 

The debut brought together five high-profile heirs of the prominent Lim family—including Vanessa, Veronica, Evelyn, and her twin brother Lucas Lam—highlighting high-society’s deep interest in the lucrative collectibles industry.

Despite a brief market correction following the massive popularity boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, insiders remain incredibly bullish. "The market is still growing at a very healthy rate," seller George noted. "In fact, I’d argue its growth is stronger than the S&P 500."

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓