Pokémon fans prepare for 'biggest day in a decade'
Pokémon fans are preparing for the 30th anniversary of the trading card game, with collectors expecting the release to be the biggest event in a decade. The brand's massive growth has turned once-affordable cards into high-value collector items.
Why it matters
This reflects the enduring cultural and economic impact of the Pokémon franchise and the evolution of the collectibles market.
Image source, BBC/Flora Grafton Image caption, Pokémon collector Grace Orton hopes to secure some anniversary cards
For most people, Wednesday will be just another day - the midweek hump at school or work. But not for Pokémon fans.
The Japanese brand has become one of the most recognisable in the world, with its colourful creatures appearing in video games and on shop shelves across the world.
But perhaps most synonymous with the Pokémon phenomenon is its trading card game, which has been played, bought and sold between collectors for the last three decades.
Wednesday marks the release of Pokémon's 30th anniversary range - a day one collector described as the brand's biggest day "in the last decade, if not more".
Gus Hall, owner of Evolution Games in Halifax, said he expected fans to queue before shops open to get their hands on the first release of the cards.
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