Creative Financial Partners

A rare Pokémon “Illustrator” card recently sold for $16.5 million, bringing renewed attention to collectibles as a potential alternative asset.

According to data cited in the article, secondary trading card sales volume has nearly doubled over the past two years. The Pokémon index has gained approximately 145% in the past year, compared to roughly 15% for the S&P 500 over the same period.

However, collectibles carry distinct considerations:
➡️Limited liquidity and reliance on auction markets for pricing
➡️Value driven largely by buyer demand
➡️Potentially higher capital gains tax rates (up to 28% for certain items)
➡️Performance that can differ significantly from traditional securities

While some investors explore trading cards, art, wine, and watches for diversification, these items are often viewed as complementary holdings rather than substitutes for broadly diversified portfolios.

As interest in alternative assets grows, understanding both the opportunities and the trade-offs is important.


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Are collectibles a viable asset class? The buyer of the $16.5 million Pokémon card thinks so AJ Scaramucci thinks trading cards have experienced tremendous growth, and thus they, and other collectibles, are great alternative investments.

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