​He Spent $100K+ on Sealed Pokémon Games… Here’s Why They 3x-5x’d

In this episode of the Hobby Speculators Podcast, we sit down with Kai—a top Australian Pokémon card business owner and streamer—to break down his massive transition into collecting and speculating on sealed, graded video games. After spending over $100,000 on high-grade retro titles (including Pokémon Red, Super Smash Bros 64, and Super Mario 64), Kai shares why he believes the sealed video game market has immense upside compared to modern Pokémon TCG and other collectibles. We discuss: • Why sealed video game population reports are drastically lower than modern cards • The impact of PSA entering the video game grading market (Wata vs PSA vs CGC) • Print run variants vs high numeric grades: what matters long term? • Arbitrage and mass grading plays with modern classics (GTA Trilogy, Guitar Hero, etc.) • The post-bubble recovery and where retro video game investing is headed next 📌 Video URL: ​He Spent $100K+ on Sealed Pokémon Games… ... #PokemonCards #GradedVideoGames #RetroGaming #PokemonRed #SuperSmashBros64 #PSA #Wata #HobbySpeculators #GameCollecting ⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters ​[00:00] – Introduction: Kai's $100K+ pivot into sealed Pokémon games ​[01:05] – Kai's background in retro gaming & building a Pokémon business ​[02:24] – Entering the graded game market after the 2021 bubble ​[03:00] – Buying the first sealed Smash Bros 64 & learning grade conditions ​[04:50] – Price disparities: Sealed Pokémon Red vs PSA 9 1st Edition Charizard ​[06:30] – Current state of the Pokémon card market & repack/gambling apps ​[09:00] – High-end TCG market dynamics & whale money ​[10:20] – Sourcing, grading, and selling 600+ slabs a week ​[12:00] – Vintage Japanese Pokémon cards & missed opportunities ​[13:46] – Video games vs TCG: Collectibility, nostalgia, and organic scarcity ​[17:28] – Why game scalping differs from Pokémon card scalping ​[19:15] – The hunt for rare grails: Super Mario 64 & market bottom timing ​[21:18] – 2011 retro collecting memories & accidentally opening sealed items ​[24:06] – Kai’s target checklist: N64, PS1, PS2, and Xbox classics ​[26:09] – First memories playing Pokémon Red on Game Boy ​[28:10] – Future price catalysts & high-net-worth buyers entering the hobby ​[30:58] – PSA entering video game grading as a major growth driver ​[33:00] – Low population counts in key N64 titles & Smash Bros cartridge stats ​[38:00] – Mainstream awareness, social media, and finding hidden grails ​[41:08] – Overcoming negative online stigmas around graded games ​[43:08] – Retrospective on the 2021 market correction & million-dollar sales ​[46:00] – Print variants (Sandshrew vs Rattata) vs grade importance ​[50:00] – Rare variants (Halo 3 slipcovers, PAL vs NTSC editions) ​[52:40] – Mario Kart 64 & Super Mario 64 auction price predictions ​[56:00] – Debate: Will collectors prefer the highest grade or first prints? ​[01:01:34] – Underrated opportunities: Guitar Hero 3 & factory-sealed bundles ​[01:04:30] – Operating as a business: Mass grading GTA Trilogy for high ROI ​[01:08:50] – Case packs, grading margins, and building an accessible entry tier ​[01:13:20] – Pop report reality check: Graded games vs Burger King promos ​[01:16:16] – Final thoughts & wrapping up