Pokémon craze draws thousands of fans to major Meadowlands trading card show
Liquid Games, based out of Ocean Township, estimated that over 6,000 attendees came over the course of the weekend, with more than 400 vendors buying, selling and trading Pokémon-related merchandise, including trading cards, collectibles and accessories.
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Thousands of Pokémon collectors, vendors and enthusiasts came together at the Meadowlands Exposition Center this weekend for the Liquid Games Market, one of the area's largest trading card and Pokémon events.
Liquid Games, based out of Ocean Township, estimated that over 6,000 attendees came over the course of the weekend, with more than 400 vendors buying, selling and trading Pokémon-related merchandise, including trading cards, collectibles and accessories.
Pokémon cards have seen strong demand increasing over the past few years from collectors and investors.
“Pokémon itself, because that’s what we’re primarily based around, it’s been around 30 years. The 30th anniversary was this year. They got movies, TV shows, the trading card game itself. They have massive tournaments,” said a vendor known as PokeWave from The Firm. “And, you know, obviously, the collectability. People like to collect things. It’s nostalgic, which is my biggest thing.”
Some of the items on display carried eye-catching price tags. PokeWave showed News12 a sealed Pokémon booster box valued at approximately $100,000.
Other vendors included artists and creators producing Pokémon-themed merchandise. Karli, from ‘House of Eevee’, was selling hand-painted card binders.
“My husband started to sell Pokémon cards a couple of years ago, and I was going to shows with him and just sitting next to him,” said Karli. “So I decided, ‘Oh, there can be something I can do here, too.’ So I started to make custom binders for the cards so people buy them from him, and then they come over to me and put their cards in there.”
The next Liquid Games Market in New Jersey is set for July 17 and 18 at Bell Works in Holmdel.
