Pokemon cards are so in demand a man tried to hide inside a closed Best Buy to be first in line for the latest drop — cards are up 3,261% in 20 years

There was no sign of forced entry at the store, indicating he may have been inside it when it closed. Keys were spotted on a live feed from inside the store at 1:00 a.m. by workers monitoring the closed-circuit feed. An employee with a key to the store let officers in.

He was arrested without incident.

"I was just here for some Pokémon drop, but I went to the restroom. Not even 15 minutes and there was cops everywhere," one woman who was camping outside the store for the next morning's drop told (1) KNBC in Los Angeles.

Pokécraze intensifies

Pokémon cards have been popular for years, but they've seen a resurgence in popularity as interest in trading cards has surged. Earlier this year, influencer Logan Paul sold his PSA 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon trading card for nearly $16.5 million, a record amount. (Paul paid $5.27 million for the card in 2021.)

While virtually all trading cards are seeing price boosts, Pokemon is far and away the industry leader. As of last July, the value of those cards has increased 3,261% (2) in the past 20 years, far surpassing the S&P 500 and most other investment vehicles.

In the 12 months prior to that, the average Pokemon card saw a 46% increase in value.

To put those numbers in comparison, the second most popular theme of collectible cards revolves professional American football. In that same 20 year period, the value of those cards has only increased 1,290%. Baseball cards gained 721%. The S&P? 421%.

Camping out

To ensure they have the latest and greatest cards, collectors will frequently camp out overnight when new decks go on sale. Some will attempt to buy a store out immediately, in hopes of finding a rare card, which has caused considerable frustration on the part of both retailers and customers. (Many also offer the cards for resale on secondary markets like Ebay, usually at an inflated price point.)