Tucked away in an industrial building in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, Premier Hobby Collective has become a hub for trading card enthusiasts. Behind a bright sign lies a carefully curated space where collectors can browse and battle with cards from Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering. With cards priced from HK$90 to over HK$6,000, the shop serves not just as a retail outlet but a gathering point for the local card game community.
Sunny Ma, CEO and co-founder of Premier Hobby Collective, opened the shop in December 2024. A collector himself, Ma aims to foster community by hosting competitions and encouraging customers to open their new packs in-store. He believes trading cards are about more than commerce—they’re a shared experience. The rise in card shops across Hong Kong in recent years reflects a broader boom, partly driven by renewed interest during the Covid-19 pandemic and sparked further by the release of the Pokémon 151 series in 2023.
For civil servant Stanley Ka, the nostalgic 151 set rekindled childhood memories of earning cards as rewards from his mother. Now, he owns both his original childhood collection and a full 151 set. Similarly, Lloyd Meng, who once dabbled in NFTs, was drawn to the physicality of trading cards. Opening boxes as an adult, he says, felt like fulfilling childhood dreams.
In April 2025, the Hong Kong Trading Card Show drew over 2,500 attendees and 45 vendors to Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai. Event director Mark Brough noted the appeal of Hong Kong’s free trade status, which allows collectors to avoid import taxes that burden collectors in other countries. Nearly HK$2 million reportedly changed hands during the event.
Collectors like Ian Tang approach the hobby as both a passion and an investment. Tang focuses on sealed packs, sometimes spending up to HK$10,000 a month. Rare and pristine cards continue to soar in value. For example, special-edition Pikachu cards released at the Van Gogh Museum in 2024 now fetch over HK$7,000. A 24-carat gold Pikachu card even sold for US$35,000 in April 2025.
Despite the community’s growth, concerns about scalpers persist. Ma hopes to see measures that protect genuine collectors and ensure accessibility. For many like Ka, though, the true value lies in the friendships and memories built through the hobby.
READ MORE: