Queues snaked through Cardiff’s Queen’s Arcade as fans descended on the store
Pokémon fans outside Spawn Point Collectibles in Queen’s Arcade, Cardiff, on Saturday morning (Image: Richard Swingler)
Pokémon fans have been queuing for hours in Cardiff this morning in a bid to get their hands on a special new collectable.
People have been visiting toy shops and collection stores across the country this week with some arriving hours before opening and others camping overnight in the hope of securing the sought-after item.
Huge queues were seen outside Smyths Toy Superstore in Swansea on Monday night, while queues were also seen in Cardiff on Thursday outside Forbidden Planet in Duke Street. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here.
On Saturday morning Pokémon fans queued for hours to try and get into Spawn Point Collectibles in Cardiff’s Queen’s Arcade, with some arriving from 6am.
Dylan Morris from Cardiff(Image: Richard Swingler)
They were all trying to get their hands on a new Pokémon Elite Trainer Box (ETB) released as a 30th celebration of the worldwide card craze.
“I’m trying to get a Pokémon 30th anniversary ETB today as the demand is very high and they are so fun to open,” said 14-year-old Dylan Morris from Cardiff while stood in Saturday morning’s queue.
“I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get one because I’ve been queuing here for a while.”
Pokémon collectors Maria, Grace and Katie in Cardiff on Saturday morning (Image: Richard Swingler)
Grace, from Taff’s Well, said: “We woke up at 4.45am and by the time we got the train we managed to get here in the queue at 6.15am. I was very happy to get a Pokémon ETB – I’m a new collector thanks to my sister.”
Collecting Pokémon cards can be a lucrative business. One of the rarest and most sought-after Pokémon cards in the world sold for a record-breaking amount in 2026.
People queuing in Cardiff on Saturday morning (Image: Richard Swingler)
The Pikachu Illustrator card sold for $16,492,000 – just over £12m – after 41 days of bidding.
The card belonged to American influencer and wrestler Logan Paul, who had bought it for $5.275m – around £3.8m – in July 2021.
Japanese brand Pokémon became a global phenomenon after the release of video games in 1996, which were soon followed by trading cards.
As of March 2026, the trading card game has produced over 85 billion cards worldwide.