<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lucy Hughes has turned her nostalgic "hobby" into a six-figure </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/wages" rel="" target="_blank" title="salary."><span>salary.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Sydney woman, 36, was an early adopter of buying and selling rare Pokémon cards, a revived Millennial trend that is </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/logan-paul-pikachu-pokemon-card-sells-for-record-figure-at-auction/8f65ed01-6676-4b9b-9f30-c4cda711973c" rel="" target="_blank" title="netting some people millions of dollars."><span>netting some people millions of dollars.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hughes uses eBay to trade thousands of popular cards online and is earning more cash from it than her full-time job.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/noosa-houseboats-queensland-man-sells-boat-for-one-dollar-after-being-forced-off-river/7a97cae6-7ce5-4509-aa07-c27922a61f5b" rel="" target="_blank" title="David sold his home for $2 after 'traumatic' new rule forced him out"><strong><span>David sold his home for $2 after 'traumatic' new rule forced him out</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Do you have a story? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter April Glover at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:april.glover@nine.com.au" target="" title="april.glover@nine.com.au"><em><strong><span>april.glover@nine.com.au</span></strong></em></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"As a teenager I used my first paycheck to go and collect some Pokémon cards to try and finish my original set from the year 2000," Hughes told </span><a href="https://www.nine.com.au/?rf=true" rel="" target="_blank" title="nine.com.au."><span>nine.com.au.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Pokémon to me is my childhood. I've always been into Pokémon, but I think it can be a hobby where people come in and out of it.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/pokemon-card-trading-how-lucy-makes-six-figures-buying-selling-cards-online/fa14a3d5-4369-46d6-b8e5-7f298be950cb" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My collection means more to me than most things in this world."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The original Pokémon set includes 151 characters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hughes quickly realised that mint-condition, first-generation Pokémon cards could sell for thousands of dollars.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She likened it to the trading floor on Wall Street – with cards treated like investment pieces which surge in value.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It all comes down to waiting for the right time to sell.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Pokémon cards are like trading stock," Hughes said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There are apps today track cards, they give you graphs of how many of that card exists in the world that have been graded, to daily price movements.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"People track momentum of cards and, where the market might be shifting, to where they may want to put their money next from an investing point of view."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/meet-the-team/digital/april-glover#:~:text=Sydney%20couple%20sold%20house%2C%20quit%20their%20jobs%20after%20feeling%20%27trapped%27%20in%20rat%20race" target="_blank" title="Sydney couple sold house, quit their jobs after feeling 'trapped' in rat race"><strong><span>Sydney couple sold house, quit their jobs after feeling 'trapped' in rat race</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hughes has sold over 5000 Pokémon cards to eager collectors online.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She regularly hosts live-streamed auctions on eBay, which helps her earn over $100,000 per year thanks to rapid-fire sales.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her top sale was a Van Gough-style Pikachu card, which Hughes sold for $1000 after nabbing it for only $50.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There you've got 10 seconds to put your bid in and everyone's racing to beat the big clock," Hughes added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's a transactional side to the cards, as I make six figures, but I also treat my streams as a form of entertainment and as a place for the community to be a part of something."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There's a card that Hughes has her eye on – and cards graded as a perfect 10 by a Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) can be worth between $20,000 and $30,000.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There are these cards called the poncho Pikachus," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I would love to own at least one."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span></span><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/pauline-hanson-policies-stance-on-immigration-housing-voting-record-explained/1a21d57d-cddd-4ba5-b1ce-0b564e205b79" target="_blank" title="As Pauline Hanson's popularity surges, what does her party really stand for?"><strong><span>As Pauline Hanson's popularity surges, what does her party really stand for?</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As more Pokémon hobbyists ramp up their card collecting, Hughes said fans of the franchise should be dusting off their old cards to discover their value.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>You can grade them online using a serial number or by a PSA.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think a lot of people who have left their cards at their parents' house now probably regret leaving them behind," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If you have cards from the 1990s or early 2000s, definitely get them out, look at the eBay's sold history, enter in the number on the card, and you can find out all the details."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>You never know what treasures could be lurking in your old toybox, she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>For example, a 2003 Machamp PSA 10 is selling on eBay for around $5700.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A 1st edition Pikachu PSA 10 is listed for $13,200.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And in 2025, a 1999 Pokémon Charizard 1999 base set 1st edition sold for $25,800.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/crowds-have-flocked-to-meet-youtube-star-logan-paul-outside-channel-nines-studios/ab57ec46-bca5-4ab6-b8be-32912b447de6" rel="" target="_blank" title="Wrestler and YouTuber Logan Paul"><span>Wrestler and YouTuber Logan Paul</span></a><span> broke a world record this week when he sold his ultra-rare Pikachu Illustrator card for $16.5 million ($23.3 million) during an auction.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Sometimes it can come down to luck, if you just so happen to have the card," Hughes said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Japanese cartoon's 30th anniversary is approaching on February 26 and Hughes expects there to be a trading frenzy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Pokémon always finds a way of trying to reconnect with its fans, I have no doubt they'll come out with products that are all about nostalgia," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hughes is hosting another live-streamed auction on eBay on February 26 to mark 30 years of Pokémon.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.</span></em></div></div>