What’s behind the hype and demand?

This photograph shows displayed collectible cards from the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) at an amateur collector’s appartment in Paris on March 11, 2026. Martin Lelievre | Afp | Getty Images When I was a kid in the late 90s, collecting Pokémon cards was a fun hobby. I’d buy packs, hoping to get the rarest…

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China’s emotional economy is on the rise

A giant inflatable Labubu toy floats on the water at Victoria Harbour on October 25, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images 28-year-old Rebecca Zhou, born in China’s Sichuan province, owns an assortment of Moomin merchandise — bags, mugs, and figurines featuring the white hippo-looking cartoon character from Finland…

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