Jolina Gisèle (20) grew up with two things: wealthy millionaire parents and Pokémon cards. She is about to sell what she claims is the “largest” and “most expensive” collection of cards. That could earn her tens of millions. The family hopes that a buyer would establish a museum for the collection. “I had this childish attitude: if I can collect all the crayons, why not all the Pokémon cards?”
Kasper Nollet
Journalist at HLN
Source: Bild, Luzerner Zeitung, The Jolina Gisèle Collection
She is the talk of the town in the world of Pokémon: Jolina Gisèle, the daughter of Swedish millionaires, who on her website claims to own the “largest and most expensive” collection of Pokémon cards. And she will soon sell them on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the popular franchise.
Visitors to the site can browse through that collection, which Gisèle says contains more than 60,000 cards. They are said to be in top condition, with an estimated value of tens of millions.
The promotion of the collection is striking: it was announced in a trailer with James Bond allure. In the video, which could come straight from a Hollywood film, we see how Gisèle and her partners steal the collection from the secure facility.
With money from the parents
“I started collecting them because it was something that connected me to my father,” reads the front page of the website. She was barely 7 years old when the hobby started for her. “My father, like me, is quite introverted. We found something in Pokémon cards that we both enjoyed.”
Gisèle, with the financial support of her parents, was soon able to amass a large collection. “And from that childish way of thinking, the idea arose: if it is possible to have all the colored pencils, why not also have all the Pokémon cards?”
Golden business
Questions arise online about the identity of the young collector and whether her claim that it is the largest collection is correct. The ‘Luzerner Zeitung’ tracked down the owners and discovered a wealthy family from German-speaking Switzerland.
The collection effectively started as a father-daughter hobby. In the early years, the father mainly bought cards that no one wanted. A golden move, as it turned out. The collection contains numerous ultra-rare cards that are in good condition.
Among the 60,000 cards are true rarities, most in pristine condition. Such as the extremely rare ‘Pikachu Illustrator’, the most valuable card in the world. Such a copy has previously been auctioned for 16.5 million dollars (approximately 14 million euros).
Now that the market and demand for Pokémon cards have exploded since the Covid pandemic and after the success of ‘Pokémon Go’, the family thought it was time for the next step.
“The collection has now grown so large that it is no longer possible to just keep them at home,” Gisèle’s mother, who testifies anonymously, told the German newspaper Bild. We had to arrange professional security solutions and take out comprehensive insurance.”
The collection is for sale, but only as a complete package. The hope? That a possible buyer turns the collection into a museum. However, the very first folders of the 20-year-old daughter, Jolina, remain untouched. They have an emotional value that cannot be paid for with any amount of money, Gisèle’s mother tells ‘Bild’.
