Collecting cards has become big business in recent years. Christoph Kramer, the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder who was part of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad, has amassed a Pokémon card collection estimated to be worth €400,000. His collection is devoted to Pokémon, which he has been collecting since 1999.
Several German newspapers have reported on the collection, including Der Spiegel. Despite its considerable value, Kramer has no intention of selling. “I’ve completed the English first edition, and I wouldn’t part with my collection for any amount of money,” the 36-year-old told DPA. “I’m firmly convinced that when our generation reaches 50 or 60, we won’t be hanging classical paintings on our walls any more, but framing Pokémon cards behind glass instead,” he said.
Kramer shared a photograph of his card album on social media in 2021. Rare Pokémon cards have since commanded increasingly high prices. In February, American influencer Logan Paul bought a card at auction for $16.5 million. Kramer collects other things, too, including an original iPhone that remains sealed in its original packaging. “For me, things like old trading cards, rare vintage pieces and retro shirts represent the true art of our time,” he said.
Nostalgia is part of the appeal: these are objects that take Kramer back to his childhood. Football remains part of his life, too. Since retiring from the game, he has moved into television as a pundit for ZDF, recently extending his contract with the broadcaster, while continuing to write. His second novel, Wolkenberührpunkt, has just been published, following his first. The title translates roughly as Point of Contact with the Clouds.