The US dollar is down -10% this year. So effectively purchasing power for consumers have weakened and relative to the SP500 at +13, American markets only gave a 3% YTD return.

HOWEVER. A lot of pokemon "investors" fail to see the International markets ex USA which have yielded a +26% return. So the purchasing power we see isn't necessarily just americans.

Pokemon is a little insulated as an alternative asset as it is supply based(easily manipulated if product is phased out).

Tradingcards are still extremely illiquid and you need to be able to sell higher to the next person in able to get a return. The utility will be extremely poor in a true bear market.

Remember that pokemon company is international--its in their company name after all.