But it’s different for Sabah-born Ayesha Assilla Watuna, who is willingly selling her personal collection of rare, limited-edition and hard-to-find Pokémon cards to raise funds so she can join the Global Sumud Flotilla, expected to conduct its next humanitarian mission to Gaza early next year.
The popular Japanese media franchise, which is centred around creatures called Pokémon, includes anime, a trading card game, movies, and other merchandise.
With more than 3,000 cards featuring the cute animated characters that coloured her childhood, the 30-year-old homemaker said she was inspired to part with her Pokémon trading-card collection after seeing many other Malaysian women make sacrifices so they could help the people of Palestine.
“I want to show that I’m able to contribute something meaningful to society, and that makes everything worthwhile.
“I’ll also be able to tell my children a meaningful story when they grow up – that I once sold my Pokémon cards so I could set foot in Palestine to help those in need,” she told Bernama.
Ayesha began selling the cards online and at a weekend night market stall in Taman Melawati here in late October. So far, she has raised more than RM15,000, with her card prices ranging from RM2 to several thousand ringgit each.
“I am determined to channel 100% of the proceeds to the Global Sumud Flotilla fund. I don’t mind selling every card I own, even the ones I’m reluctant to part with,” she said, noting that she also has in her collection a Pokémon edition that is only sold in Japan, acquired for her by a friend.
The mother of three, who started collecting Pokémon cards in June this year, said the hobby began as a way to fill her free time, and that she never expected the cards to be so valuable.
Spending around RM2,000 a month to get those she wanted, Ayesha said the card prices fluctuate based on the market, which collectors track using an app widely used by Pokémon fans and buyers.
“It’s quite similar to gold: the longer you hold on to a card, the higher the value can climb. Collectors usually sell their cards based on the market price shown in the Shiny app, where we just scan the card and the price appears.
“Some card bundles I bought for only RM400 are now worth double, and may continue to increase in value. As long as the original plastic seal is intact, the price can rise higher,” she said.
Ayesha, who finds collecting cards to be therapeutic during stressful times, said her favourite characters include Charizard, while her preferred illustrator is Tomokazu Komiya.