Bringing Pokemon to a new generation

NEW STORE IS ATTRACTING BOTH NEW AND OLD FANS

- By ANDY PHILLIPS

A NEW shop which sells, buys and trades Pokemon cards has opened in Plymouth - with the owners aiming to introduce the next generation of fans to the platform

Jamie Maclennan and Katie Burns opened JK's Pokemart in November last year, and the store is already attracting both nostalgic collectors and youngsters who are new to Pokemon.

The store, on Ebrington Street, a stone's throw from Charles Cross, also sells Pokemon-themed merchandise like hoodies, soft toys and even candles, and aims to offer a club events for collectors to meet up.

Jamie said he is a collector himself, but has products which appeal to both older buyers who remember the early days of the theme, to younger collectors who are just starting out.

He said: "I've always been into it - I'm 35 so I remember when it first came out; I collected back then and through my 20s I stopped collecting, and now I've started again since my early 30s.

"We just decided that it was something that Plymouth was missing; Pokemon has started to become a big thing again, so we wanted to start a shop and bring a bit of love back to Plymouth.

"It’s something for the kids as well - I tend to find the card shops aren’t normally very kid-friendly as they are designed for adults, so we are aiming to bring in more children and keep it alive, as they are the next generation."

Cards can be found at budget prices as well as at the top end, so the shop hopes to offer something for everyone.

He continued: "We start as low as 10p up to whatever a card is worth - and it can be thousands. But I am more centred on cards from around 25p up to £10.