Axis Conversations Roundtable: Pokémon Cards, Punch the Monkey, and Family Resilience
Feb 27, 2026
Ashley Schetzel, Director of Advancement at AXIS, shares candid parenting moments and culture-focused reflections. They unpack a $16.4M Pokémon card and why families collect. Conversation covers gambling-like pack habits, what makes families resilient, and the viral story of Punch the macaque that sparks empathy and parenting instincts.
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Family Pokemon Hunts As Quality Time
- Ashley Schetzel describes family Pokemon hunts where her husband rips packs and kids use imagination to spot Pokémon on drives.
- They treat vending-machine finds as a shared adventure, showing collecting can be a wholesome family ritual rather than purely investment-driven.
Pack Ripping Mirrors Gambling Behavior
- Tobin Heim and Evan Barber compare aggressive pack-ripping to gambling, noting compulsive behavior when people open dozens of packs chasing a rare hit.
- They highlight adult collectors spending thousands, sitting in cars ripping boxes, and creating social-media content that looks addictive rather than joyful.
Physical Cards Cut Through Digital Fatigue
- The hosts note physical trading cards persist because tangible objects break through our screen-saturated lives and feel 'real' compared to digital investments.
- Even collectors who sell online still prize the physical artifact and the sensory 'rush' of opening packs.