The Current Why Pokemon fans still try to catch 'em all
Mar 9, 2026
Daniel Dockery, a Pokémon cultural historian and author, joins Danny Levine, an Ottawa cards-and-games shop owner active in local events, and Blake Ouellette, a long-time collector and trading-card shop owner in BC. They trace Pokémon's 1996 origins, childhood collecting rituals, local store communities, nostalgia-fueled revivals like Pokémon Go, and how collecting became big business.
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Local Shop Culture Builds New Trainers
- Danny Levine runs a shop in Ottawa that hosts 30–40 weekly Pokémon TCG players who teach newcomers and foster community.
- He describes seasoned players who competed at Worlds mentoring six-year-olds for free during store play and trade nights.
Pokemon Go Turned Landmarks Into Play Destinations
- Danny Levine used Pokémon Go to discover Ottawa landmarks and adapted walking tours to include PokéStops, showing how the game encouraged local exploration.
- He recalls taking tour groups to PokéStops and meeting people on raid days who would gather near his store.
Hobby Flip Turned Into Full Time Business
- Blake Ouellette turned selling unwanted cards on eBay into a full-time business that now covers major expenses like a mortgage.
- He scaled by buying collections, retailing valuable cards at shows, and sometimes making five-figure weekends at trade events.
