Livestreaming Pokemon Card Pack Openings: Turning a Hobby into a Profit

ow a full-time live streamer who opens Pokemon card packs on TikTok for a living.

Mr. Ang Bin Xiu’s journey as a full-time Pokemon card pack opener began in 2022 when he rediscovered his childhood love for collecting these cards after stumbling upon them at a convenience store. Fuelled by nostalgia and armed with adult money, he decided to pursue this passion as a full-time career.

With the global resurgence in interest in Pokemon cards during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Ang found his niche as a live streamer catering to audiences eager to purchase and open packs of these beloved cards. Through his TikTok channel @DegenwBinshu, viewers can buy packs of cards while watching him reveal their contents live on stream.

Operating on a “rip and ship” business model, Mr. Ang offers a way for fans to access specific card sets without having to buy entire boxes. This approach has seen a surge in popularity, particularly for harder-to-find Japanese sets or vintage collections, making Mr. Ang’s live streams both entertaining and accessible to a wide audience.

Initially starting as a side hustle while working full-time, Mr. Ang’s business quickly took off, with sales skyrocketing to $1 million within the first nine months. This success allowed him to transition to live-streaming full-time, focusing not only on Pokemon cards but also expanding into sports cards and other trading card games.

While the market for social commerce is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, Mr. Ang acknowledges the challenges of fluctuating demand in the industry. Despite increased competition from other live streamers, he remains optimistic about the sustainable nature of his business, emphasizing the importance of resilience during slow periods.

For Mr. Ang, the highlight of his career switch goes beyond profits, as he values the friendships and community he has built through his live streams. Viewing his viewers not just as customers, but as friends who share a common love for the hobby, Mr. Ang’s business is a testament to the power of combining passion with entrepreneurship in the world of streaming entertainment.