Maria Virginia Sy

Trading card game and collectibles enthusiasts gathered at the first Geek+Pop Philippine International Collectibles and Card Show in Makati City on August 24, 2025. The weekend event featured tournaments, raffles, auctions, and pack openings, along with displays of popular trading card game titles and collectibles.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Geek+Pop Philippine International Collectibles and Card Show

ABS-CBN News Intern

Mark Demayo

MAKATI — Stepping into the trade hall, business owner Arnold Fernandez Schmidt explored a new venture in the vast and colorful world of cards and collectibles. Fellow hobbyists, collectors, and enthusiasts await him as he sets up his table and puts up the numerous collections he accumulated over the years. He comes not as a businessman, but as a newcomer seeking to reignite his passion for trading card games (TCG). An exhibitor at Geek+Pop’s first Philippine International Card and Collectibles Show (PICCS), Arnold admitted that he lacked knowledge on the trading aspect of cards but leaned on others to help him. “It’s the first one we did. We made a lot of friends and a lot of connections, so we had a lot of people we exchanged contact with, exchanged numbers with. Very great, especially a lot of things I was not familiar with [such as] grading some assessments of cards,” Arnold told ABS-CBN News in an interview. In the trading card game scene, card grading is done to check if a card meets specific criteria set by professional grading authorities. This process helps determine the cards&#x27; value and ensure proper pricing. For Arnold, Pokémon served as the gateway that allowed him to connect with others. “I met so many Filipinos which I would never have met in my life if not because of Pokemon. That&#x27;s amazing, especially people you know, I can talk with them about my passion and hobby,” he shared. Because of this, he can let his business persona lay low and enjoy the experience as himself. “It&#x27;s not like business or the person who I am maybe behind doors. It is just like me as a geek. My business partners don&#x27;t know me like that. I can say things here, and people understand me and that&#x27;s amazing. It&#x27;s not business, it&#x27;s being me,” he added. The journey and its challenges As a child, Arnold developed a love for cards — specifically Pokémon — and grew up playing several generations of video games from the iconic Japanese franchise. Now an adult, he manages restaurants and businesses in the country, including Smooth Cafe in Boracay and Pawikan Resort in Moalboal. Business meant investment, and that meant money. But this time, he found another way to make the most of what he liked best — buying and selling the cards he once played with in his childhood. “Pokemon became a hobby with benefits, if I can say it like that. It started purely out of passion, purely out of fun,” he said. in the same interview, he said that having this kind of hobby would not be possible without work. “Being able to invest a lot means you need a job to sustain this hobby. I have multiple other businesses. I don’t see this as a business — it’s really a hobby with benefits. I try to keep it as a hobby and always make it fun,” he said. Aside from TCG cards, Arnold also dabbled in other investments such as cryptocurrency. But out of all his other investments, Pokemon saw the biggest success. “Just as an example, in the last 3-4 months, most of our assets appreciated about 20 to 30 percent, which was a huge surprise. Better than all of the investments we did actually. It really surpasses all the other investments I did. Doesn’t matter if it’s crypto or if it’s other collectibles, Pokemon is number one,” he explained. Reflection Arnold warned those who wanted to enter the trading business to avoid gambling, as he himself once fell victim to it. “It can be a very expensive hobby. We did the mistake that we gambled a lot, that’s the downside. We opened a lot of cards so I don&#x27;t recommend to do it if you’re a gambler and you want to make money with it,” he said. At the end of the day, passion is what drives Arnold in his newfound community during his stint at PICCS. “Do it with passion. Collect the cards you like. Appreciate the art, appreciate the whole thing. Don’t see cards just as money, otherwise you might go bankrupt,” he added. Held last August 23 to 24, 2025, at Space at One Ayala, PICCS is a two-day event hosted by Geek+Pop, where hobbyists, collectors, and pop culture fans gather to showcase a wide range of TCGs, board games, and other memorabilia.

Business owner Arnold Fernandez Schmidt explores a new venture in the vast and colorful world of cards and collectibles at the maiden Philippine International Card and Collectibles Show (PICCS) organized by Geek+Pop.

Business owner Arnold Fernandez Schmidt explores a new venture in the vast and colorful world of cards and collectibles at the maiden Philippine International Card and Collectibles Show (PICCS) organized by Geek+Pop.

'Hobby with benefits:' Businessman uses passion to integrate in local trading card game community

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'Hobby with benefits:' Businessman uses passion to integrate in local trading card game community

ABS-CBN News Intern,

Mark Demayo,

Jose Raphael Gonzales

Published Aug 31, 2025 11:33 AM PHT

Read More:

Geek+Pop

Philippine International Card and Collectibles Show

PICCS

trading card games

TCG

Pokemon

Arnold Schmidt

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