Pokemon Speakers, Classic Games, LPs... MZ Generation 'Collecting Nostalgia'

On the 24th of last month, SPC Samlip re-released Pok?mon bread, leading to an increase in MZ generation individuals collecting Pok?mon stickers. Office worker Kim (30) said he took out the stickers he collected during his school days to reminisce about old memories.
Photo by Reader Provided

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] "When I see Pok?mon stickers, I recall my school days and often get lost in nostalgia."

Office worker Kim (30) showed the Pok?mon ‘Ddibudibu Seal’ (sticker) he collected as an elementary school student and said this. The 35 Pok?mon stickers bore the marks of time and memories. Pok?mon bread, re-released after 20 years, has sold over 1.5 million units, sparking a craze for collecting the stickers included with the bread. On a secondhand trading application (app), many sellers were found selling stickers separately. Kim said, "I collected stickers in elementary school too, but this time I’m trying to collect all the first-generation Pok?mon."

Mr. Oh (34), who bought a Nintendo Game Boy released in the early 2000s last year, said, "I really wanted to buy it when I was young, but I couldn’t because I didn’t have money then," and added, "Playing games on the Game Boy reminds me of my childhood, so it feels good." Oh also said, "My coworkers take their kids to secondhand markets to buy classic games and enjoy playing them together at home." Yoon (27), who has been collecting LP records and film cameras for two years, likes analog sensibility. He sometimes waits in line for over an hour to buy the LP he wants. He said that listening to music on LP records allows him to fully concentrate. Yoon stated, "Both LP records and film cameras are hard to maintain, but I collect them because they give me enjoyment."

Dr. Lee Sujin of the Seoul National University Consumer Trend Analysis Center said, "The ‘reminiscence peak’ psychology, which involves recalling memories and wanting to re-experience past experiences, has emerged in conjunction with the MZ generation," and added, "The ‘newtro’ trend that has continued since 2019 has accelerated even more after COVID-19."