ONE hundred and seventy-three thousand quid can go a long way. What would you splash out on? Some luxury treats, perhaps, or some charity donations?

Or maybe you would buy a Pokemon card.

The rapper Logic reportedly spent $226,000 (£173,000) on a first-edition Charizard card at a live auction last week.

But that’s not the only Pokemon-related purchase Logic – whose real name is Sir Robert Bryson Hall II – made last week.

The day before, he spent $23,000 (£17,600) on a box of unopened Pokemon, containing another Charizard card and a few other rare cards.

Logic then spoke on Instagram about his love for the franchise.

“Being able to enjoy something that I’ve loved since childhood now as a grown man is like buying back a piece of something I could never have,” he wrote.

A grown man with more money than sense, some might argue, but whatever floats your boat.

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He’s not alone in his passion for collecting. Since coronavirus started to lock down the world, there has been a surge in hobbies centred on collectibles, with stamp and coin collecting among the pursuits that have seen a dramatic rise in popularity.

These hobbies, which nowadays might seem dull in the context of our digital entertainment landscape, were the norm back in the day. As a kid, I recall cherishing my prized scraps collections. It was hard to part with a cherub … but there was always someone with something to tempt you into swapping.

I graduated to marbles and had a fine collection stored in a sock. My lack of skill at the game, however, took its toll. It’s hard not to lose your marbles when you keep getting beaten.

Then there was my Panini football cards phase. This petered out when I ended up with three Asa Hartfords that I couldn’t get rid of. Oh how I wanted to swap him for a Joe Jordan, but there was no-one up for the transaction.

My most sustained period of collecting resulted in a fairly substantial hoard of keyrings. They came in all shapes and sizes and colours and were pinned up with pride in my bedroom.

There they stayed long after I left home. Until my mum had a clear-out and my coveted keyring collection was scattered to the four winds via the local charity shop.

I was most upset, despite not having given them a second thought for years … and I’m not sure what I was planning to do with them. Pass them down through the generations as a family heirloom? Maybe not.

Which brings me to our son’s bedroom …

For what’s seems like all of his childhood, but which was probably only a few years, his Pokemon Gameboy Yellow was a constant companion, possibly glued to the palms of his hands.

And, yes, there were cards collected. Many of them. All stored in a special tin.

Perhaps his passion for Pokemon was more worthwhile than we’d anticipated at the time.

Just off to have a rake around in his bedroom …

Fortunately, I have not inherited my mother’s zeal for tidying.