'Paxi': Bengaluru's Car-Trunk Pokémon TCG Shop

Strolling through Bengaluru, you might do a double-take after seeing this. It isn't every day you get to witness a sleek navy-blue Volvo covered in stickers of Charizard, Pikachu, Rowlet, Snorlax, and Dragonite. This is called "Paxi", a one-of-a-kind Pokémon Taxi that isn't a taxi at all. It’s a mobile, pop-up Pokémon card shop run by Vibhuv Reddy, a 23-year-old recent university graduate. He operates the store right from his car trunk, attracting both casual fans and serious collectors.

Reddy parks the Paxi in different areas of the city, like Koramangala, every other week. He then throws open his trunk to reveal a treasure trove of Pokémon cards that would send any hardcore fan into a tizzy. He returned to India with a personal collection of around 500 cards. 

"I was spending way too much on Pokémon cards and needed a way to sell them," The New Indian Express stated, adding that the goal is also to grow the city's collector community.

What started as a hobby has turned into a booming business. "We thought, why not set up our inventory in our car and drive around, just to see who’s interested," Reddy says. It turns out many people are. His stock often sells out within a week, and one Instagram reel featuring the Paxi has garnered upwards of 30,000 likes. 

His inventory includes cards in English, Japanese, and Korean, with prices ranging from a budget-friendly ₹50, all the way to a staggering ₹45,000 for a single card.

The costliest card in his collection is a ₹45,000 Gangar VMAX. "This is a modern one that came out during the Pokémon card boom amid the Covid pandemic," Reddy explained to TNIE. "The texture is intricate and beautiful, so that it feels like holding a piece of art." 

While he has modern hits, Reddy says he prefers to focus on vintage cards from the game's original 1996-1999 run and also holds rare non-first edition cards valued around ₹30,000.

Tapping Into India's Collectible Boom

Reddy’s quirky car-boot shop has timed its venture perfectly, tapping into a massive surge in India's interest in collectible hobbies. This trend is driven by a youthful demographic with increasing disposable income.

Further Straits Research stated that the Indian collectible card game (CCG) market is expected to expand from its 2024 valuation of around $190.34 million to an impressive $466 million by 2032 at a CAGR of 11.8%, consistent with the user's data.

This local trend parallels massive global growth, with the worldwide market projected to expand from approximately $14.7 billion in 2025 to over $37.42 billion by 2034. While major retailers have reported surges in sales, spurred by nostalgia and investment interest, analysts caution that this market is showing signs of being speculative, with the potential for sharp price corrections in the near future.

For Bengaluru’s enthusiasts, Reddy’s mobile shop offers a rare and accessible way to engage with the hobby. While digital gaming is accessible, the physical card market is often held back by limited accessibility outside major metro cities. 

By taking his inventory directly to the streets, Reddy is mixing old-school passion with new-school business sense, proving that to be a Pokémon master in 2025, you just need a car, a collection, and a lot of dedication.