Weber’s Goldschein is a Pokémon Phenom

Gotta catch ‘em all!

Fifteen-year-old Weber student Shane Goldschein discovered Pokémon eight years ago when his brother, Sammy, handed him a Ziploc bag of cards. Fast forward to mid-August 2024 when Goldschein was invited to play with other top competitors (based on their stats) in the 2024 World Championship in Hawaii.

He stated, “My goal was to qualify to play in the second day of the tournament that allowed 48 people out of 500 to move to the next level.”

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Rachel and Shane stood in line for three hours to buy an autographed Bear Walker Pokémon skateboard.

Ultimately, Shane finished 41st out of 500 in his age division, ranking him in the top eight percent in the world. His skill doesn’t come easy. While preparing for major tournaments (regional, international, or world), he devotes up to 50 hours a week, which varies with school demands.

Not just for fun, mom, Rachel said, “It’s amazing to watch both of my children learn to think ‘outside the box’, have patience, persistence, determination learning when to buy/sell/trade while honing their math and strategy skills. The Pokémon community is a welcoming, kind, competitive social group. They were patient while my boys were inquisitive and young beginners. I can see their growth and business mindset.”  Although it’s essentially a hobby, Shane can win prizes and money — around $100 to $200 at a time.

A Pokémon season lasts for 10 months and is complex as new cards appear monthly; so Goldschein’s strategy must change accordingly. He shared that he is curious about each card and evaluates each’s special powers and point values.

He recalled, “Years ago, while shopping at Target, I passed the Pokémon aisle and bought some cards. Amazingly, I discovered the best card possible valued at the time — around $200. For a 7-year-old kid, I was pretty happy!” He then sought out ways to sell or trade it for other cards. When he walked into a local Pokémon card store, he got multiple offers. Instead of “one for one.” he secured 60 cards to enable him to play the official card game.

Shane poses with mom, Rachel, in front of their hotel in Honolulu.

Every week, Goldschein visits card stores with his dad and brother for local tournament play. He’s already preparing for the 2025 Pokémon season. Rachel said, “I’m grateful the World Championship is in California for the next two years, so it is easier for travel while attending school. Shane qualified for the world tournament the last few years, but they were in London and Japan — too far to travel. I made him a deal that if he qualified in 2024, and it was held in the U.S., I’d take him. So, it was Hawaii!”

Goldschein may not play forever. He’s already planning his investment strategy by buying some items to hold. He said, “Cards have sold at auction for several hundreds of thousands of dollars and are considered a good investment. I met a man in the Pokémon Pop Up Shop who related that he carries his cards in a metal suitcase valued high enough to purchase a home. He advised me to hold for at least 10 years.”

Ever entrepreneurial, over the summer, Goldschein worked at the Chick-fil-A corporate office, hosted a Pokémon summer camp, and offered private lessons. He speaks of the future and being a Pokémon investor as well as being a financial analyst or real estate investor.

Shane passed on attending previous world championships because they were too far away to travel. However, Hawaii in 2024 was the right place at the right time.

Rachel concluded, “I truly believe Pokémon has set an incredible foundation for him to start the thought process of when to buy, when to sell, when to trade and know what ROI really means at such a young age. He and his brother hold impressive collector binders filled with fun, playable decks as well as collector’s items. I am now getting to add my name to that list with my boys. It has brought us closer and gives us something to enjoy together, while my husband learned how to play to stay connected with them. I love that my children have always had similar interests. From watching Marvel movies to collecting Lego sets to Lego Mini figures, from Funko Pop figures to now Pokémon. It really creates a competitive spirit [and] unbreakable bond.”