Stuff Christmas! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the family, food, and the true meaning of Christmas. But take the shopping and blow it straight to hell. Thankfully, J-List and other online stores make things a little easier, but I still feel gross having to give my hard-earned money away. Buyer’s remorse is my enemy, so I’ll fight tooth and nail for a good deal. So, when my kid wants Pokémon cards, I will game the system to get them cheap!
Collectible card games encourage you to fork out money for cardboard that never gets played. I’m a Magic: the Gathering player. I’ve got the crates full of commons to prove it. There must be an easier way to collect valuable cards, though. Right? The good news is that you can save money and build your collection by following these five tips.
1. Buy Premade Decks
Premade decks might not be the most powerful, but they are the best bang for your buck. Let’s use the fictional currency of Bidoof Bucks to simplify things. If a 10-card booster goes for 10 BB, a premade 60-card deck at anything under 60 BB is a good buy. In a premade deck, every card is usable. That’s not true with a booster. Booster prices vary, so figure out the average, do some calculations, and then find an affordable price for a full deck.
Choosing a premade deck is not hard. Go online to find deck reviews. Play the deck on Pokémon TCG Live. Be informed. I found a good deal on two Pokémon Deluxe Battle Decks. Reviews online helped me pick the one I liked and provided tips for upgrading it. Look for the three levels of complexity marked on the packaging with pokéballs. One for beginner, two for intermediate, and three for tournament-ready. Beginner is the best place for younger players to start.
2. Ask and Be Friendly
Our family collection consists almost exclusively of cards from family or friends. This includes my brother’s loaned Pokémon collection, bootleg cards from friends, booster pack gifts, and enough power cards to run all our deck ideas. We asked around, and we were thankful for anything we got.
Let’s talk about the bootlegs. We love funny bootlegs. However, knockoff Pokémon cards are often overpowered and poorly made. Don’t support bootleggers. Inferior cards pollute the hobby. Things are different at home, where you can have all the fun you want with your fake Pokémon cards. Making your own proxy cards is a rewarding, creative alternative. While also not tournament-legal, some collectors love original proxies.
3. Be Patient
Akihabara wasn’t built in a day. Or something like that. If you follow Rule 1, you’ll play and make Pokémon friends, leading into Rule 2. Your collection will begin growing. Don’t worry that you haven’t got all the cards. Blowing too much money on a hobby isn’t wise. Save your money for important things and play with what you have. Play with a friend’s deck. Play online. If you stick with the hobby, then your collection will grow.
Pokémon trainer Rosa knows the best way to win with her Snivy. This 1/8 PVC Kotobukiya-produced figure of Rosa and her Snivy is prepainted and has an elegant base. They’re the only Pokémon pair in stock, so don’t expect them to hang around for a rematch.
4. When You Buy, Buy Singles
Buy to build. First, find a deck idea you like and assemble it online or out of proxies and cards you already own. Poker cards with the rules written on them with a dry-erase marker are good enough. Test the deck out, and if it works, buy singles to get the cards you need. Trade up. The best deck ideas use some of the cards you already have. This way, you’re building your collection, not starting a new one for each fresh idea.
There are a bunch of booster simulators online, which you can use to test the likelihood of pulling particular cards. Try it and see how many cards you’d actually keep. Buying cards directly from a card shop helps you anticipate your expenditure and avoid buying useless cards.
5. Follow Your Fun-o-Meter
Did you ever burn yourself on a hobby? Were you ever that guy who bought every toy and tool for a hobby and then discovered that you didn’t enjoy it?
I remember my dad catching a trout and saying it had cost him over $1,000 because of all the fishing tackle he’d bought to land it. Fortunately, he loved fishing and fished often. I purchased a karate gi but only attended three practice sessions. Don’t be like me and drop too much money on something until you know you’ll stick with it. Figure out how much you’re spending per game? Is it worth it?
Buying cards can be fun in itself, and shopping can suck you in. But collecting and buying are different things. Spend time enjoying your collection and playing the game. If your fun-o-meter needs the dopamine fix of opening boosters, it’s time to find a better hobby. Many tabletop gamers are a slave to the newest fad, but if you can break from that compulsion, you’ll save and enjoy more of what the hobby has to offer.
Hey, Pokémon Cards Are a Ton of Fun
Why am I looking for cards? We play Pokémon roughly three times a year. One of those times occurs in January when I visit my old high school with my son to join their Fantasy Wargaming Club. It’s a big deal for me because I make tabletop roleplaying games when I’m not working for J-List. The Pokémon TCG is the perfect gateway into tabletop gaming. And I’ve seen it build more bridges between fans than any other tabletop game I know. Tabletop gaming should be about having a fun Pokémon deck and making new friends.
Nothing else shows you’re a Pokémon connoisseur like a collection of authentic Japanese Pokémon cards. J-List has your collecting needs covered with official Pokémon Scarlet & Violet booster boxes. Thirty packs of five cards will net you 150 cards, and you can find translations for them online.
Do you have collecting tips or stories of your own? Tell us in the comments, or join us on Facebook, Twitter, or the J-List (Official) Discord. We have a TCG corner on the J-List (Official) Discord server and space for VTuber fans. Come and check it out!
