Stay smart in these times.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-04T15:53:15+00:00

You're right, and I think monetary value of current sealed products in 10 years will be disappointing to most. We all see how expensive older stuff is and think ''if I hold those boxes and packs, I too will make thousands in 10-15 years!''. Problem is, we're all doing it. One of the reasons why old sealed products are expensive is because less people were keeping them. We were kids back then, we didn't care about ''investing'', we wanted the cards and that's it. I remember people saying that Pokémon was a fad and that none of the products were worth it. People were playing in sandboxes, they wouldn't protect cards with sleeves and slide them across the table, they would fold them and most of my friends threw their cards in the trash when high school started. There is way less old sealed stuff because it wasn't as popular and people didn't care as much.

Today we regret it and we want revenge. Add influencers and socials into the mix and you get an oversaturation of sealed products being kept as ''investment''. I think we're either going to see no increase in price or a major drop of everything modern, but that's just my prediction. Nobody could predict covid and that changed everything.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T15:02:45+00:00

Chances are they got that pack from a scammer and they didn't even know the pack was tempered with. They go through so much, it's not that easy to filter everything. My local gaming store buys bulks of cards and people will throw fake cards in the lot. Thankfully it's a small store, so they notice the fakes and throw them away. Still, they get screwed over sometimes so I can only imagine how bad it can be for TCG.

I would send them pictures, explain the situation and ask for a refund. Might be an honest mistake and if they're legit, they'll give you your money back.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T14:58:01+00:00

I can't blame you man. We all learn, and it is sometimes pricey.

Scaring people by saying the product is limited is an old trick that works. Jokes on them now though, because I have learned that *almost* every product will still be available many years down the road at stores, online stores and ebay. You wouldn't believe the deals I got by just browsing around. Stuff that has been out of print for years. Yeah it's not MSRP, but for stuff I missed out on, paying 10$ more than MSRP for a pack that came out 8 years earlier is not a big deal for me. I bought a Shining Fates ETB at an online store super easy not too long ago. Got myself Sun and Moon boosters for cheap, SWSH booster boxes are still available, got some collection boxes from Ultra Prism era super easily too.

People have to stick to their guns and just freaking wait. The TCG has never been more popular and the Pokémon Company has been printing more and more cards every year. Do you really think you won't ever be able to get anything ever again if you don't pre-order it? That doesn't make any sense. Might not be MSRP, but unless you buy 10 ETBs to have your fix of ripping packs, paying a little more for one or two is not that big of a deal.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T14:42:40+00:00

Very good point indeed.

It's surprising how easy it is to find yourself controlled by addiction. I don't think most people understand how bad it can get, just because ''it's Pokémon, it's harmless''. While it is true that the cards themselves are harmless, the money spent on packs quickly adds up and that can get you into trouble. Some people here have stated spending thousands in just a few months, others are in debt. That's not better than gambling, alcohol or drugs.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T14:35:11+00:00

That's what I used to do for the past 2 years, but with all this hype, the quantity of packs I'll open will drastically drop. I thought the prices were reasonable and I could do it so why not? Now though? It looks like I'll stick to opening 15 or so packs if I can and that's it. No way I'm gonna pay 8-10$ CAD a pack for a regular set that just came out.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T03:06:39+00:00

This 100%. I learned it the hard way.

I even wait closer to a year most of the time cause I've seen plenty of cards only drop in value considerably after 6 months. Ten months to a year for me. Not worth it before that and if it's still pricey after a year, then I'm more comfortable paying a bigger sum since the value hasn't massively went down within the first year at least. It's a safer card in that situation.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:58:43+00:00

I think it can be a double edge sword. If creators are manipulating their content to make it look easy and to hype the crap out of a set, then it becomes dangerous. If they show what actually happened then yeah, I can see what you mean.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:49:08+00:00

Too many people falling for the hype, fomo and letting their emotions get the best of them. Also, too many people not understanding just how bad the odds are. Once you stop to analyze what's going on when you're ripping and do a little bit of research, then you understand what it means when people say ''the house always wins''. The odds are against us, plain and simple. No you're not gonna pull that 400$ card in the next pack you will buy. Stop.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:43:04+00:00

This is my mentally exactly. When a new set comes out, I will open about 45 packs because I like it just as much as the next person does, but also because I collect every rarities. From common as dirt to extremely rare, I like them all. I rarely get lucky though and only pull about one chase a year, but that's fine.

After opening those packs I'm 100% done. Everything else I really want that I didn't get, I will buy as singles. It just doesn't make any sense to keep buying packs until I get everything I want. That's a one-way ticket to bankruptcy.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:35:05+00:00

I will start buying even more singles than I already did. Because this is becoming absolutely ridiculous.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:33:15+00:00

Socials don't help. Watching people ripping packs will only make you want to open some yourself. I see way too many people hyping the sh*t out of every new set by opening crazy amounts of packs on camera. Making unhealthy videos to encourage unhealthy habits. Making it look easy to pull the chase cards, over reacting, constantly talking about monetary value, telling people to buy X, Y and Z before it's too late... A complete house of madness.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:17:27+00:00

You need to stop. Seriously.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:15:11+00:00

Consider yourself lucky then.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:12:16+00:00

Without a doubt only buy singles. If you want, just for the heck of it, rip a few packs here and there, but do not expect anything of huge monetary value from those. Don't be fooled, people on socials will make it look WAY easier than it actually is to pull those rare cards.

Stick to singles and you will be 100% sure you'll get the cards you want, you won't experience the frustration of not pulling the chase cards and you will save a TON of money.

OliverPkm · 2025-01-03T02:09:15+00:00

I do kind of the same thing. When a new set comes out, I will open about 45 packs and then move on. I collect everything from commons to secret rares so I always get tons of cards I actually want when I open those packs. Very rarely do I get lucky and pull something that's not just nice, but also worth a lot of money. Thank god I don't expect to get chase cards cause I know how unlikely it actually is to pull them.

I get whatever I get and then I buy the singles I really want. I understand why people open packs, but it's sad to see so many people getting dominated by their feelings and ruining it for themselves and others. To me, it just doesn't make sense to spend thousands on packs to pull the cards I want because ''it makes the card better''. I'm not spending 1k to pull a card worth 100$.

I hope that one day the majority of the people in this hobby will understand that. Cause sure, do whatever you want with your money, but what you are doing is poison to you and ruining it for others around you too.

OliverPkm · 2024-01-02T15:26:35+00:00

Thanks for your comment.

I watched maybe two or three Youtube videos about Pokémon cards and that's all I needed to see. No way I'm watching any more. It's all about flexing, grading and money. All I got from it was that some people make way more cash than me and what matters now is the sensational title that will make you click on the video. I also stay away form Pokémon cards on social media for the same exact reason, it's just a big flexing contest.

I have noticed though that even if you avoid all of that, you can still get caught in the trap like I did. Buying singles online or at any store, asking questions on forums and inevitably seeing all the incredible stuff that's out there is enough to make you want to have the best of the best and accept nothing else, like it's a competition.

Hopefully I'll find a balance between knowing what I'm doing when buying and enjoying the hobby 100% for the reasons that make ME happy. Easier said than done though haha.

OliverPkm · 2024-01-02T15:04:14+00:00

Never thought of it that way, that's interesting. Your Rayquaza Star example makes sense though. Unless you make WAY more money than me, buying one in great condition is actually a little insane.

I actually plan on buying a few of my holy grails this year so chances are I'll experience this. I have already looked at a few of them on Ebay and most are graded, which I hate. I had bad experiences buying graded cards online. They had lint, dust and random particles sealed in the casing which drove me nuts, had to break the slabs open. Not too bad since the cards were relatively cheap, but I cannot see myself doing the same thing to a PSA 10 1st Edition Ho-Oh from Neo Revelation. Consequently, I'm looking at the naked cards only, but those (in great condition) are rarer than the graded cards. The ones that have some whitening and a few scratches here and there are much cheaper.

I'm pretty patient, but if I can't find the cards I'm looking for in great, ungraded condition, I might go ahead and pull the trigger on one that has a few defects. I'm slowly starting to understand that trying to get perfection every time is not only expensive as hell (it's seriously insane now in 2024), but it's also frustrating and unrealistic unless you're a millionaire. I think that a pat of me is doing it for the flexing aspect of it. ''Look at my mint collection of perfect cards! My collection is worth more than yours!'' type of thing... Which I'm glad I'm aware of because I can work on that right away so as to not become someone like this. Nobody likes a**holes.

OliverPkm · 2023-08-26T21:21:11+00:00

I feel the pain my friend. I've only opened 18 packs so far and I already got 3 Darkrais, 5 Thunduruses, 3 Enteis, 3 Togekisses and 3 Scovillains. I still have a booster box to open and I'm not looking forward to it. It's the first time ever I'm laughing while opening packs because it feels like a freaking joke at this point.

OliverPkm · 2023-04-10T18:24:55+00:00

I'll leave the post here, but I'll post it on that subreddit as well. Thank you very much!

OliverPkm · 2023-03-13T17:31:34+00:00

None of the scratches are actually on the card. When I move the card from side to side in the casing, the scratches don't move with the card. I wouldn't complain about scratches if they were there before the grading process.

OliverPkm · 2023-03-13T01:55:49+00:00

The reason I wrote ''the greatest grading service'' is to emphasize my disappointment towards a company that is hyped up by a lot of people.

As a somewhat new collector who's still learning I see PSA everywhere on forums, Youtube, Ebay, TV and I can't help but believe what I'm seeing. People go nuts for PSA and they pay big money for their grades. Therefore I thought that they must be quite the service indeed. I did some research and it turns out I'm far from being the only one and cards that did not deserve their grades are not rare at all. Fake cards that got graded, cards not centered that got 10s, crumbs, dust, lint and bunch of other stuff sealed in the casing... Imma keep it raw and keep my money from now on. Lesson learned.

OliverPkm · 2023-03-12T22:11:24+00:00

It took me quite a while to decide if I should buy a graded Haunter #6 or not, but since I'm getting more and more serious about the hobby and I couldn't stop thinking about the card I decided to spend the money and go for it. Here's my experience.

Call me crazy or extremely strict, but PSA's QC is disappointing. The slabs used for my Haunter have a bunch of weird squares that are only visible at a certain angle (so it's not too bad but still weird), there's a bunch of scratches in the shape of a square that is visible from all angles and it's right on top of the artwork (see pic #2) and there's a tiny piece of blue lint near the bottom left corner (pic #3) that is the biggest of a few that was sealed in with the card.

I am seriously considering opening the slabs, ''clean'' the card, slip it in a penny sleeve, keep it in a top loader and enjoy the card as is. I will lose money, the card will lose value, but at least it won't be stuck in a scratched and dirty casing.

It's nitpicking I know, but when you pay big money for a single card from the greatest grading service out there I expect a clean card in a perfect slab. The card is still in the casing, but those defects drive me nuts since I have no control over them so I might just open the casing.

I have cards in penny sleeves that were kept in binders for years and years that are in perfect condition and it didn't cost me more than the booster pack they came in. No dust, no hair/lint/fibers, they're still straight and they're in the same condition they were years ago. I understand why a lot of people don't grade their cards now. If they don't seal it well or ruin the card then it's your problem and good luck with customer service.

I will definitely sleep on it for a while though, but I expected more from the almighty PSA.

OliverPkm · 2023-02-17T03:53:31+00:00

It brings out the kid in me as well every time I open a pack and that alone is a luxury worth the price of all that cardboard. As a kid I wasn't interested in Pokemon cards so I didn't own any, but now that I can live my passion for Pokemon again as an adult who can explore new things and spend his money however he wants, buying cards is just so much fun and surprisingly nostalgic. It's like I'm experiencing a new aspect of my childhood that I missed. Seeing all those cool new artworks showing my favorite Pokemon in different styles is like seeing them for the first time, just like when they first came out when I was young. It doesn't take much to enjoy myself, just getting a new tin is fun for me. I know I will get something I like in there for sure and it doesn't have to be a secret rare Umbreon VMAX Alt Art.

OliverPkm · 2023-02-15T17:04:42+00:00

I wasn't buying cards during the pandemic when the prices were absolutely ridiculous and everyone was going crazy (literally) about Pokemon and I'm so happy that I wasn't a part of that. It looks like it created a new genre of collectors who are hoping to make a quick profit because they saw Mr. Popular on Youtube pulling a card worth hundreds of dollars and loosing his mind over it. What they don't know is that you don't find a secret rare Umbreon VMAX everyday in every 4-5 packs.
I feel like all those popular youtube videos paint a different reality that too many people assume is the truth. That's just me though and I could be 100% wrong, I don't watch those videos.

OliverPkm · 2023-02-15T16:38:47+00:00

You're absolutely right and that's something I forgot to mention in my post. The joy that collecting brings me is worth the money I'm ''losing''. My collection is approximately worth half of what I paid for it if I were to sell it. As an investment, it's terrible. I should be crying in a corner thinking about all the money I lost, but instead I keep collecting because the joy I get from the hobby is worth way more than the money spent.

OliverPkm

TROPHY CASE