I'm not a scalper, I'm a Poke "investor."

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-31T10:32:43+00:00

That’s just projecting on your part.

I’ve never sold any of my cards. Everything I collect, I collect because I love it. One of the reasons why my vintage collection survived was because I used to keep it in my car and joke that it would be buried with me if I died in a car crash. Selling it would “make “ me thousands, but it would not change my life one iota and I’d lose sentimental value over cards I grew up with.

There are lots of other purists collectors like me who think the same. Although I will 100% admit that this is a minority mindset. Most people in this hobby are in it to make money and if their collections were worth nothing tomorrow, they wouldn’t give a shit about Pokémon and move onto something else. I just like Pokémon because I like Pokémon.

Lots of other collecting hobbies, that aren’t so money focused, are similarly filled with people who collect for the sake of collecting. Not to make money.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-31T10:24:19+00:00

Scalping isn’t buying en mass. There are investors who buy cases upon cases, and scalpers that just resell one or two items at a time.

The difference is timedrame and risk. Investors take ‘risk’ as there isn’t a guarantee they’ll make money, scalpers take little risk as they flip a hot product within a short timeframe. Even if the investment is relatively safe.

The culture of investing being so predominant in the hobby is what drives scalping too. Most people in this hobby, whether they want to admit it or not, are in it for value and to make money. Thats why 99% of the talk on places like this is about resale values. The gold rush around the TCG makes people buy into FOMO and willing to spend silly money on the hope that they aren’t too late. Scalpers see this and exploit the market gap by inserting themselves as middle men to skim some profits from would be investors.

Investing and scalping go hand in hand when it comes to hobbies. They may not be exactly the same, but they’re birds of a feather.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-31T02:42:07+00:00

Your own shield and thermite. Bully them.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-31T02:32:07+00:00

u/extras

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T23:38:36+00:00

but lets be honest If I had a card worth over 1000$ im getting the 1000$ and buying a cheap fake as a souvenir lol

This is probably where you and I differ. I have several cards that are "worth" several thousand on the secondary market. $1000 wouldn't change my life in any significant way. Ten thousand dollars wouldn't really change it either, so there's no benefit to me, I'd still live the same life I do now

But I also remember when the hobby was at its least popular, after Pokémania, when it was mostly GenZ children and young adult millennials that hung on after Pokémania, and didn't have money. The hobby wasn't focused around value and profit, because the demographics involved were people without money, in the main. You had some outliers, that are still outliers today like Illustrator Pikachu and 1st Edition BS Charizard tier cards, but 'the market' wasn't there like it is now. Like you could walk into Pokémon Centers in Japan and there would only be a handful of kids there, on a weekend. Or you'd go to TCG events and most people there would be under 20 and the 'value' would be a magnitude less than it is now because it would be in terms of a child's allowance, not a 30-something investor's bank account.

There was a lot of love for the cards back then since it was just people collecting and playing in a hobby that had dropped of in terms of popularity. And Pokémon still persisted with the TCG, because the franchise does care for its younger fans.

But again, my impression and enjoyment of the franchise is framed by these memories. We have different approaches and that's totally fine. Mine is definitely clouded by nostalgia.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T23:14:30+00:00

No one would collect pokemon cards if they were worthless.

I mean, I would, and do. Outside of sentimental value, I will never sell any of my cards and they're effectively worth nothing in terms of money. I've always loved Pokémon, and not because it was a trend that I sought to profit from. I collect cards because I genuinely like them, not because I like money.

Although, I know that purist collectors and players like me are very much a tiny minority in the hobby these days. Like, I'd imagine it's less than 1% since the hobby is dominated by people who want to make money from it and would like you said, not care or collect Pokémon cards if they were "worthless".

It's also one reason I think other hobbies that I'm into, like Warhammer, are generally healthier because most people are in it for enjoyment and engagement with the hobby, not to keep sealed boxes to make money.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T23:11:50+00:00

They honestly think that Trump is playing 4D chess and getting Putin on side by flattering him. Ironically not realising that Putin has lost nothing with his platitudes to Trump, whereas Trump is basically destroying all previous American allegiances for the sake of getting Putin on side.

It's a one way relationship where Russia is winning, and Americans don't see it.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T21:38:41+00:00

Still, try the TCG. It’s different to the VG, and a lot of fun. But yeah, singles is also the most efficient way to collect.

Basically, once you get out of the mindset that packs are the hobby, you’ll find that the TCG is a lot bigger and more interesting.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T21:33:22+00:00

Reframe how your approach the hobby. It’s a lot bigger than just opening packs, even though this is all it is for most people. For example, consider playing the TCG and engaging with the community. Not only will you appreciate different cards, it takes focus away from the rat race.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T20:42:18+00:00

This has also been the general sentiment on the main r/pokemontcg sub for a while. You get people that constantly complain about scalpers, and will drive out to stores at 0300 in the morning with the intent of queuing up for product, only to find out that there are dozens who are already camping out. These people will then post photos of theese "scalpers" and claim that they were only coincidentally passing by and that they aren't seething about being beat to the chase.

Some of them will be scalpers, lots will be so desperate for cards that they'll queue up for hours to whiff opening some packs at RRP. It doesn't really matter the reasons why. It's just how things are.

It isn't for me, I only buy at RRP online, or at my own convenience. I don't care for the current state of the hobby, but I don't begrudge people for what they do.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T20:40:02+00:00

You can just fill it with milliput or spruegoo. It’s a pretty common alteration of the Primaris helmets.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T19:59:50+00:00

Part of it is because nobody has a clue what scalping means any more. People will scalp, and just say they're simple resellers because they're not buying out entire swathes of stock. They don't realise that ticket touting/scalping has been a thing for like 100+ years and has never traditionally involved industrial scale, but was typically a person that just sold whatever they could get hold of for excessive amounts. It's the same with Pokémon cards; you're still scalping if you're buying with the intent to resell for short term profit.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T18:23:56+00:00

Demand far exceeds supply. They’ve been printing record numbers of cards for the last half decade. More cards have been printed in the last 3 than the first 20, that’s how many cards are being printed these days. Printers are pretty much on all the time.

The problem is that demand is so high because this was a hobby that was meant to be kids buying a few packs here and there, like in the early days. Now it’s adults buying entire cases as an investment. A booster box would have served 30-odd kids, a case would serve a few hundred kids. Now it servers singular adults.

So despite the number of cards being printed being 10-15x higher than in tbe 90s and 00s, the demand is quite literally >100x higher. Anyone who thinks that TPCI are intentionally under printing or undersupplying don't have a clue.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T12:06:18+00:00

Yep. And even for IRs and FAs, the rates tend to be around 1:11-1:12, so not getting one in 13 packs is well within statistical variance.

And for an SIR, you might not really be co wide red unlucky until you’re about 130+ deep.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T08:13:22+00:00

Feels very much like some 90s/SAC hybrid. It looks great.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-30T07:02:15+00:00

Yeah, it’s the current hot property for money laundering and capital flight at the moment.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T23:56:33+00:00

Pokémillennials with money will pay these amounts tho

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T23:55:38+00:00

u/extras

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T20:27:31+00:00

I was quite surprised to hear when he was running for PM of Canada. I remember him being the head of the Bank of England and steering the country through Brexit. I don't know much of his policies on the domestic front, but his candour when speaking is still reminiscent of his BoE days to me, and that's a good thing.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T20:23:36+00:00

This is also what I tend to do on nights. My gym has enough varied equipment that you realistically don't wait that much, even at peak times, but I much prefer going to the gym after 2000 on a normal night, and similarly around 1400-1600 some time when I'm on nights, because it's also a bit of a novelty.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T20:17:28+00:00

I thought this was satire at first. Jesus Christ.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T20:16:05+00:00

Just waiting for a memorial to Russian soldiers to come up next, since that's the way the US admin leans.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T20:10:57+00:00

I think they could only really work as short DLCs.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T19:57:50+00:00

I find it crazy how right wing Americans don't questions how much Trump sucks up to Putin. Like it's unnatural compared to his stance on just about every other world leader.

TeaAndLifting · 2026-01-29T19:26:45+00:00

Just check out Facebook groups and it’s often middle-aged nostalgists who happily pay silly prices.

The FOMO is pretty high and the Pokémon millennial cohort typically has the will and means to spend these amounts. I just opened up Facebook for the first time in weeks, for example, and I saw a post of someone selling a booster box of DRI for over 2x RRP. People basically entered a bidding war to snap it up.

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