Luke Anthony Santos
2022 Arrival, ALT at Chikami JHS in Imabari City
Luke is from the Philippines. He’s just a chill guy who enjoys watching movies and anime, playing video games, and photography. Apart from these hobbies, he loves history! This is the reason why he took it as an undergraduate degree and started teaching Social Studies before becoming an ALT. He always looks forward to the stories of the people he meets and the places he visits.
It has been a while since I last collected trading card games, or TCG for short. I can still remember the first cards I received; they were a set of Pokémon cards inside a tin box that I got as a present for my birthday. This first set started a journey for me into the world of TCGs until I stopped when I entered college.
I have tried collecting and playing various TCGs; from Pokémon, Magic the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Duel Masters. I would even watch their respective anime and play their video game counterparts so that I could understand the mechanics of each TCG and further immerse myself into each world. Fast forward to today, I am surprised at how much the TCG scene has grown since I started and I am happy to see how the TCG landscape has changed. These changes got me thinking, do I plunge myself back into the rabbit hole of TCG collecting, again?
What started as a simple question, a sudden quest to “heal my inner childhood,” and a bunch of my friends sharing their Pokémon TCG Pocket screenshots, ended in me suddenly finding myself spending 10000円 (and counting!) on my first reattempt to collect TCGs. Starting this collection was not easy because I was lost at where to begin. My early impulses led me to buying packs without knowing how long or how difficult it would be to finish collecting a set.
So, if you are considering collecting TCGs again, or you have been wanting to start but have no idea where to begin, here is my guide to TCG collecting to help you start your collection! Without further ado let us start with… Pokémon!
“What do I want to collect?”
There are already over 1000 kinds of Pokémon since the first 151 were introduced in 1996 and the Pokémon TCG cards have circulated at least over 100 expansion packs since its debut in the same year. These numbers are already overwhelming for a returning collector, let alone a first time collector. Knowing where to start and what you want to collect is a good levy in setting your expectations for card collecting, budgeting on what to possibly spend, and having a guide on where you want your collection to go.
“How do I collect the cards I want?”
There are various ways to collect cards and knowing how is essential. These methods can make your card collecting easier and possibly increase the value of your collection.
① Singles
Let us start with singles. Singles are individual cards that can be purchased from physical or online stores. The price of each card depends on its value, condition, and rarity. I find collecting singles the easiest way to start since it gives you the option to choose what card you like. Online stores usually have a catalog of the cards they have in stock and a quick search using their toolbar directs you to see each card’s price and availability for purchase. On the other hand, physical stores give you the opportunity to physically peruse through their merchandise. I personally like this way more since it gives a feeling of satisfaction when you get to immediately hold your card.
Secondhand stores, like Hobby Off, offer a wide range of singles – starting from common cards to rare cards. Common cards are usually color coded with yellow and cost around 66円. Next are the cards with a pink label which cost around 110円. The ones labeled in white have 2 classifications. If the white labeled cards do not have a price tag, the price is 220円. If the white labeled cards have a price tag, then that’s the card’s selling price. Usually, the white labeled cards with a price tag are more expensive than the ones without a label.
The cards that are inside the glass cabinets are the expensive and rare cards. Usually, the price range of these cards start from 330円 and up. The most expensive card that I saw in Hobby Off was a PSA10 graded trainer card of Erika. The selling price? 198,000円. Yes, you read that right…
198,000円.
Apart from the price, another important thing to note when buying cards from secondhand stores is the キズ label. Roughly, this translates as “cut” but the closest meaning I got from my JTE was that it can also mean “damaged” or “scratched”. Hobby Off usually adds a “大” (big) or “小” (small) as well, depending on the size of the damage. This is important to note because if you have plans on reselling the card for a higher price, chances of getting a good return are low due to the card’s condition.
If you are looking for near mint condition cards, with the thought of reselling them in the near future, I suggest the website yuyu-tei.jp (for Japanese cards) or tcgplayer.com (Japanese and English cards). They usually sell close to mint conditioned cards.
Overall, collecting singles gives a flexible way in planning and creating your TCG collection. The option to choose is one thing I find convenient with this method; however, in terms of expense, it can get a bit expensive. The cards that are usually bought may seem cheap but in comparison with booster packs, the overall cost is higher.
② Booster Packs
Now, we go to the fun partー the gachapon of TCG collecting: booster packs!!! Fun as it may seem, the world of booster packs is another complicated ordeal on its own. In order for me to not go on a tangent, I will use the current set in circulation, Terastal Festival EX for the JP market and Prismatic Evolutions for the EN market, as an example. I will also stick to the essential information as to avoid confusion on card collecting.
So, booster packs are sealed packs that usually contain 5-10 cards. You can check the number of cards in each pack by looking at the upper right corner of the pack. The number of cards is usually a numerical number followed by the kanji counter for cards (枚).
Booster packs contain a wide variety of cards, starting from the most common up to the rarest. Usually, a pack has common cards, uncommon cards, rare cards, and very rare cards. To identify if the card is rare or has a higher value than the others, these cards are usually shiny or “foiled.” Foil cards have a shimmering design that is quite distinct from normal cards. Aside from foil cards, some rare cards have alternative art designs or may have full art card designs. These are the cards to look forward to when opening booster packs.
To know if the card is rare or not, you can always look at the bottom left corner of the card and look for the C (common), U (uncommon), or RR (Double Rare) symbols. These usually describe the card’s rarity. If I am not mistaken, the EN cards use a black circle (⏺) for common cards and a star (★) for rare cards. (***And yes, if you do not want to try your luck getting a rare card with the booster packs you can buy them as singles).
One reason I find starting a collection through booster packs easier is that it gives a sense of direction. Collecting the set through booster packs already gives you a list of what cards you need to collect and how many cards are there in a set. For the current set, there are 187 basic types of cards to collect. If you are a completionist and want to go for the alternative art and rare cards, the set has at least 331 types of cards to offer. Ideally, 331 is the way to go but pragmatically, 187 is the safest.
It is important to mention that not all booster packs contain the Pokémon that you like. For Pokémon TCG, the way booster packs work depend on the version of the video game that is currently in the market. In this case, the current game out in the market is Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Any series or sets of booster packs that are already out in the market or will be released in the market feature the Pokémon in the Scarlet and Violet games. However, some Pokémon from previous generations can be featured in the booster packs. It is always best to check the current pack if they contain the Pokémon that you like.
In comparison with singles, and apart from the gachapon-esque feeling, I find collecting through booster packs fun. The element of surprise in trying to find out what cards you get gives a sense of satisfaction along with a quick dopamine rush. Collecting them may seem arduous but once you complete a set and/or get a very rare card, the payoff is remarkable.
I hope that this simple guide can help you in your journey of collecting Pokémon cards. The world of card collection is massive and these experiences and tips are just a speck in its wide and vast world. Collecting can be costly and daunting so always remember to spend what you canー not your entire life savings. The return of investment on these cards can be big but collecting with this in mind is still a big risk.
Again, remember, SPEND WHAT YOU CAN.
There are still some topics and bases that I may not have covered in this guide but if you need any help, my LINE, messenger, Instagram, or email is always open! Card collecting has so much to offer. Above all, remember to have fun while you collect!
There’s a whole new world to see so go and try to catch ‘em all!
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