A Guide To Getting Back Into Pokmon Cards As An Adult
Theres something about rediscovering an old hobby. Sometimes, its a hobby you lost time for as you got busy with work or family life. Other times, one of your favorite childhood activities goes through a rebirth. The latter is happening right now with Pokémon: The Trading Card Game. Pokémon cards used to be my favorite thing in the world when I was younger. I grew up in the age this game, manga, and media franchise started. Now, Im in my late-20s and once again buying Pokémon cards. Its part of a wild movement booming somewhere in between pandemic pastimes and a card market revolution. If youre thinking about getting back into Pokémon cards as an adult, then heres a guide to get you started.
What Are The Best Pokemon Card Packs To Buy In 2021
In this article were going to look at the best Pokemon card packs to buy in this very special year Pokemons 25th anniversay!
Although demand has never been greater, and some prices are through the roof, Im going share with you my top tips for selecting packs that are:
- Fun to open
- Have great chase cards
- Not too expensive
It goes without saying, this is not investment advice! Im merely sharing my opinion. You are responsible for how you spend your money!
Big disclaimer out of the way, lets jump into it!
Where Is The Worst Place To Buy Booster Boxes
Even though most people think of online retail giants like Amazon as their first choice, there are many reasons why you should NEVER buy Pokemon booster boxes or packs in general from those giant online retailers. In this blog post, well explain why such stores are the worst choice when it comes to buying booster boxes.
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Battle Styles Introduced Rapid & Single Strike Cards
The Battle Styles is the first expansion that features two new card variants: Single Strike and Rapid Strike. Single Strike cards usually have more raw power, and have attacks that can Knock Out other Pokemons with a single attack. On the other hand, Rapid Strike cards are often sneakier and use technical attacks.
All in all, Battle Styles feature plenty of interesting and powerful Pokemon cards, including some strong Trainers. However, if youre a fan of the early Pokemon generations, youd be better off buying another booster box, as this one doesnt contain the most iconic Pokemons from the early years.
Why Collect Pokmon Cards
If youre here, you probably dont need reminding, but lets do it anyway:
But if you need further convincing, PokeRev, a big player in community and prolific YouTuber recently opened up a sealed 1st Edition Base Set Booster Box thats valued around $90k! The excitement this box opening generated was off the scale! Credit to him for putting together such entertainment.
**Be sure to watch all the way through pack 20 belongs to Hobby Help, where he pulled a holo for us!**
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Pokemon Booster Boxes 101
If you fall into the latter category mentioned above, you may not be familiar with the concept of booster boxes, so here is a quick rundown of what you need to know.
A booster box, like this Pokemon TCG: Sun & Moon Crimson Invasion Sealed Booster Box, is a box that contains thirty-six booster packs of Pokémon cards. Each pack contains an average of ten cards
Each pack of cards in a booster box contains a selection of Pokémon cards. These cards are a mixed bag in terms of rarity, and they range from common to exceedingly rare. The average pack of booster cards includes six common cards, three less-common cards, and one rare card.
The Original Pokmon Base Set
Where it all began, the original English base set collection was release in 1999 and consists of 102 cards. 16 of which are holos.
Now at this point its worth mentioning 1st Edition and Shadowless cards. These are considerably more valuable.
1st Edition is pretty self-explanatory they are the first ever print-run of the cards.
Shadowless cards, you guess it, dont have a shadow!
Specifically, youre looking to see if theres a shadow around the rectangle box containing the Pokémon illustration.
But there are also some other clues like a lighter HP font at the top of the card and the date including 99 at the bottom.
Now to throw something else in the mix, its also worth pointing out that graded cards are more valuable too if the grading is good of course.
The top two graders are PSA and Beckett.
PSA tend to get the majority of the Pokémon grading market and are most commonly use by collectors.
However, because its generally harder to achieve GEM MINT 10 status from Beckett, if you do, your cards will be worth more.
At this stage though, all of this is very hypothetical for a beginner collector.
GEM MINT 10 Base Set Cards go for hundreds of dollars on eBay, and if theyre 1st Edition or Shadowless, were talking thousands sometimes tens of thousands!
For example a 1st Edition Base Set GEM MINT 10 Charizard can expect to sell for upwards of $50,000. Maybe even in the $60k-70k range.
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What Is The Pokmon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game emerged in 1996, and its still going strong decades later. This collectible card game is based on the Pokémon universe created by Satoshi Tjiri and artistically designed by Ken Sugimori, which features dozens of fictional creatures all with their own unique strengths, skills, and abilities.
Human Pokémon Trainers try to catch em all, as the saying goes. Trainers catch Pokémon and are able to give them commands and to send them into combat against other Pokémon.
This is the basic concept behind the TCG. Each player acts as a Pokémon trainer, in control of various Pokémon which they can deploy against each other. Pokémon are represented on cards, so your card deck will contain a number of different Pokémon. Remember that each individual Pokémon has its own distinctive abilities.
Once a Pokémon has suffered sufficient damage in battle, it is knocked out, and the opposing player gets a Prize card. Your goal is basically to knock out your opponents Pokémon and draw Prize cards.
Booster Packs And Booster Boxes
The Pokemon TCG is a trading card game, meaning players collect cards to build unique decks and play against each other. The primary way players collect these cards is through booster packs.
A booster pack contains 10 random cards, similar to a pack of baseball cards. Each card has a rarity, ranging from common to super rare . The standard distribution of cards in a booster pack is 6 common cards, 3 uncommon card, and 1 rare card.
Booster packs are released in sets. New sets are released roughly four times a year, each with a unique name like Sun and Moon Team Up. Each set contains a fixed number of new cards, usually around 200.
When you buy a booster pack, it will indicate the set that it is from. As you can see in the picture above, the booster packs are from the set Sun and Moon Team Up. If you bought 10 packs of Team Up, you would end up with 10 rare cards, 30 uncommon cards, and 60 common cards. While you can buy booster packs individually, they are also commonly sold in a booster box of 36 packs.
One of the best reasons to buy booster boxes is to get a better distribution of cards. Imagine there are 220 cards in a set. In that set, there is somewhere around 70 rare cards, 70 uncommon cards, and 80 common cards. When you buy a single pack, you will get a random rare card, 3 random uncommon cards, and 6 random common cards.
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If You Want To Make Friends
It’s been said that Lure Modules are better at attracting people than Pokemon, for good reason…
Lure Modules work for all trainers in the vicinity of a PokeStop for 30 minutes, and if someone is a few blocks away, they can tell if one is activated by the cherry blossom petals that surround the PokeStop on the map. Free extra Pokemon encounters for all! Who wouldn’t be attracted to that?
With the $9.99 1,200 PokeCoin bundle, you can get 13 Lure Modules and still have some PokeCoins left over. That’s six and a half hours of people and Pokemon luring goodness! Take advantage of the crowds and connect with fellow trainers, preferably at a usually well-populated park during the day. Pick a place with a lot of Pokemon points-of-interest nearby, like Gyms, to maximize the traffic your Lure Module brings in.
The Future Of Pokmon Cards
Given this is vintage, the original high graded cards, sealed boxes and packs are scarce. The probability for further profits is strong. Due to demand, desire and drive, the Pokémon Game appears to be safe. Over $10 Billion in card sales since 1996 is staggering.
Long term investing has paid off in a short term for collectors in 2020. So far, the only people losing are the ones who sell too soon. Its a winning proposition due to Pokémon culture being bigger than any competing market. They flat out win. Television, video games, cards, it’s still going strong. The children collecting today know all about the original cards and they covet them. Can you name the top 10 sports cards to own pre-1980? The children collecting today can name the top Pokémon Cards from 1999.
During this recession, prices have only gone up. That was bound to happen regardless, but the speed at which prices have soared is impressive. The only concern moving forward is liquidity drying up, but that would impact the entire card market and more.
The first generation of collectors is dropping record money on these cards because all the indicators show Pokémon is still wildly undervalued. The new investors who research and make rational decisions should see major profits moving forward. If you are selling, make sure you pay close attention to detail.
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Best Pokemon Booster Box To Buy
So you want to buy some Pokemon boosters, but dont know which is the best Pokemon booster box to buy? We can help you find the perfect one for you.
This article has different recommendations for different types of players. Besides each booster box, youll also find some of the most iconic cards that you might get. This way, youll have an easier time deciding which one to get.
If youre in a hurry, heres a quick recap of the best Pokemon booster boxes, based on different criteria.
| Unbroken Bonds | Strongest Cards |
With all that said, lets get right to it and find the booster box youll enjoy the most. Well start with the newest one.
Usually, the best Pokemon booster box to buy is the newest one. These almost always work great as a gift for Pokemon card players. If you do decide to go with the newest Pokemon booster box, then Fusion Strike is the one to pick. It was released on .
The next one will be Brilliant Stars, but thats still some time away its release date is .
Anyway, back to Fusion Strike. Pokemon card fans will remember that previous sets introduced two battle styles Rapid Strike and Single Strike. Fusion Strike set introduces the third and final battle style, called, well Fusion Strike.
It also contains the powerful Gigantamax Pokemon. The two most notable ones are certainly Gengar VMAX and Mew VMAX, both of which are featured on the booster box packaging. Their alternate art secret rares are among the most valuable cards from the set.
Rare And Valuable Cards
Some of the older Pokémon cards have reached true collectible status due to their rarity. If youve been collecting since the 1990s, you might be surprised to find that a few of your cards are now worth astronomical amounts.
Check out this famous video below. Gary goes on Pawn Stars and shows off his insane collection of Charizards!
Which cards rank among the most desirable?
What drives the high prices of these and other super-valuable Pokémon cards? In a word: Rarity. The one factor uniting all of these cards is that they only exist in limited quantities.
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The Best Pokmon Booster Box
You’ve played the games, watched the movies and TV shows, and now you’re collecting the trading cards. If you want to add to your Pokémon card collection, Pokémon booster boxes give you plenty of cards for a reasonable price.
This guide contains the basic information you’ll need to choose the best Pokémon booster box. Our top choice is the Pokemon TCG: XY Evolutions Sealed Booster Box. With a huge amount of 36 booster packs, you’ll receive a total of 360 cards, which may be enough to complete your collection.
Considerations when choosing Pokémon booster boxes
Box contents
Some booster boxes contain booster packs alone. A full retail box of booster packs contains 36 booster packs, most of which contain 10 cards . However, there are also smaller booster boxes available, which often contain extra accessories, such as flipping coins, pin badges, and collectable tins or cases.
Booster pack contents
Barring a few exceptions , Pokémon booster packs contain 10 cards a piece. So, if you buy a 36-pack booster box, you’ll receive 360 cards. Out of the 10 cards, you will receive six common cards, three uncommon cards, and one rare card. Of these cards, at least one will be a holofoil card or a reverse holofoil card.
Overall collectability
Features
EX cards
EX cards are stronger and more powerful versions of standard Pokémon cards. The final sets they’re found in are the sixth generation XY sets and expansions.
GX cards
Price
Q. Will I receive duplicates in a booster box?
Sword & Shield Series Champions Path Elite Trainer Box
Best Pokemon Set for Hunting Modern Charizards
Although one of the most modern Pokemon sets on our list, Champions Path rightly takes its place.
Lets cut to the chase, this is a fiercely sought-after set. Pre-orders went mad, and it was very hard to get hold of an Elite Trainer Box. In fact, most online retailer limited purchasing to one-per-customer, as people were snapping them up so quickly to resell on eBay for an inflated price.
So, why the hype and hysteria?! You guessed it, its our man Charizard!
Champions Path features two wildly attractive secret rare Charizards, and the ETB even comes with a stunning Charizard promo.
Firstly, weve got the Charizard VMAX secret rainbow rare, and then we have an iconic black and red Charizard V card which is also a secret rare. Two bloody secret rare Charizards! No wonder collectors could barely contain themselves!
Most online retailers remain sold out, so if youre looking to acquire a Champions Path Elite Trainer Box, or Collectors Box, your best bet is eBay.
Best Cards in Champions Path to Collect
Best Booster Box for Early Rainbow Rare Artworks
Next up we have an iconic set from the Sun & Moon era Burning Shadows.
The previously released Sun & Moon Base Set and Rising Guardians made waves with the introduction of secret rainbow rare cards, a design never seen before on a Pokemon card. However Burning Shadows was the set everyone was waiting for when news dropped of a secret rare rainbow Charizard!
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The Best Pokemon Booster Box Offers Right Now
At the following link you may have a look at the best Amazon offers to buy sealed Pokemon Boosters pack:
- Pokemon Sword & ShieldEvolving Skies: up to 17% save at this link.
- Pokemon Sword & ShieldBattle Styles: up to 19% save at this link.
- Pokemon Sword & ShieldChilling Reign: free shipping at this link.
- Pokemon Sword and Shield Chilling Reign Both Elite Trainers 16 Total Booster Packs at this link.
- Pokemon Sword and Shield Vivid Voltage Booster: up to 15% save at this link.
- Pokemon TCG Japanese Booster Box Jet Black Geist : up to 26% save at this link.
Pokmon Cards: What Parents Need To Know
Your kids obsessed with Pokémon cards, but you have no idea what to do with them or where to start. Heres what you need to know.
So your kid has traded in his toy trains and cars for Pokémon cards but you dont know what hes talking about half the time. What is Pokémon? Whats a booster pack? Whats a trainer? And who is this Pikachu fellow hes always mentioning? Your kid will probably always be one step ahead of you in his Pokémon knowledge, but this guide is a good start.
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Where Should I Buy Pokemon Card Packs
My nephews are pretty into Pokemon, and I’m planning on getting them a few cards as a gift. Does anyone know a place where I can get some strong cards for them?
Depending where you are there might be a game shop or comic shop that sells pokemon cards. They can help you pick some singles or good packs.
Cheapest big stores are wal-mart and target, I always try to support a card shop.
Def check out your LGS. Mine always has buy five get one free on single booster packs.
While on topic. I’m looking for older packs. Phantom forces, flash fire, roaring skies. Who do you recommend for non weighed packs? Is pokeorder good?
For tins or boxes, which will usually include a single or multiple “strong” cards with some packs, go to target. For individual cards, there are many websites. I haven’t ordered online in a long time, but when I needed individuals, I ordered on trollandtoad.com
Depending on where you live. If America and looking to buy booster packs, tins and starter deck. Just go to your local big name store like Walmart, target, toy R us. If looking for individual cards Ebay and troll and toad is usually your best bet as card stores aren’t exactly the most common thing in NA.