If starting your own Pokémon card collection sounds thrilling but daunting at the same time, this is the guide for you! We all start somewhere, and sometimes the most difficult is deciding where to start. With over 200,000 different cards printed so far, and more sets on the way, knowing where to begin can be stressful! Should you buy boxes and packs and rip them for the thrill? Should you scroll through the endless eBay, TCGplayer, and Misprint listings for individual cards? How important is grading? Should you focus on old cards, or being one of the first to purchase a box of a brand new set? Do people still play the TCG? And what's the deal with some cards being in English and some being Japanese?

Understanding the Basics of Pokémon Card Collecting

If you need help deciding on a narrower focus for your collection to get started, there are many resources you can utilize. I'll give a brief overview here, but there are plenty of other helpful sources as well, such as various Pokémon YouTubers and blog writers, as well as social communities built around the hobby.

Pokémon cards come in a variety of categories, each with its own level of rarity and appeal. Common, uncommon and rare cards even come with special symbols on them to help you understand your collection! The most common types of cards include:

• Common (●): Found in nearly every pack, these cards are the easiest to collect and typically feature basic Pokémon.
• Uncommon (◆): A step up from common cards, these often include evolved Pokémon or useful Trainer cards.
• Rare (★): These cards are harder to find and typically feature stronger Pokémon with higher HP and abilities.
• Holo Rare: A rare card with a shiny, holographic background, making it more visually appealing.
• Reverse Holo: Any card that features a holographic effect over the entire card except for the artwork.
• Full Art & Secret Rare: These highly sought-after cards feature extended artwork and unique textures, often carrying a higher value.
• Promotional Cards: Special cards released outside of standard sets, often included in special collections or events.

Budgeting

Pokémon collecting can be as affordable or as expensive as you want it to be. Common and uncommon cards can often be found for under a dollar at a lot of card stores which sell bulk cards, or even online marketplaces such as eBay, while rare and holo cards might range from $5 to $20. Special cards like alternate art or vintage holographics can sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars, and if you decide you like graded cards (we'll touch on what that means in a bit) then the prices can be even higher.

What's Your Goal?

While your personal goal for your collection may change over time, it will be less intimidating to figure out where to start if you know what part of the vast Pokémon world interests you the most right now. Do you want to play the TCG, hunt down vintage cards, invest in the most expensive cards, curate your personal collection of your favorite Pokémon or card art, or simply have fun ripping packs with friends or for the chance of pulling the awesome new cards everyone is chasing?

No matter your goal or budget, there's always a way to enjoy collecting!

Acquiring Cards

There are many ways to buy Pokémon cards, and they all sell slightly different types of cards to slightly different audiences. Here's what you can expect:

• Card Stores: Sell sealed products, singles, graded cards, and sometimes vintage cards. Great for local trading and tournaments. Examples include local game stores (LGS), Card Kingdom, and some GameStops.
• Retail Stores: Sell sealed products like booster packs, Elite Trainer Boxes, and collection boxes but rarely individual cards. Examples include Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.
• Online Marketplaces: Sell singles, sealed products, graded cards, and vintage cards, often from individual sellers. Examples include TCGPlayer (mostly ungraded cards), eBay (anything), and Misprint (only graded cards).
• Online Auctions/Streams: Sell singles, mystery lots, and sometimes exclusive sealed products through live auctions or pack breaks. Examples include Whatnot, and various YouTube and Twitch streamers
• TCG Conventions: Sell high-end graded cards, rare vintage cards, and exclusive promotional items. Great for in-person trading. Examples include Collect-A-Con local trading card expos.

Protecting and Storing Your Collection

Whether you intend to keep your cards in mint condition for long-lasting value, preserve quality for the TCG, or just want to store your collection in an organized way, there are a few common types of card supplies you will need. These supplies are fairly inexpensive, and can be found in card/retail stores or online.

• Penny Sleeves: These are light, flimsy, transparent sleeves that were names after their inexpensive price of about a penny each. These protect the surface of the card and can be used to protect cards inside a top loader or binder as well. Whenever I pull a card that I personally like or think could have any value at all, I immediately sleeve it.
• Top Loaders: These are studier protectors that hold the integrity of card shape, which can be extra helpful for cards such as holo cards which like to bend. You should sleeve a card before putting it in the top loader to protect the surface of the card.
• Card Binders: Card binders are awesome for organizing your personal collection, transporting cards, or just protecting them in a fun way!
• One Touches: A one touch is a hardened case that you insert an expensive card into, similar to the slabs that enclose graded cards once they come back from the graded company. Having these are totally optional, but it can be useful to keep one or two around just in case you pull something extra spectacular!

Ultra Pro is my personal favorite supplies company, and BCW sells good supplies as well for typically cheaper than Ultra Pro.

Graded Cards

If you've ever seen Pokémon cards encased in hard plastic with a number label, you've encountered graded cards. Grading is a process where a professional company evaluates a card's condition and assigns it a score, usually on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 (Gem Mint) being the highest. This adds authenticity, protection, and potential value to a card.

Grading involves sending your card to a grading company, where experts examine it for centering, surface quality, edges, and corners. The better the condition, the higher the grade. Once graded, the card is sealed in a tamper-proof plastic slab with a label displaying its score and serial number.

The most trusted companies for Pokémon card grading include:

• PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator): The most popular and widely accepted, known for its red-labeled slabs.
• Beckett (BGS): Offers sub-grades for specific card attributes and has a premium Black Label 10 for flawless cards.
• CGC (Certified Guaranty Company): Known for its fast turnaround times and blue-labeled slabs.

People typically get cards graded when they acquire something valuable in very good condition, because grading adds even more value to the card. Grading is an investment; you should weigh the cost of grading ($15-$50 for most cards, or upwards of $10,000 for extraordinarily valuable cards) with the value of the card after grading if you intend to sell the card.

Navigating the Market

Like any other collectibles, the value of Pokémon cards change over time. Some of the best places to figure out the current market value of a given card are TCGplayer for ungraded cards and Misprint for graded cards. These websites tell you more than just the most recent sales, they track the price over a long period of time and predict the current market value, along with many other analytics such as the chance of a particular card receiving a high grade. These types of analytics can help you make informed decisions about buying and selling your cards without burning a hole in your wallet!

Welcome to the vast world of Pokémon card collecting! The most important thing to remember is collecting cards should be fun and enjoyable. Dig into that aspect of collecting that excites you the most; there's so much out there to pull, buy, and discover!