Sup fellas
To be Candid , I’ve sold my entire collection.
But - with the pandemic happening , I want to come back and begin collecting… again. Lol.
First and foremost- boy do I regret selling.
At the time- I said to myself- the chase was better than the catch… I’ve invested approx 3-4 years into the hobby … met great people … spent a boat load of money. BUT- being a 90s kid and growing up in that prime Pokémon generation… you can’t take away and beat that pure nostalgia feeling of the cards.
Also- at the time of selling off my collection ;I think a part of me felt this was the max price these cards can reach … clearly I underestimated the market , the trading card game and clearly was not patient.
Looking at prices now, it’s surreal to me on how much they’ve doubled / tripled.
Was there a specific reasons prices jumped ? Specifically on the shadowless sets.
Anyhow. I’m pretty excited to jump back into the things. I’ve also noticed ( on eBay ) there are several normal clients that I’ve purchased cards from who are no longer there … hmmm.
Anyhow. Hope everyone’s keeping there sanity and staying safe.
Welcome back Armin, end up pulling the trigger on that outdoor hot tub?
My man!! Lmao!! Not yet ! Thought about it. I realized and was honest with myself that if I did I’ll probably never use it.
Presently I took a bedroom and made a home gym.
I also purchased the new X6M competition…fantastic car !!!
I am excited to get back into the hobby… not so excited to shell out cash to kick things off … how do guys get into this ; build a mean collection and not spend so much …!! there’s gotta be a formula …
just my 2c but start with 1st ed base. comparatively to everything else it hasn’t risen as much
While there isn’t necessarily an exact formula to getting a great collection on the cheap… what you can do to offset cost is to buy big collections/lots and keep what you want/need and sell the rest to offset the cost. This is fun because it also helps you learn/be engaged in the market while building a collection. I do this quite a bit and it help sustain my ability to buy cards I want to keep long term.
A lot of time you can get bulk from people on the cheap and piece it out into lots. This is a lot of effort/time but it’s also something pretty safe to sell and not regret later on.
I would say the most obvious choice is to get the old wotc (1st edition preferably) cards for reasonable prices, namely base set. Collect what you love most as pretty much all cards are going to see some increase in value, but the more rare vintage cards are best. Though the market has seen a rather large increase in prices overall, there are still great deals to be made if you know what to look for. Also, welcome back to the hobby!
Time made every Pokémon collection increase in value, so buy something you enjoy again and this time don’t sell it. 
Nothing flashy, nothing technical; it’s a boring method. But it works.
Time to start collecting again
Big flex
Sell the new car, only loses value while your new cards will most likely gain value 
. All jokes aside, I am one to fall victim of a nice car 11 times and wish I didn’t but oh well the past is the past. May have to wait till the cards take a dip.
Like others said basically just make some goals. Do you want set cards? Promos? Trophies? Sealed product? PSA Cards? If so what grade? Ungraded cards? If so light played or mint? And last but not least 1st edition or unlimited. These are the questions you answer yourself and just start with what you can afford and buy more as you go without going over your budgets. Welcome back by the way and good luck restarting your collection 
I myself just go for light played 1st editions sometimes mint depending on the card and how bad I want it a few PSa 9’s here and there and i buy everything in singles. I don’t sell anything but will at one point. Putting soul focus into my own collection first
I’m probably gonna be on the low end of people saying this, but I’d say start with something that has a low chance to grow and is cheap. The reason I say this is because it shows your commitment to the hobby again before shelling out all that cash. Maybe it’s a couple artworks from EX, Black and White and Sword and Shield that you really like, most don’t have the chance to grow but you personally enjoy it. Yeah there’s investment cards, but be careful about just hitting some of those big cards and burning yourself out. When I got back into the hobby I bought one card my whole first month, Fossil 2000 Holo Zapdos. Will this specific card ever be recognized for its beauty and uniqueness? Probably not, but the card means a lot to me since it’s special to me and is what brought me back to this hobby without spending an arm and a leg and then some.
Long story made short, start small than go bigger.
Mjisaacs
I deserve this one.
I’m back motherfuckers !!!
Im so stoked to see you back ngl.
Also wow @pierce meme theft right there