I grew up with Gen 3 and the EX cards of this era bring me so much joy. No other sets come close in my opinion. The holo borders, the mix of Gen I-III pokemon (TBH I stop caring after Gen 3), even the janky CGI of some cards. I love it all.
I’ve been building up a collection of the EX cards in lower grade slabs, with a healthy amount of the regular holos also in slabs. I have cards in this collection that I would define as personal chases or highlights of my collection, but anyone who knows this era knows that the EX’s are not the “grail’s” of this era. Instead the bona fide grails are of course the Gold Star cards.
On paper these cards are my obvious next step in collecting. The subset has pokemon that tickle my nostalgia itch, with my favorite generation of starters and hard hitters like Rayquaza and other third gen favorites. It’s perfect . . . except to be honest I just like them less than the EX cards of the generation. I like the art less, I prefer the holo borders of the EX cards, small things that all come together so that I don’t like them as much as the market likes them.
However for many Gold Stars define the EX era. If want my collection to capture the era that I grew up with, it would feel a shame to not have any Gold Stars in my collection. With the market constantly going up I feel like it would be irresponsible of me to not at least consider grabbing some Gold Stars while I can. I can imagine a future where Gold Stars might be out of my reach in any grade. I understand this is basically FOMO eating at me.
At the end of the day I think the smart, safe move is probably just to continue on collecting the cards I love. Accepting that one day I might miss out on my chance to acquire any Gold Stars.
I think I’m fine with that but what are everyone else’s thoughts? Does anyone collect a specific era but dislike that era’s perceived grails? Do you still feel satisfied with your collection?
Sorry this ended up being longer than I thought
TLDR: I collect EX era cards, but don’t love Gold Stars. Will I regret not picking them up in the long run? Will my collection still be complete without such an important part of the era?
id consider myself a fan of hoenn and I never opened any sets with gold stars as a kid. The first 4 sets capture hoenn on their own to a top tier level
Only you can define when your collection is complete. And only you can decide if you want to spend money on expensive cards that you don’t even like that much.
To me, ex cards define the era. I vividly remember pulling Sneasel ex from a pack of R&S, it was the first time I even saw an ex card. I collected them and traded a lot of cards for just one as a kid. I’d never seen a single gold star until I was an adult, returning to collecting. Gold stars have the rarity and wow-factor to the general public, but if it’s just for your collection do you really care what the general public thinks?
There is a reverse Monty Hall problem going on. People have coalesced on certain cards due to hype and lack of knowledge.
You can spend $20k on a grail that is pop 500 or buy an unrecognized $10 card that is indefinitely < pop 10. I like to reason that if you have faith things will continue to rip, it seems the best value is still actively hiding behind research and finding the cheap ones with unrecognized potential. Someone one day may care and potential gains are still waiting. It’s obviously harder to liquidate but more likely to 10x than something already at $20k.
That’s actually a really good point. I think one of the reasons people flock to $20k cards (like Gold Stars) with populations in the hundreds or $3k cards (like Van Gogh Pikachu and Moonbreon) with populations in the 10s of thousands is because those cards are less collection pieces and more status symbols at this point.
Specifically, owning cards like Gold Stars signal on social media that you’re rich, which can make you someone that people will literally pay top dollar to for financial advice. While not owing cards like Moonbreon and Van Gogh Pikachu signals on social media that you’re poor, which can make you an outcast.
It’s less about people actually wanting the cards, and more about people either wanting to convey high status (in the case of the cards worth 5-6 figures), or just wanting to fit in (in the case of the cards worth 4 figures).
I would say, no need to worry too much because you seem to be someone who based their collection on a very personal and selected reason which is where the true value of a collection resides in my opinion.
If anything, if you DO have access to getting Gold Star cards maybe you could chase ones that are only Gen 3 pokemon, or just your favorite pokemon that do have a Gold Star card. Maybe try and have only the 3 starters from gen 3? I don’t think you could ever go wrong with copping ANY Gold Star from a financial/investment perspective, even though I have to admit I am most definitely strictly a fan of collecting with love in mind and not the wallet ૮◞ ‸ ◟ ა so I can’t help but want to say that you should focus on which specific card could contribute more to the concept of your collection.
Overall, I would definitely say, if you can, try to sneak at least ONE Gold Star buy that is carefully selected!!
In my opinion, structuring your collection goals around what other people perceive as important or era-defining is not going to be a recipe for a fulfilling collection. If the gold stars don’t speak to you and you want to build an ex-only collection, go for that. Especially as your ex collection is currently not complete (forgive me for assuming, but that’s what the post implies) you would be redirecting your funds away from your primary collection goal into doing something that you admittedly don’t care for as much as your main goals.
As most of us are collecting with limited funding, we need to make these types of decisions about which cards to focus on and which to pass on. It can be tough, but the best thing to do is to know that you made the best decision at the time. Gold stars are set cards, while they are incredibly popular I think you will likely still have an opportunity to pick them up later on if you decide to do so and aren’t wedded to high grades.
This is my opinion as well. Don’t let others dictate what should be in your collection. If you like gold stars, then by all means, you should buy them. But if you don’t like gold stars or feel ambivalent toward them, put your energy and money elsewhere that will be more fulfilling.
FOMO is a rough one to escape in this market. I dont personally like the gold stars art over the EX, and if I had an EX collection I would rather finish that first. With that said its up to you, and I feel like you know which one would make you the happiest.
My goals have always been what I perceive as being synonymous with the hobby to me.
For me, those are the cards that got me into the hobby, and those that capture the essence of my love for the franchise as a kid.
Value is in the eye of the beholder. If gold stars don’t do it for you, then that’s okay. You may come to appreciate them one day, but you shouldn’t act on what-ifs.
To anyone who honestly wants to jump on gold stars, I’d suggest taking a look at LV. X cards. They’re extremely similar aesthetically (if not better) imo, and for a fraction of the price – just without the insert chance and status.
Yes, I do this all the time. I for one am not a big fan of most of the Gold Stars, and as such I don’t collect them (I’ve only seriously considered buying the Gyarados before but that’s mainly because I really like Gyarados as a species). I know that is counter to what social media or most collecting circles would tell you is interesting, but I don’t really care. I love the cards in my collection and I wouldn’t change it
I actually just sold all my Gold Stars over the past several weeks.
I realized I bought them because they fit in my grail collection, not because I genuinely liked them. They just felt like very expensive deadweight in my collection, and I’m 100% glad I was able to trade them in for cards I truly like.
That said, I don’t think I could’ve realized this without owning them.
Gold stars were once every $200 spent. No-one had them, most kids didn’t even know they existed. The second-rate chase cards of Gen 3 were not second-rate at all, Charizard ex was both more expensive and more highly thought of for many years after the gold star was released. In fact, it would take the first bubble in the first troubled year of the hahbee to shift that perspective.
Unfortunately, the only gold star required to “capture the era” is by far the most expensive one but other than that, the ex cards do a much better job at that than the gold stars.
Makes me think about a parallel with the mountaineering world
You can be a highly regarded alpinist by your small community of peers, with lots of first and technical ascents. You did the hardest route on Nanga Parbat in the cleanest style without supplemental oxygen, in winter, making you the elite of the elite.
Well outside of this small world lay people at a party are going to ask you oh so you did summit Everest ? Or if you are in Europe they are going to ask you if you did the Mont-Blanc
And you did not because this shit is too easy and uninteresting for you. So you can be the most advanced and skillful alpinist, the general population is not going to recognize your rank or skill unless you tell them you did these summit that everyone knows.
It’s the same with gold star and ponchos/marios
They are more signaling than actual collector’s items. Ponchos and marios are deeply uninteresting for most passionate pokemon collectors, and they did not get it, not because of money, but simply because they are set on much more interesting and rarer goals.
I was going to say at first that getting a card just for its signaling virtues is the worst reason of all to collect.
But then I thought about this alpinism thing.
It is true that when you share this hobby with someone not well versed into it, they are always going to ask did you ascend the Mont-Blanc? and they are not going to understand that you did the American direct at les Drus and never did Mont Blanc because it’s just a boring hike for your skill level. They might even think you are arrogant or condescending lol. And that is kind of bothersome. Even if you think you don’t care what other people say about you, it’s still nice to be recognized for your accomplishments outside of your small circle.
Like having a few ponchos just to show off to your friends that just heard about pokemon but don’t know a lot about the cards yet, and at the same time you can collect the niche cards that you truly like
So I’m not so dead set on having cards that only serves the purpose of personal enjoyment in my collection.
As for the gold stars, I’ve never liked them and like you much prefer the ex holos with the silver borders. I was at first gonna say just buy a personality it will be cheaper, but then I realized it can be a bother when you are dead serious and invested in your collecting but if you’re too niche most people are not going to take you seriously
Maybe that’s the reason for the Van Gogh Pikachu ?
Lol I’ve never considered getting one maybe I will now, display it and keep all the real deal hidden
Or I could just lie and say yes I did Denali it’s a nice hike
That would be the equivalent of getting a proxy ?
Personally, I think the Gold Stars are overrated. Like many others have said already, it’s more of a “status symbol” in the hobby. I like the art on a few of them (Umbreon and Pikachu) but some of the others are…meh. For instance, the Ray is more mid than the GOAT status it seems to get (IMO).
At the end of the day, if it’s going to bring you happiness to get the Gold Stars to complete your collection…then go for it. But are you doing it for the love of the cards or just the feeling of completion?
Ultimately I will probably just stay the course, and build up my EX collection. I think that I’ve probably been influenced too much recently by Pokemon social media. This collection is ultimately for my enjoyment and EX’s bring me the most joy.
Of course if any of the Hoenn starter trio fall into my lap I might not be able to resist!
Fellow ex era collector who doesnt much care for gold stars here. Collect what you like and you wont regret missing out on cards you’re not that interested in. Don’t force yourself to buy cards just to fit some standard mold. Your collection is your collection era defining cards be damned!
Welcome to the forum and please post your collection sometime
