Whenever I spend money on anything that isn’t absolutely necessary, that is, excluding bills and groceries and vehicle repairs and the like, I hear a voice, I have a “daimon”, that never fails to inform me of what I could’ve bought instead in terms of Pokemon.
This must be somewhat of a common thing among those of us who choose to spend “serious money” on Pokémon cards today.
Example: I’m out for dinner with my wife. The bill arrives and, while struggling to retrieve my wallet with the other hand, I collect it, with a full stomach, so regrettably. Sliding loosely pinched my thumb and index finger down along one side the narrow piece of paper, I arrive inevitably at the total of our dinner for the evening. “What could you have purchased with this money instead of restaurant food…” the voice reproaches, sighing opprobriously, disappointed by the fact I ordered any amount of wine. “Even better, if you were to forego about seven or eight of these dinners, on what, then, could you spend that money instead… What Pokémon card or cards could you then add to your collection…” the voice continues on, listing various cards, things I don’t at all need but very much want.
Sir, Im going to need you to back away from the Pokemon cards.
But really, if it isnt causing you harm or hardship then its just a funny thing your mind latched onto. I would be cautious on it becoming an obsession and try to re-evaluate whats important in life and how to keep those priorities at the forefront instead of pokemon (maybe a family vacation or investment).
As far as if ive done it, probably some but it usually depends on how focused on Pokemon ive been which ive been trying to step back a little recently.
These are serious signs of addiction. If you can’t enjoy a dinner with your wife (or spend money on your wife) without thinking about Pokemon cards, you need help.
I don’t do this however whenever I purchase something I do think about it in terms of hours worked. As in how long I had to work to earn that money. For example, this lunch out cost 30 minutes of work time. I personally feel that time is more important than money so this helps my mind translate $ into time if that makes sense.
I have definitely bought myself something random like a coffee and thought about the cards on my wants list falling within the same price range as that drink or whatever it is I’m getting. I can comfortably afford it so it really doesn’t matter. I think this could be normal for those who are maybe hyper aware of their finite resources and there are only so many fun coupons that can be put towards any form of entertainment, whether it is to eat out or buy something for the hobby. At the end of the day I just want to be satisfied with what I’m spending my money on. Which is why when I buy a $7 drink from a shop and it’s poorly made, it’s easy for me to wish I had a Shiny Mew from Paldean Fates instead. However, I don’t dwell on this past the moment. I think the most important thing is that whatever you choose to spend your extra money on, it’s meaningful to you or someone you care about. I don’t give anything a second thought if a family member or friend will really appreciate it and I can afford it.
This actually helps me not spend money frivolously on other things. I friend was telling me about a massage they got for 60 bucks and I was just thinking about what card I could get for 60 bucks instead. I wouldn’t let it get in the way of you enjoying life though. What good is money for if not enjoying memorable experiences? (besides the necessities of course lol)
When I stopped spending serious money on Pokémon and started evaluating the simple things that added up I felt your sentiment. I think it’s common way to establish perspective with any two things of what “value” means.
But remember. This is just a THING. If you are trading off life experiences for things it’s likely to become a slippery slope and there are so many things outside of Pokémon that are wonderful to experience in life that money can buy. (traveling, great food, a nice piece of clothing, potlucks with friends, ect.)
Maybe it’s time to build a budgeted number per month so that you can still have both while accomplishing your goals?
Homie I super do not know your life but I have almost never regretted spending money on an experience with my wife, and the times I have, we’ve both agreed that the other thing we could’ve done would’ve been better
In all seriousness though I have done this with other “frivolous” spending, including my personal card collection. I could spend $30 on the new gundam buuuut I just saw a reverse holo eevee I’m missing pop up for the same. Etc
I actually do this with buying just about anything, including Pokemon. Before making any sort of purchase, I stop and think, “Do I actually want this? If I sit on it, will I want it tomorrow, next week? What else could I buy/do in its place?” It’s almost a little bit of a problem sometimes haha. Drives my wife insane when we’re food shopping and stuff.
I ran into this some in 2022. Inflation picked up considerably and I was not eating out as much and cutting corners in others areas to save money. As a result, I put more into Pokemon cards then usual for a while because the prices had declined quite considerably compared to Covid and I was able to budget around everything else. I think it’s good to keep in mind that Pokemon cards are luxury goods.
So, it’s smart to budget for everything accordingly, but you need to be careful not get too invested in Pokemon at any one time. As others mentioned, it could be reaching addiction or impulse buying at that point. Not that it’s the worse thing to buy since you can generally re-sell most of your cards if you have to, but keep in mind it’s not always easy to cash out or liquidate parts of your collection if you got into a financial trap (especially in a more bearish/slower market).
I would recommend budgeting so much per month and keep track of it for now. For 99% of the cards in this hobby you’ll always have a chance to buy it at some point and so it’s never really necessary to impulse purchase anything or choosing Pokemon cards over things you actually need in life.
This is partly why I haven’t been on a proper holiday in almost 10 years. I’m not the biggest travel bug so there is usually something more pressing to spend money on.
Like the overseas solo trip I took in 2011 for example. It was a shit holiday and I just remember stewing over how many booster boxes I could’ve bought instead.
I interpreted your story more as satirical than alarming, but temperament in any activity is important. Assessing opportunity cost is fiscally responsible. Enjoying the present moment in whatever activity you are engaged, is oftentimes more important.
That being said, I’ve definitely had my fair share of price comparisons to the extent in which I’ve jokingly referenced Charizards as currency with friends. Most recently, a foodie friend talked incessantly about the wonders of omakase, and her descriptions piqued my interest enough to experience it for the first time with her. We knew the price going in, which, after tax, was exactly 2 PSA 10 Charizard V alt arts. This food had better taste as good as when a baby experiences chocolate for the very first time. It did not. The food was decent, and the entire experience overall was noteworthy and highly memorable, but I do not have any desire of experiencing it again at that restaurant and price point.
