For someone who is new to collecting pokemon cards, is there a collection you would recommend that wouldn’t be super tough to collect and wouldn’t be super expensive. As I get more into it I would choose other things, but to start I would like to have something specific to work toward as I learn the hobby.
I could be wrong but I would assume anything modern would be alright. Just don’t fall for the hype on certain cards. When the next booster box comes out (Ascended Heroes) , start buying the previous box (phantasmal Flames). Being late for the party will save you money. Learn that pretty well.
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Medium time collector answer for you: Thats hard to answer. But you can start a lot of ways. I suggest just taking it really really slow and learning. You will naturally gravitate towards. And I think that no matter what the cost is, or difficulty, its best to find what you like first.
Just browse cards on a website that easily lists out cards visually. I’m partial to https://pkmncards.com/ but anything will do. You can also start in a fun way by choosing a pokemon you think is interesting, but less popular and focus on collecting just those cards of that pokemon. This will also help you get a representative slice of the history of the card game too. For example: Jopo's slime army
Basically anything from the newest sets will always be the most affordable. Anything thats been out a few months usually sees the prices settle down. But the “bulk” cards across the ages are almost always affordable. Its just rarely as glamorous. But there is some pretty art on some inexpensive cards out there.
So yeah! Just enjoy the journey of learning. If there is a topic or idea you have, use the search bar at the top. There is a treasure trove of information here.
Its easy to collect on a budget. Good luck
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Collect what YOU enjoy. Do you have a favoritie species? Or favorite artist?
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Welcome to the forum!
I think Amazing Rares and Radiant cards are very fun cards that are super easy to collect a full set of.
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If you like the vintage 90’s cards, its pretty fun to buy complete common and uncommon sets to fill out a binder quick, and unlimited versions of most of the sets are pretty cheap.
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I second this, if you just chase something you don’t truly enjoy, I don’t think you’d ever be really happy with it.
Find what you like, go after it, and if your interests change, don’t be afraid to adapt!
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Collect what you actually enjoy, not what you feel like you “should” collect.
Ask yourself what your focus is:
- A specific Pokémon?
- A specific generation?
- A specific artist?
- A certain card style/design (e.g., standard vs full art)?
Here’s an example from my modern collection: I don’t like full arts, so I only collect the standard “half art” style. To me, the regular cards feel closer to the vintage look. On top of that, I only collect artwork featuring Gen 1 and Gen 2 Pokémon, and even then, not every card. I only keep the artworks I genuinely find beautiful, and those go into a binder.
So take a moment, figure out what you personally love the most, set a few simple “rules” for yourself like I did, and then start collecting that.
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Welcome to the fourum! 
Generally speaking, if you want to collect full sets I would look to modern sets (almost anything within the last few years) as the majority of the cards won’t be terribly expensive. That said, even vintage sets have plenty of cards that are surprisingly cheap.
Depending on your cost appetite, I personally think a great one to start with is 151. It has beautiful arts in general, great full art cards, strong set identity, and obviously the inertia of the original 151 Pokemon. It can also be collected in different varieties: Japanese will give you Pokeball/Masterball reverse holo options, or you can collect English reverses; you can also try to get the Chinese exclusive 151 cards. The set has a lot of dimensions and overall is a home run.
Best of luck!
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My son and I have had a really good time collecting the 25th Anniversary Celebrations set as our first foray into the Pokemon world. Not great for ripping packs, only 25 cards on the base set and another 25 or so in the classic subset (plus some additional McDonalds cards that have added another wrinkle). Definitely approachable, only 1 card over $100 (charizard), so much history (pretty much every card has been curated in the set for a reason which has been super fun to learn about and appreciate the impact each has had on the hobby) and some reimagined Pikachu cards that are very fun. Pretty much has everything in a small package as long as you don’t mind “reprints” and like me are a sucker for cool stamps!
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Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond. I’m taking my grandson to our first show Saturday and I think I’m going to look for some Cards from the 151 set to give us something to work toward as we learn the hobby. I can pivot along the way if I want to. Rhyhorn and its evolutions are my favorite character so I’ll probably see if I can find a couple of those as well.
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Collecting Rhyhorn/Rhydon/Rhyperior would be a fun little collection, and Id be interested in seeing you start, and complete it through your journey on E4 as well as seeing your grandson choose his favorite, and maybe one day see his own collection here. :>
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I recommend starting an artist binder. These are consistently the most satisfying and cheap sets to build 
Also @rtas hosted a rhydon poll if you’re interested in taking a look
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