I am new to the forum, and I tried to post this in the most relevant place I could. If there is a better place to ask this question, then please forgive me!
I am relatively new to collecting pokemon cards. I got into it the past few years after learning about PSA grading which to me gives a nice way to store and showcase the cards. Unfortunately, I had gotten rid of all of my cards from when I was a kid which included some base set, fossil, jungle etc. Since starting collecting, I have sent some things off to PSA and I really enjoy the hobby. One day I hope to have a full high graded set of base set 1st edition, unique cards, etc.
This brings me to my question. Collecting is not cheap, and I fairly quickly find myself looking for ways to grade more cards, buy more cards, etc. I understand that collecting does take time, but I was also curious as to if anybody had any suggestions about how to fund a collection? For example, do you sell parts of your collection to fund other parts or do you just simply budget carefully?
Again, I really am just starting out so any advice related to this topic or just general advice to a newbie is definitely appreciated!
I look forward to reading everyoneās responses. Thanks for having this awesome āfourumā for us to be able to discuss this hobby that we all love, and thanks for letting me be a part of it!
Just collect raw cards in binders and only splash out for cards which are genuinely scarce or rare.
You save money, space and most importantly your time.
The one thing you need to remember is that WotC holos are not rare outside of 1st, Shadowless, 1st Neo Destiny and e-series holos and crystals.
When it comes down to the financial perspective you need to prioritize well. Pokemon cards are a luxury and while people can treat it as an investment vehicle thereās not many WotC set cards which can really be considered good investments.
Most of the cards I actually collect are under $20 though. No point having a complete 1st Ed. set of Jungle stashed under my bed and Iām not the type of collector who wants a shrine to Pokemon cards on display in his house.
Awesome! Thanks for the advice. You make a good point about budgeting and about the rarity of WotC cards. I guess being a newer collector, everything can be kind of overwhelming in a good, cool way. At the same time, it makes me want to spend a lot of money trying to ācatch upā so to speak to more established collectors.
Everyone funds their collection differently because weāre all in different financial situations, for you specifically I would work out how much you want to put aside a month for collecting and stick to that. Since youāre new to collecting I wouldnāt try to buy anything specifically to flip to fund your collection until you have a good handle on the market, as you can get destroyed if you donāt know what youāre doing.
Thanks! I really appreciate the advice. It looks like I need to take a look at my finances. I will definitely take your advice on avoiding the flipping scene for now especially. While I am trying to obtain cards with value that will hopefully appreciate in the future, I am also not trying to turn around and make an immediate profit. I am watching ebay and whatnot to try and track values to avoid being completely hosed and ripped off. Although I have already made a few purchases where I definitely paid a little more towards the higher end of fair market value I feel.
Itās dangerous, sucks all the fun out of collecting, and turns it purely into a money game. There are actually a few mid-high end collectors who collect almost entirely on credit, they must be stressed 24/7.
Seconding what @pierce said, everyone collects (and funds) differently, the best thing to do is set a budget and stick to it. Depending on what you want to collect it also may be nice to set aside a portion of your budget for big-ticket items that donāt come up for sale often, so when they do youāre ready.
When youāre starting out you should think of the $$ you spend on your collection as being gone forever. Donāt think about resale prices, flipping, etc. I think lots of new collectors these days get caught up in buying āinvestmentsā instead of cards that they have a nostalgic attachment to. Buying cards you donāt really enjoy often means youāre selling them a few months later to fund purchases of what you really want, or the newest hyped āinvestment.ā That few months often isnāt enough to see any returns and you will lose money.
Once you get more collecting experience (and read awesome resources like E4) youāll figure out some small ways you can save money and make your collecting journey easier on your wallet. Stuff like keeping up to date on the PSA specials, finding reputable sellers who you trust with condition ratings, etc. One of the most common ways to save some $$ is buying and grading extra cards. This really only becomes viable once you have a strong understanding of PSA condition grades and can make a judgement from eBay pictures as to a cardās condition. Itās much harder for more popular sets like WOTC, but still viable. Sending off those few extra cards and getting high grades can help offset the cost of grading.
I put away $500 - $750 per week into a hobby account that I use. If there isnāt enough money in that account to get what I want, I go without. Sometimes if there is a really rare card or good deal, I put it on credit then just pay it off when the account allows it.
Just put money aside that you donāt care if you lose, the amount depends on what your income is.
Thank you all for the great advice. I completely agree with the donāt collect on credit sentiment. It just seems like a bad trap to fall into. It sounds like I need to start putting aside a collection fund of sorts to hold out for a lot of the items that I really am looking to get.
I also just want to point out that I already follow the advice of not collecting solely for the monetary value. For me, I try to collect things that I like or think are unique, cool, and nostalgic. Sometimes that just means I really like that particular pokemon or the artwork of that particular card. Those factors to me are more important than asking what the value will be down the road.
Setting a fixed budget with which you are comfortable is fundamental. If you donāt budget correctly, not only will you find yourself stressing over your finances, but you may end up having to āfiresellā a part of your collection if something unexpected happens.
Another equally important aspect of the hobby is knowledge. Before buying a particular card try to do some research instead of acting on impulse. Check ebay sold listings for price reference, understand whether the card has a limited print run and whether its value is being set by the player base or by collectors and see how it fits within your goals as a collector.
Personally, itās budget and planning. Research is key since sometimes on different platforms, you can obtain cards in raw or psa for as much as half the āmarket price.ā
Patience is also key as some cards arenāt as high demand or liquid so sellers might often sell it for less than āmarket price to liquidate.ā Also, I would just add cards that you want on your watchlist on ebay and then wait for ebay to have a -15% off coupon and then purchase some of those cards. For example, recently I had this $35 card on my watch list waiting for the ebay coupon but then a sealed set containing the card came up for $70 which is about $100+ if sold individually plus I get a sealed version instead of an unsealed version so my patience paid off.
Now Iām going to be blunt. The first fact that every collector needs to accept is that if your budget isnāt high enough, you will never own some of these one of a kind cards. I donāt really like PSA or card grading in general but thatās a different topic. My take on PSA is that it should be reserved for expensive or rare cards and not for grading weedles. You can definitely save money by buying raw NM cards. If not, I would settle on 8ās and 9ās since they look just as good as 10ās without paying a premium for it. In short, money saved = more money to expand collection.
Iāve always advised, itās no different than buying a house.
If you can afford a 1000.00 a month payment, donāt buy a 500,000.00 house cause youāll be overextended so always stressed out which will take the fun out of your new house and possibly lead to foreclosure.
Buy the 150,000.00 house and make improvements as you can. Youāll have a more personal attachment to a house you participated in improving and all done in a stress free way:)
On the investment sideā¦it might increase in value and it might decrease. No telling for sure so just make certain the journey is worthwhile.
One thing I would add to the great advice from the rest of the guys is: donāt get into the hobby with the ambition to make money.
Like any investment there is a risk that prices will rise and fall, so donāt invest more than youāre willing to lose.
Buy cards that you like and mean something to you, that way even if the price falls you still have cards that mean something to you.
Just have fun and enjoy the ride.
Thank you all for the great advice! It really is awesome for me to be able to engage in this community. Having said that, I am definitely taking all of this in and looking at how I can adapt the information for my goals and ambitions as a collector.
I do want to add, since it has been brought up multiple times now, and for good reason, that I started collecting pokemon for nostalgic reasons. I am into the hobby for the pure joy of collecting and I am not trying to really spin a profit or necessarily prospect on what is going to rise or fall in price with the hobby. The only cards I have considered selling are ones that I have duplicates of, and I definitely want to avoid having to āfire sellā my collection as kaldoverde mentioned!
As others have said, i buy lots that are clearly more valuable than their cost. My collecting rate is primarily influenced what value i get from lots or other low cost purchase.
After doing it for nearly 2 years now, Iāve become really good at seeing value quickly and I make less regretful purchases.
Congrats on the 10 and the awesome find! May I ask where you all find good condition lots? Iām not sure who all I can trust on Ebay at the moment as far as good condition lots go.
eBay is where I get 95% and then IG for some, but only when I meet a cool person from EBay.
I didnāt start actually making much from buying lots until about 6 months into the hobby. My first few months of lot buys I was lucky to break even. I was also brand new and hadnāt looked at cards since middle school. My first 6 months were a combination of buying cards for my collection and buying lots. I definitely made a lot of dumb purchases or bought from bad sellers. You learn to navigate through junk though.
Even though I didnāt really generate capital, sorting lots gave me an immense amount of knowledge about different sets, pokemon, and condition variation.
After hours of sorting over the past couple years, Iām much more frugal in my spending because I also am much smarter in my purchases.
Awesome! Thanks again for the advice! I feel like lots can be a great way to grow a collection quicker and a little bit cheaper as well. I am just extremely concerned about scams and condition. Im glad to hear that they arenāt all awful in that regard.
