So i’m a fairly new collector and I decided I wanted to try collecting some WotC sets and chose gym challenge. I feel like i made a bad decision. In the past year prices on psa 10 on 1st edition of the main holos have increased like crazy. As of this moment Blaine’s Zard is around 1300$.
I don’t have alot of the holos and getting them seems to be kind of hard and expensive.
Im stuck between my decision right now of do i save for the zard or buy some of the lower priced holos on the market.
Any advice is welcome.
Also i saw the thread about Koga’s Beedrill selling for 600$ but now all the Beedrills are like 1000$. Do i jump on that because of low pop or do i just stick it out with the zard?
This has happened to all of us in this hobby. Just about any set you would have picked would have been the same story.
One bit of advice…when you start a set, start with the most expensive cards first.
Thank you all for the advice. I decided to try for the zard first and start off my collecting with one of the prize cards. I can only hope that more venusaurs, persian, golducks, beedrills, and arcanines come on the market again when i can afford them. Ill probably start snagging those psa 9 while i wait.
First and foremost, the only way you made a mistake is if 1) you spent beyond normal living means 2) the cards arent something you truly enjoy to own, or 3) your original intent was profit being placed above what you actually like. With that being said, you dont seem to hit these markers, so no real mistake was made.
With the issue of prices, ive been there and many of us have, which is why I primarily buy psa 9 cards of what i enjoy. 10s are great, but for my own tastes, a 9 holds all that same joy for me of a 10, except it might have a tiny speck of whitening, a mild scratch, or a print line. Being that im in this for what i love, sacrificing 10 for a 9 is the next best thing, and a great option.
Looking further though, maybe editing your collecting goals a bit could help as well. You could get a psa variant of say one of the cards from the set you like in a ten and then the rest in a binder collection. Or go all binder collection if that helps. The choices are really endless for options on what to do, but try not to get discouraged on the grades and premiums that come with then because theres always a way to get by while still obtaining the cards you love.
PSA 10s are great for investment + collecting. If you have limited funds and are truly only in it for adding to your personal collection, PSA 9 is the way to go. You will hit your goal much faster. The eye appeal is pretty close on a PSA 9 and 10, particularly if you snag one that is a strong 9.
Charizard is always going to be expensive because it’s the “chase” card most collectors are looking for in any set. I’ve gravitated to 9’s for most cards in my collection with the exceptions of a few 10’s I have because I just had to have it. 9’s really aren’t that bad. There are some collectors that are 10 or bust, but 9’s have always been the new 10’s for me.
@mrpandachum, Everyone above has already pretty much given excellent advice. Whatever you decide to do, WELCOME TO THE HOBBY!! I genuinely hope you have a great time!
