Numbers 1-10
For me itās how fast the sets release. Itās relentless, just one set after the other, not that you ever see products in the wild anymore. Iād say they should print to demand, but then scalpers warehouses would just get fuller, as demand is truly insatiable and botting is rampant. I also dislike how my social media algorithms are just all Pokemon, its like a constant bombardment of high-value sales which I could never afford, which makes me anxious that Iāve well and truly āmissed the boatā on my collection goals. Its now much more stressful to collect, instead of fun.
Like it or not, this hahbee is now a stock market. I hate the terminology such as āportfolioā or āinvestmentā when referring to cards. Greed eventually ruins everything, and Pokemon is no different.
8 Likes
Yes the price gouging, scalping, and prevalence of pump and dump cryptoesque scams are discouraging
But there are still many master sets I need to finish and vintage cards I have my sights set on, plus after 5 years since getting back into the hobby I finally got my fiance into collecting. Iāll be here for a good long while
4 Likes
This post as well as Parrotdoxās mostly sum it up for me.
Bu another thing for me, related to price, is just practical concerns. I think a general price increase for low-end cards would cause me to hop off for a while.
And of course a fire or burglary wiping out my current collection would be hard to bounce back from. Itās not particularly high-end, but replacing it would absolutely be more than iām willing to spend again at this point.
To be fair, all of these things are pretty unlikely. So Iāll probably continue collecting for a while albeit in a very āreducedā state.
2 Likes
Theyāre actually spreading it out a bit in Japan so there is actually more time between sets by releasing fewer sets compared to a year ago. The issue is demand, organic or inorganic, has reached a point where time required to print to satisfy it keeps extending, even if the annual set count halves
4 Likes
A major life event would do it for just about anyone i would think.
In a less traumatic way, I could see myself simply losing interest over time. While Iāve collected consistently since coming back in 2019, there have definitely been months where I wasnāt nearly as engaged with collecting/the hobby as I may be right now. It just fluctuates. Thats a good thing though, I suppose. Iām blessed that I dont have to be fully engaged with the cards 100% of the time. I still am, but its out of choice, not necessity.
12 Likes
Iām not on social media anymore and itās incredible. At first it was a little weird and I just started refreshing my emails every 9 seconds, but eventually it became so nice. You realize after youāve left it how toxic and disgusting and unhealthy social media is. Itās designed for you to stay on the platform, and itās designed for you to be engaged. People read stuff that they disagree with, so they stay on the platform longer, so they also get fed more stuff than they donāt like. Itās awful. Itās also completely fake interaction with people lol
Even me typing this, you have no idea what I sound like/look like, weāre not sharing any environment together, and the only thing that we are sharing is the fact that I typed this and you are reading it. And even still, youāre reading it how you think I would say it in your head, not even my own voice or rhythm or anything. Everything else is different. And real relationships share things together. Not just interests but environments. They feel the same air, breath the same smells, taste the same foods. And that builds relationship.
Not to say that you canāt have something functioning as a relationship on something like E4, for example (I mean (some of) the people on this forum are really kind and will point you in the right direction every time), but ultimately Iām not dependent of their approval or acceptance because of the real relationships I have outside the forum. And as much as I would love to finally meet some of them, the relationship with them canāt grow without that happening, because then we will have shared something.
All this to say that, I can understand wanting to leave the hobby, especially in a state of depression and self-sabotage, but know that the time youāre in will pass, and you will be okay 
youāve made it before and you can make it this time. I mean, youāre currently making it. So youāre really doing great! I mean look at all the people on your side right now. Way cool!
You got this. Weāre with you.
8 Likes
Almost any comment on any pokemon Facebook group ever
8 Likes
This forum is the only thing keeping me interested in the social aspect of the hobby. This is probably one of the few spaces that isnāt riddled with constant complaining and dooming by people that have been in the hobby for 5 seconds.
Most things are grounded in realism and relevant memes here. Itās great.
5 Likes
Iām sorry you are going through a rough time.
For me personally, getting lost in the latest drop, what card is the next stonk, is really tiresome. As someone who came back to the hobby at the end of 2024, I know I havenāt been around as most of the other users on the forum, but just being here makes the pokemon outlook seem more grounded.
Yes, some posts are about the latest big price change or the latest set release, but you can find people who really connect with the cards as well. Iād like to think Iāve made a couple of friends here too!
I also thinking having a healthy balance helps me as well. I really struggle with getting really invested in things and shifting all my focus to that one item, but having other hobbies and things outside of Pokemon provides me with other things to do.
I like to exercise and spend time with my family and friends.
4 Likes
As someone whoās been addicted to Instagram for too long, E4 has been a breath of fresh air. Everyone on Insta is either a hyperbull saying this bull market is gonna last forever and unironically thinks theyāre a financial genius, a sneakerhead trying to sell newly released product at a 250% markup, or a doomer who says the hobby is dead or the market is going to 0. E4 brings a more balanced, more grounded perspective in a world of extremes. This forum takes me back to the mid 00s, when things were simpler, not having the means to drop 5+ figures in a single day wasnāt something youād be ridiculed over, and moderation was still valued.
4 Likes
Dishonest sellers is probably number one. Buying a card that is not as described and then having to go through the process or refunding or being denied a refund is so fucking draining. It is exhausting having to navigate around people with no integrity.
Second is the modern price manipulation. Targeted cardsā prices shoot up so fast and in the process ruin your timeline/plan of getting them. They almost always end up at a higher floor than before as well. But the whole process is logical and inevitable too when you have a singular website (TCGPlayer) prone to manipulation dictating market price. There just isnāt enough supply as time goes on to correct manipulated ones.
7 Likes
The only general advice Iād give is that this usually doesnāt help. Withdrawing from some circles can be important, but cutting off contact entirely just exacerbates the negativity in my experience. I think itās important to identify which circles make you feel worse/better and adjust time accordingly, though of course thatās just one part, at most.
5 Likes
Getting priced out by multitudes is definitely something that makes it hard to continue as someone who primarily is into vintage. Iām a working man who doesnāt own a house, has student loans to pay, and has limited fun money to save up for this hobby or others, and while itās certainly interesting to see people throw around fifty thousand dollars or more on Pokemon cards, everything increasing in price all the time definitely makes me think more than twice about what is and isnāt realistic for someone like me.
16 Likes
For me I think coming back to the hobby was hard as prices on the stuff I originally owned were crazy! but I found alot of satisfaction in collecting more niche/errors that were even rarer than the typical chase cards. This approach gave me a rewarding sense of accomplishment whilst also tapping into a segment of vintage that I believe is still overlooked! the only thing holding it back in knowledge and as the market becomes more optimised I would imagine people will begin to start looking for unique and rare alternatives, as lets face it nobody wants to spend ridiculous prices on a psa 9 unlimited holo when you can find something that is tryly unique in comparison. So I suppose my counter to the topic is adaption
4 Likes
Depends. First on what you would call ridiculous, as someone else might find it perfectly alright for a Mint copy of something nostalgic/more fundamental.
I think promoĀ“s get overrated here sometimes. They are awesome, just as error cards (I, for example, love Double Holo errors), but they will always be niche and therefore less sought after.
2 Likes
Yeah I agree but I also think that niches within things that are popular will do very well overtime! you get the same artwork but also get rarity. I just think that the PokƩmon card market is so huge that eventually niche for PokƩmon wont be that niche espeically stuff thats niche within a non niche product. till date the loud popular stuff has taken the main stage and it likley always will! nut thats not to say there isnt still opportunity in the silence which I believe there is value in, who knows there maybe a narrative in the future that errors are popping off
1 Like
I would like to think youre both right, with an exception. Ive noticed an uptick of people who have very subjective takes on what is and isnt an error, as well as a means to shill them which can give them a bad reputation. Modern snake oil salesman type vibes. I think even then very unique errors are still niche, but cool to appreciate!
2 Likes
Yeah, annoying. I see a lot of people listing as Double Holo where there is none. ItĀ“s a bit of a weird one because it seems to be well known, but at the same time, the extremely low POPĀ“s do not affect the cards that much.
1 Like
I restarted collecting in 2020 and the market has been a roller coaster ever since. The most fun I had was from mid 2022 - mid 2024 when things felt relatively consistent/stable. In the other 4 years everything was either stonking or crashing.
When you are constantly in a state of āI couldāve bought this for 1/4th that price a year agoā or āI shouldāve sold this for 4x that price a year agoā it takes a lot of the fun away. It doesnāt make me want to leave the hobby now, but I could see myself burning out if the volatility continues.
8 Likes