What are your unpopular opinions in pokemon?

[parkermrparker]

@sacari

@parkermrparker

Poketubers are trash

Absolutely

I thought more about this post after making it…
I should clarify, 90% of poketubers are trash.
Not going to go into details, but if youre a poketuber just assume youre in the 10% that i like.

[explorer]

@knotchi

@zorloth

Generally, I agree. But it’s context dependent. Scalpers buying out modern product to sell at a profit is unfortunate because it makes it harder for children to get product. Fewer children will be introduced to Pokemon if Target/Walmart are always wiped clean by scalpers.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with scalping/flipping. Pokemon is a totally unnecessary, luxury good and it’s not unethical to try to profit off of it. But scalpersdo still have a net negative impact on the hobby, IMO. Doesn’t mean they’re the root of all evil, but it’s still mildly unfortunate.

I don’t think scalping has a net negative impact on collectibles (goods). Scalping for services is more questionable. Scalping tickets for concerts or sporting events is different since the people purchasing those tickets in the end intend on going to the event to “enjoy the experience”. However, with collectibles, increasing the market price of an asset is great, since we want to collect items that appreciate in value.

I’m sure you could argue that scalping prevents kids and casual hobbyists from enjoying the experience of Pokémon collecting but it seems like the people that complain most about scalping in this hobby are the adult collectors on forums and subreddits anyways. And regardless of whether the people that are buying the product are scalpers or collectors who want a large share of the market, it doesn’t really matter to the casual kid collector.

I remember when Base Set came out, Pokémon cards were hard to get a hold of. And there was WAY less scalping due to the lack of social media and e-commerce websites. But to the casual collecting kid that I was, it didn’t matter whether the product was scalped or not, I just knew that obtaining it was hard. I think the elusiveness made me want it even more!

Furthermore, scalping allows consumers who lack access to the product to obtain it in return for money. Not everyone lives a stone’s throw away from a Target, Wal-Mart or an LGS (including myself) & it’s normal for people to be priced out of certain goods and services anyways. Currently, people with the ability to wait outside of Target & Wal-marts to buy the stock at MSRP are the ones getting the product, along with those who have access to stores like these that sell at MSRP. What’s the difference between being priced out and being limited by the time/proximity/physical capabilities required to normally access these products?

I agree that scalping is not unethical and I would go further to say that scalping actually has a net positive impact on collectibles. You’d be surprised but scalping makes the scalped goods… more collectible. There is very little objective difference between someone buying 10 ETBs as a collector or buying 10 ETBs as a scalper; it’s all the same and is ultimately good the hobby.

I know this is the unpopular opinion thread and as such I probably should just nod and not reply but I just want to put a couple of things to you.

First, this isn’t super related to my point but I’m interested to hear where you grew up. I grew up in the UK and even at the height of popularity in 1999/2000 when every single kid on the playground had Pokemon cards in their pocket, I was always able to pick up a couple of booster packs when I walked into a store. In fact, I’d say availability was actually higher then than ever because I didn’t even have to go to a specialist game or toy store to buy Pokemon cards, even my local convenience stores stocked them behind the counter next to the cigarettes! It’s definitely tougher for kids to get their hands on stuff now.

I think my core disagreement with your point is the assumption that a collector buying 10 ETBs is just as likely as a scalper buying 10 ETBs. I can’t see how this could be true, the amount of people in the world willing to spend $500 on a hobby (which will most likely lose money when opening) is way smaller than the amount of people who are willing to put $500 into a short term opportunity to make $500 profit.

I’ve been in a ~60 person group chat with my local Pokemon league members for a couple of years now, and even as huge fans of the cards and the game, none of us would have bought 10 ETBs. I’m tempted to say the market of people buying product in scalper quantities (~100) for pure enjoyment doesn’t exist at all.

If a scalper buys out all the stock in a store to resell at inflated prices, compared to collectors coming to buy a reasonable amount of stuff each, the end result on the shelf is the same yes, but the atmosphere in the hobby is very, very different.

I don’t buy the not living by a store point, I don’t think that’s been an issue for the last 15 years since widespread online shopping.

I’m not one to go around screaming about scalpers, I just try to hit a reasonably priced pre-order/Pokemon centre drop and go on with my life if I miss it, but I do definitely miss the days of being able to go and buy a product at a reasonable price when I wanted it. To say they’re a net positive for the hobby… that’s a real unpopular opinion anyway, congratulations

[quibble]

@krill

@quibble

I think it’s the combination of boring/personality-less art and poor backgrounds that really drag the SL shinies down. At least ND Celebi et al have that “look at me” overdramatic posing going for them haha.

I agree that Shining Ho Oh, and to a lesser extent Lugia are pretty good, but they were released as promo’s (much to my disappointment at the time). They’d have been the highlight of the set for me, had they been included.

I get what they were going for with Rayquaza, but there’s absolutely no depth to the artwork, so the posing comes off as quite flat and badly proportioned. I’d say Rayquaza Gold Star is a good example of how to draw more dynamic forced perspective.

Yea, I mean you really cant beat neo’s art. 2nd gen art is pretty top tier for me and it would have been nice to have more dynamic art for shining legends, and yet shining legends art is still leagues better than any other art from the other sun and moon sets from around then which really says something about how garbage most cards/art (at least for the gx/full art cards) from sun and moon are, at least before tag teams came along.

Couldn’t agree with you more! The pre-tag team SM sets had some terrible art. Thankfully those bland “5ban specials” full arts have gone the way of the Dodo.

A new one…that might not actually be a valid opinion, let alone unpopular (not sure where I remember hearing the info), but signed/autographed cards.

I seem to recall hearing that PSA are pretty lax on validating authentically autographed cards, and will slab more or less anything that looks in the right ballpark…which if true, makes me wonder why even bother trying to own a slabbed auto card (if it’s not originally yours), when it could easily have been signed by a bootlegger with some handwriting practice?

Again, I might be doing PSA dirty here, so forgive me if I have sinned.

[sleepywillsz]

@kingboo64

@sleepywillsz

My Opinion . . .

Charizard, is frankly the most over-hyped Pokemon, ever. . .

That’s a popular opinion (on here anyway)

I’ve never felt more at home . . .

[krill]

@quibble

@krill

Yea, I mean you really cant beat neo’s art. 2nd gen art is pretty top tier for me and it would have been nice to have more dynamic art for shining legends, and yet shining legends art is still leagues better than any other art from the other sun and moon sets from around then which really says something about how garbage most cards/art (at least for the gx/full art cards) from sun and moon are, at least before tag teams came along.

Couldn’t agree with you more! The pre-tag team SM sets had some terrible art. Thankfully those bland “5ban specials” full arts have gone the way of the Dodo.

A new one…that might not actually be a valid opinion, let alone unpopular (not sure where I remember hearing the info), but signed/autographed cards.

I seem to recall hearing that PSA are pretty lax on validating authentically autographed cards, and will slab more or less anything that looks in the right ballpark…which if true, makes me wonder why even bother trying to own a slabbed auto card (if it’s not originally yours), when it could easily have been signed by a bootlegger with some handwriting practice?

Again, I might be doing PSA dirty here, so forgive me if I have sinned.

There was a thread on here that pretty much confirmed there was fake signatures authenticated by psa and the general consensus was you should probably avoid signed cards that don’t have proof. So yea youre basically right

[sacari]

@parkermrparker

@sacari

Absolutely

I thought more about this post after making it…
I should clarify, 90% of poketubers are trash.
Not going to go into details, but if youre a poketuber just assume youre in the 10% that i like.

I take zero offense if someone doesn’t like me or my content. I just was amused by the comment.

[jyscal]

@qwachansey

Why is the term “e-series” used to describe & include only Expedition-Aquapolis-Skyridge when the first few EX Era sets also used e-reader technology and had the big e logo on the booster pack?

Maybe it’s the fact that only the English version of those cards have the e reader layout (?) That would make sense

[parkermrparker]

@sacari

@parkermrparker

I thought more about this post after making it…
I should clarify, 90% of poketubers are trash.
Not going to go into details, but if youre a poketuber just assume youre in the 10% that i like.

I take zero offense if someone doesn’t like me or my content. I just was amused by the comment.

Good. Opinions dont pay the bills lol. Unless youre an “influencer” the peak trashiest of all

[quibble]

@krill

@quibble

Couldn’t agree with you more! The pre-tag team SM sets had some terrible art. Thankfully those bland “5ban specials” full arts have gone the way of the Dodo.

A new one…that might not actually be a valid opinion, let alone unpopular (not sure where I remember hearing the info), but signed/autographed cards.

I seem to recall hearing that PSA are pretty lax on validating authentically autographed cards, and will slab more or less anything that looks in the right ballpark…which if true, makes me wonder why even bother trying to own a slabbed auto card (if it’s not originally yours), when it could easily have been signed by a bootlegger with some handwriting practice?

Again, I might be doing PSA dirty here, so forgive me if I have sinned.

There was a thread on here that pretty much confirmed there was fake signatures authenticated by psa and the general consensus was you should probably avoid signed cards that don’t have proof. So yea youre basically right

Yikes, so I didn’t dream it! Judging by the amount of signed card collectors around Instagram, it’s definitely an unpopular opinion though!

[krill]

@smpratte

People complaining about Logan Paul are more toxic than Logan Paul.

I don’t mean to keep digging this up but I’ve been thinking about this comment a lot. This comment imo is one of the most either stupid or out of touch comments I’ve ever seen on the forum. Logan hasn’t done anything toxic in the context of the community so you must be referring to what he’s done outside of the community in his career and personal life. To say someone who is upset about this man either being in the hobby or making it more difficult to enjoy for the average collector (which I get some of this complaining is entitled but to lump it all together is disingenuous but regardless) is more toxic than blatant racism, filming a suicide victim, disregarding a pandemic and lives of many around him etc etc etc would be absolutely laughable if it wasn’t so stupid. It actually kind of makes me livid.

[smpratte]

@krill

@smpratte

People complaining about Logan Paul are more toxic than Logan Paul.

I don’t mean to keep digging this up but I’ve been thinking about this comment a lot. This comment imo is one of the most either stupid or out of touch comments I’ve ever seen on the forum. Logan hasn’t done anything toxic in the context of the community so you must be referring to what he’s done outside of the community in his career and personal life. To say someone who is upset about this man either being in the hobby or making it more difficult to enjoy for the average collector (which I get some of this complaining is entitled but to lump it all together is disingenuous but regardless) is more toxic than blatant racism, filming a suicide victim, disregarding a pandemic and lives of many around him etc etc etc would be absolutely laughable if it wasn’t so stupid. It actually kind of makes me livid.

Thanks for proving my point.

[chrispy]

@krill

@smpratte

People complaining about Logan Paul are more toxic than Logan Paul.

I don’t mean to keep digging this up but I’ve been thinking about this comment a lot. This comment imo is one of the most either stupid or out of touch comments I’ve ever seen on the forum. Logan hasn’t done anything toxic in the context of the community so you must be referring to what he’s done outside of the community in his career and personal life. To say someone who is upset about this man either being in the hobby or making it more difficult to enjoy for the average collector (which I get some of this complaining is entitled but to lump it all together is disingenuous but regardless) is more toxic than blatant racism, filming a suicide victim, disregarding a pandemic and lives of many around him etc etc etc would be absolutely laughable if it wasn’t so stupid. It actually kind of makes me livid.

How much time do you think you spent thinking about his comment?

[parkermrparker]

Logan paul is the best thing to ever happen to the hobby for people who DONT collect anything resembling base 1st and for people who primarily COLLECTED base 1st. For the guys trying to now collect base 1st it would take above average capital/connections.

Moral of the story is to get in where you fit in. No one gives a shit if youre still having fun. When you put negativity onto the pile of somewhat ******** *** opinions you will end up with a shit-o-lanche. No one wants that. Enjoy what you collect, please. Collect something else if you dont enjoy what youre after anymore

[krill]

@smpratte

@krill

I don’t mean to keep digging this up but I’ve been thinking about this comment a lot. This comment imo is one of the most either stupid or out of touch comments I’ve ever seen on the forum. Logan hasn’t done anything toxic in the context of the community so you must be referring to what he’s done outside of the community in his career and personal life. To say someone who is upset about this man either being in the hobby or making it more difficult to enjoy for the average collector (which I get some of this complaining is entitled but to lump it all together is disingenuous but regardless) is more toxic than blatant racism, filming a suicide victim, disregarding a pandemic and lives of many around him etc etc etc would be absolutely laughable if it wasn’t so stupid. It actually kind of makes me livid.

Thanks for proving my point.

Wow, what a well thought out response

[mightymax]

@krill

@smpratte

Thanks for proving my point.

Wow, what a well thought out response

what a crybaby

[KingPokemon]

@parkermrparker

Moral of the story is to get in where you fit in. No one gives a shit if youre still having fun. When you put negativity onto the pile of somewhat ******** *** opinions you will end up with a shit-o-lanche. No one wants that. Enjoy what you collect, please. Collect something else if you dont enjoy what youre after anymore

This from the boy who said, “All poketubers are trash”?
You really need a girlfriend son;)

[chrispy]

@krill

@smpratte

Thanks for proving my point.

Wow, what a well thought out response

It was more thought out than yours. You went on a tirade defending Logan when smp simply said that the people who were complaining about Logan are more toxic than Logan could ever be. Your comment really didn’t even make any sense, which is why I was suprised that you started off by saying that you thought a lot about it. Your comment was so dumb in fact, that you’ve confused other people into now thinking that you’re complaining about Logan, when you’re complaining about people complaining about Logan. See below comment from King Pokemon.

[KingPokemon]

@smpratte

@krill

I don’t mean to keep digging this up but I’ve been thinking about this comment a lot. This comment imo is one of the most either stupid or out of touch comments I’ve ever seen on the forum. Logan hasn’t done anything toxic in the context of the community so you must be referring to what he’s done outside of the community in his career and personal life. To say someone who is upset about this man either being in the hobby or making it more difficult to enjoy for the average collector (which I get some of this complaining is entitled but to lump it all together is disingenuous but regardless) is more toxic than blatant racism, filming a suicide victim, disregarding a pandemic and lives of many around him etc etc etc would be absolutely laughable if it wasn’t so stupid. It actually kind of makes me livid.

Thanks for proving my point.

Actually @krill, Scott is spot on. I’m closer to this whole situation than anyone and he is right. Don’t become one of those who judges somebody for life on something they did on their worse day. Most of us aren’t born Mother Teresa and die Pope John Paul;)

[parkermrparker]

@KingPokemon

@parkermrparker

Moral of the story is to get in where you fit in. No one gives a shit if youre still having fun. When you put negativity onto the pile of somewhat ******** *** opinions you will end up with a shit-o-lanche. No one wants that. Enjoy what you collect, please. Collect something else if you dont enjoy what youre after anymore

This from the boy who said, “All poketubers are trash”?
You really need a girlfriend son;)

I can promise ill have one before my psa cards are back.

[KingPokemon]

@parkermrparker

@KingPokemon

This from the boy who said, “All poketubers are trash”?
You really need a girlfriend son;)

I can promise ill have one before my psa cards are back.

Lol…
I’m pulling for you;)