its also important that pokemon are doing something in the art, which many wotc sets massively fail at. They’re usually just sitting in a photobooth solid background area
3 Likes
@wise_wailmer I couldn’t have said it myself. Aquapolis is by far one of the best Wotc sets! From artwork to rarity to the amount of holos per set. It’s like combining two sets into one! 32 holos plus 3 crystals. And yes most of them have bland boring backgrounds. I honestly never opened E series so no nastalgia there. But it feels so much more special to me then being one of thousands and thousands of people with a PSA 9 unlimited base Zard. Boring backgrounds in the first few sets or backgrounds that tell a story and set the perfect scenery? Easy choice in my eyes!
As far as Gym sets those are pretty good. In my eyes Wizards slowly got better with the artwork as the sets went on peaking at Skyridge the top of the mountain!
1 Like
Every master set, for my sins lol. Similar to @alecpokemon I also am excluding prize/placed worlds cards (Realistically to late to the party to try and obtain those). I also don’t include World Championship deck cards (like a few others).
It’s been a bloody tough slog, but I’m a lot closer than I thought I’d be at this point, although the cards are pretty tough to track down now. I’m 27 away from pre-Sun & Moon completion and I missed out on two of those last night in TCA’s auctions 
. 88% Sun & Moon and 67% Sword and Shield, but I’d like to get all other eras done first before I start finishing Sun & Moon and SWSH.
3 Likes
I don’t collect sets necessarily as I find that only a few of the cards from each set actually excite me. However I do collect full sets of ultra rares. My main ultra rare sets are the EX Series, but I have been working on some other ones:
PSA 10 set-based Japanese ex cards - 100% complete
PSA 9/10 set-based English ex cards - 47.5% complete
PSA 10 set-based Japanese BW EX SR Full Arts - 25% complete
PSA 10 set-based Japanese Lv. X - 24% complete
2 Likes
1st ed Base
1st ed Jungle
1st ed Fossil
1st ed Team Rocket
1st ed Gym Heroes
1st ed Gym Challenge
Southern Islands
Legendary Collection rev holos
And random promos, Japanese, and modern cards that I like, but not full sets.
Would love to start a shadowless collection as well.
3 Likes
I enjoy collecting full sets. Here are my current goals and estimated completion rate
English:
WOTC: All 1st Ed sets (90%)
WOTC: E-series sets (95%)
WOTC: Legendary Collection Reverse set (80%)
EX Era: All holos and ultra rares (70%)
DP Era: All holos and ultra rares (75%)
HGSS Era: All holos and ultra rares (30%)
A long time ago I made the decision not to bother with the un/commons for ex Era and now I regret that. One day I would prefer to have master sets but not a priority.
Japanese:
BW Era: All Pokémon ultra rares (meaning no Trainer cards) (50%)
XY Era: All Pokémon ultra rares (25%)
SM Era: All Pokémon ultra rares (60%)
SWSH Era: All Pokémon ultra rares (70%)
Misc:
English Black Star Promos (30%)
English Rumble (100%)
English Southern Islands (100%)
Japanese Vending (100%)
Japanese VS Series (100%)
Japanese Web (100%)
Japanese PokeKyun (100%)
Japanese Carddass 3 & 4 (98%)
Japanese Radiant Collection (30%)
Japanese 25th Anniversary (0%)
Non - Set:
Chansey (One of every unique art Chansey appearance) (100%)
English Base Set Holo Shifts (19%)
8 Likes
Gym Challenge does have great art, but I’d put these Aquapolis gems up against any 9 best Gym Challenge holos:
Arcanine
Entei
Espeon
Houndoom
HYPNO–how can you not love this twisted piece of Arita art (?!)
Ninetales
Tyranitar
Umbreon
Zapdos
And you’re just hurting my feelings with the Azumarill, Muk and Tentacruel slams. Add me to the list with Muk for having superior taste! SELL ME ALL YOUR HOUNDOOM AND TYRANITAR CARDS FOR GYM CHALLENGE CARD PRICES 
4 Likes
I’m a total set completionist, I love the feeling of getting that last card. I re-entered the hobby around Primal Clash and have binder sets of every modern set since then. I also completed Jungle through Neo Destiny in first edition as a kid with my dad, and those will sit in their binders forever.
Recently I’ve been jumping around getting PSA 9’s and 10’s of my favorite WOTC sets. Currently focusing on completing PSA 10 Jungle/Fossil sets right now. Next up I think I will work on completing binder sets of the mid eras that I’m currently missing.
1 Like
You definitely named some bangers. Also Like wailmer said, many of them are actually doing something and immersing you in their environment/the aquapolis environment. Also I quite like many of these because although the nonholo artwork might seem a bit lackluster, they look amazing with the holo effect, like the sudowoodo or electrode.
1 Like
i have yet to complete any sets, nor am i attempting to. But! my interest are cards that feature pokemon from ruby/sapphire and diamond/pearl, basically from 2004 on!
2 Likes
@qwachansey If you ever want to finish the ex-era c/u, I’m happy to help!
1 Like
Right now I’m trying to collect no rarity base set in psa 9. I’m quite late to the party so this could realistically take me years to complete. Fun challenge though
2 Likes
I just stumbled on this and it feels like i am mentioned in this, yes indeed aquapolis muk is a card at least i like
2 Likes
But as for the question from op, i’ve collected every set/card from wotc era in english and since i already have vending series completed from the same era i decided to collect vs series as it fits nicely in the same theme + i really like the weird borders! Web series and macdonalds 2002 sets are tempting too to have also all uniques japanese sets from the same era but at least web series is a bit too pricy. Also, apart for other mini sets/few modernish sets i’ve completed i really want to complete celebrations too since it both hits the nostalgy feeling hard and goes through the history of pokemon tcg in a beautiful way!
1 Like
The only sets I’ve collected are Skyridge (which I’m planning to piece and sell), Team Rocket Returns Reverse Holo (will be keeping for a long time), all HGSS sets because I love the art, and WotC through OG Rocket in NM- condition for my binders… so basically, I don’t collect sets anymore. Not enough time, care, or money. BUT I still collect individual cards, like Neo 3 houndoom and artists.
1 Like
I opened a lot of base set unlimited packs when i was a kid so I have a complete set of that
In the past year i started collecting again and chose Lotad to focus on. So far i have a binder set including all regular, reverse,championship cards, excluding SH4 From Platinum, and Evolving skies regular/reverse. I also have purchased 4 PSA graded Lotad (and probably overpaid due to naïveté) with my main goal owning a PSA 10 graded copy of every lotad upto and including SH4. Which means i probably have to wait until either PSA opens back up and send in copies to get graded since either 1. certain cards have pop 0 and may not have any in backlog rn, 2. psa 10s arent on the market/ are in collections or 3. selling at a price where its probably more viable to send in my own copies.
Some point after or during that collection goal, i want to complete those EX era sets, Sandstorm, Deoxys, and Crystal guardians.
Thanks for reading since this is the first thing i’ve posted here!
-mk
3 Likes
Welcome to efour mate 
I would love to see your Lotad collection, I love unique collection goals.
Can relate to @thymeee, I am trying to collect all of the JP Promo cards as I reasonably can from P to BW-P but have also started collecting the newer S / SM-P cards due to affordability (specially the Gym Promo sets). I have also picked up a few unnumbered promos on my journey. On the side I am also collecting the Bandai Anime Collection since I grew up watching the anime and it was my first introduction to Pokemon.
1 Like
I am currently working on completing all of the sets within the Black and White era. Still working my way through all the full arts but have nearly everything else.
Collecting sets is always fun!
For the last 4 years I have been slowly finishing my Expedition master set. I originally wanted to also include all FPO and Sample cards but that was back when I thought I would have graduated three years ago… so I slowly tick off reverse holos here and there. I also like purchasing general Expedition bulk and I can never have enough 
I have a complete masters set of Shining Legends including all promos and variants (there are 7 different pikachu etc.) the latest variant was the mcdonalds 25th bulbasaur so they still occasionally rerelease cards with new holo or set #s.
I got lucky last year and purchased a complete HGSS set for like 160$ just missing maybe half of the reverse holos.
I am also trying to finish three sets of all Call of legends holos.
And finally I collect every english Komiya card variant (1st ed, reverse, stamped, promo) as well as all unique art japanese cards and all japanese promos. Hoping to knock off unlimited e1 bulbasaur and clefairy soon enough.
Future goals I’d like to focus on one era and go after all of the japanese promos (not including the $1k+ cards) example B&W, S&M, etc.
2 Likes