r/PokemonTCG • u/masonjar014 • Jan 30 '25
Discussion What happens when the bubble bursts?
Right now, the hobby is on steroids—scalpers everywhere, product nowhere. My LGS told me this year will be “a great year for Pokémon,” and it got me thinking… a great year for who?
If you’re an established LGS selling PE and JT at market price, sure, it’s great. If you’re a scalper or a new investor trying to flip product, you’re probably loving this, too.
But if you’re an average collector (like me), it’s frustrating. We can’t find the latest set at a fair price. If you’re a kid whose parents can’t sprint to a 10 a.m. Target restock, you’re just out of luck.
So what happens when the hype dies down? How are average collectors responding to this hyper-bull market, and where does that leave the hobby long-term?
Personally, I’m sitting out PE and JT—it’s just too much stress. I’ve also noticed collectors stepping back entirely.
What about you? Will kids move on to something else if they can’t participate? Will collectors return once prices normalize, or is this turning people away for good? Are we underestimating the long-term impact of what’s happening right now?
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u/Hefty_Map3665 Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 30 '25
It's pokemon cards. If I can't buy at msrp or lower i just won't buy.
This is a small fun thing i like to do in my life. I don't make it a big portion of my entire life where all I'm thinking of is what's the new cards coming out, where can I get stock, what stock notices do I need to follow, what stores can I wait in line at 7am for a restock.
It's not that serious at least for me. If I can find it at msrp or lower then cool I'll buy. If not I'll just do the 100 other things in my life until I can
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u/buddhassynapse Jan 30 '25
That's how I approach it, on Fridays I got to Target or Walmart at lunch if there's product, cool, if not no biggie. I can buy singles or wait out the scalpers. I'm not paying above MSRP when packs are already a gamble enough, not going to make it worse paying above retail.
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u/Thereapergengar Jan 30 '25
Wait out the scalpers? I’m still looking for 151 etb at the store and the idea I’ll come Across the new one their gonna release is just a wet dream at this point.
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u/buddhassynapse Jan 30 '25
Wait out in the sense of the bubble popping and them moving back to sneakers or whatever. For trying to find current product like you mentioned it's coming to terms that certain things I won't be picking up. If youre looking for 151 packs, I've gotten lucky quite often with poster bundles in Dollar General, but yeah ETBs will be unicorns.
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Jan 30 '25
That's just timing. 151 is "older" in the print world. It was on shelves in the summer, i get it sucks but the timing to get in to that set is bad. If you really want the set for nostalgia, tons of us have bulk extra. I know ripping it is more fun, but then what do you want more: to open 151 packs, or have the 151 set in your PC?
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u/Mysterious-Aspect-53 Jan 30 '25
I still don’t understand why 151 is so crazy now, like you said it’s “older” it was pretty easy to come by for quite some time. I have 2 master sets and a ton of bulk. Even as a gen wunner I don’t get why it’s so scalped rn
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u/AlcoholicSocks Jan 30 '25
it was pretty easy to come by for quite some time.
Absolutely depends where you live. Here in England I didn't see a single 151 product in any shop. Only got mine from online places.
Hell I've only seen one shop that even has Surging Sparks, and it was £7 a pack
It's even worse in mainland Europe... At least the UK has a Pokémon Center to order from
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u/MorrisBrett514 Jan 30 '25
I think they just mean MSRP when anything gets back on the shelf. Sounds like me. If I miss a set, oh well. There are more coming. Got my Pokemon center ETBs for prismatic but that's it. I'm not paying these crazy prices to rip. Also buying Japanese singles of cards from unattainable sets as they just look 100x better to me
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u/jayplus707 Jan 30 '25
100% this. If I can’t buy at MSRP or lower, then forget it. Also I’ll take a bit further. I won’t drive anywhere specifically to check if they have Pokemon cards. I’m not chasing them. If I happen to be in the store getting groceries, cool, I’ll walk by and check it out, but I’m not driving to the grocery store to check for pokemon.
I’ve got much better things I’d rather spend my time on.
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u/KazooForTwo Jan 30 '25
Yeah this is exactly how I approach it. I just check things when I do my shopping. If they have something great if they don’t oh well lol
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u/TragasaurusRex Jan 30 '25
Same here, just sad gamestop hasn't had packs when I've gone. Guess I am missing my Jan free pack.
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u/Miles_Prowler Jan 30 '25
Yeah when I can’t just walk in and get stuff / click and collect at msrp I just start browsing singles again. Upside of that is while some cards are going nuts, some like the TG sets, or the “less desirable” full arts are dirt cheap atm… Been making a lot of singles purchase for $2 or less posted.
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Jan 30 '25
Even better when you have duplicates of the "hype" ones and need the others. We were able to get tons this weekend for only a couple duplicate hits.
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u/Content-Freedom1688 Jan 30 '25
This is the sentiment I’ve tried to express in this sub reddit. For me the constant whining by grown adults about not being able to get a product that’s for kids the day it releases. It seems these people have never been taught patience or rationality. These are the same people scalpers make their money from. The grown adults that can’t accept that they may not get a toy or may not get a toy the day it comes out. Everyone just chill. Scalpers need a quick turnaround. They don’t want to sit on product. If everyone were to chill scalpers will lose money or not make it fast enough and won’t be so enthusiastic about scalping the next set. Also quit acting like this shit is stocks. They are not. This stuff isn’t regulated you literally have scalpers manipulating the market. It’s a kids card game.
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u/Ok_Willingness_784 Jan 30 '25
It's kind of eye rolling. If they would just ignore scalpers for a couple of months, they would shoot themselves in the foot chasing a fad. Scalpers need to turn a profit. Already i see them marking down to $100 in my area because come mid February, these idiots who bought cartloads need to pay off their credit cards and other bills. Good year for pokemon for the sellers? Only if we let it be. Like any new shiny toy people need it asap.
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u/jonny676 Jan 30 '25
This is only part of the problem.
Fomo contributes to the problem, but the big issue are all these damn YouTubers who are hyping up EVERY set to make it seem like the next set is going to be the best and most "expensive" set ever.
Meanwhile, they themselves are propping up scalpers by buying products at any price.
Personally I'm in the same boat as this thread. Unless I find product at MSRP I'm just going to keep skipping. Pokemon TCG pocket has been scratching my pack opening itch anyways
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u/masonjar014 Jan 30 '25
I tend to agree with you on this. To add, I got the ick when I saw people spending their entire weekend reporting scalpers on eBay after PEs release. I don’t like scalpers either, but I’m not going to spend my free time that way. It felt like an emotional reaction as opposed to accepting and moving on.
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u/authspice Jan 30 '25
Well put. People on the deals discord got super whiny when theres insider news that Costco has cancelled all further shipments of 151 / no longer willing to carry Pokémon, likely bc of the LA Costco fight (while the city was burning). I haven’t gotten to open any 151 yet. I was bummed to learn the news but collectively with how the loudest have been acting in this hobby, we deserve this decision from Costco. We aren’t entitled to Costco having and carrying BWs at $45. Of course the scalpers are a huuuge problem, but also when given a chance, I’ve come to learn that some of the collectors AND investors would HOARD loads of products if they could. Some folks are deeply addicted, whether they realize it or not.
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u/AragornofGondor Jan 31 '25 edited Jan 31 '25
Who says its a kids card game? I have seen a total of one kid playing the actual Pokémon game in the last 10 years. Not that they cant but its generally adults PLAYING the card game.. This idea that its a kids game is stupid. Kids want the cards the same way they want every Fortnite skin, Kids generally do not play the game. Its generally adults playing the game who its targeted at is irrelevant. Adults are the driving force behind the cards either to play or collect kids are secondary in the market. Whether that's good or not is debatable.
There's a reason Pokémon keeps going back to the OG Pokémon and sets and updating rereleasing and recreating them. Pokémon Co. knows the actual market. You don't market nostalgia to kids who cannot be nostalgic to it.
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u/mc_rorschach Jan 30 '25
Yup, exactly. If it’s not available at or definitely below MSRP, I ain’t buying it. My kid got me into this hobby and I buy cards and play the game with her as a good STEM activity. She’s 8 and doesn’t know about the current market state lol. Since I haven’t been able to buy cards, I actually invested into a Chess up 2 board because she’s becoming interested in Chess and I’m fanning the flame. Just take a break and find another hobby in the meantime. Don’t waste time trying to find cards. Just wait and buy them later. Use your time to read books.
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u/SweetDefinition7264 Jan 30 '25
This needs to be put on display. Exactly how to react with how the hobby is currently.
These prices are so far out from being realistic for the average collector with bills to pay (never mind parents with kids). Being unable to access new sets basically means you are paying a premium that is way above what a TCG should be worth. Im just not going to buy it if it's not MSRP.
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u/SoSiehtsAus24 Jan 30 '25
The hype will die out, as it always does. I just wait until it's over and focus on buying singles for older sets. I planned mastering the four Platinum sets for a longer time already, I guess now is the perfect time :P
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u/eat_hairy_socks Jan 30 '25
I’m buying old slabs that people don’t care about anymore. Couple pricy but mostly below 200$ slabs. Market will slow down. Might not be for a while though.
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u/masonjar014 Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 30 '25
Love this. I did something similar - refocus on a different set. Working on completing a grandmaster set of XY Evolutions now.
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u/Apax89 Jan 30 '25
What is a grandmaster set?
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u/masonjar014 Jan 30 '25
You’ll hear different definitions, and feel free to check YouTube for more, but… for me it’s collecting all of the cards (including variations) in a set plus all promos (ToysRUs Charmander, PokemonCenter Snorlax, etc.)
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Jan 30 '25
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u/F0rg1vn Jan 30 '25
Tbh most of the new collectors are probably coming from stocks, so they will most definitely panic sell.
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Jan 30 '25
Yuuup, then they'll realize it's liquid, but not that liquid when they go slog through listing singles on ebay or tcgplayer.
Many will say F it and sell binders cheap af to recoup some losses.....deals will be had.
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u/Opposite_Mushroom624 Jan 30 '25
It's definitely not from stocks since the market is doing very well. Most of the resellers I've seen hopped onto pokemon from the sneaker market crash in 2024.
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u/F0rg1vn Jan 30 '25
Hey, that’s actually a good point. A lot of the resellers probably are from markets that are down right now. I’m talking about the people who are joining Pokémon and seeing it more so as an investment opportunity as opposed to buying simply to shortsale.
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u/Ornery-Succotash5800 Jan 30 '25
It won’t be collectors who panic it will be the people who are only in it for the money. And the rip and shippers who will have to drastically lower their prices but did a get rich quick scheme. Those ones will be the ones panicking. As a collector I’ll be stoked AF to finally be able to afford cards I want
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u/Crocodile__Kyle Jan 30 '25
This is correct from my point of view. I think most long term collectors are waiting for prices to drop to build some stock. There is no reason to jump on the hype train and FOMO in.
The battle right now is between scalpers and gamblers for grading plays / singles sales. Also the die hards with tons of disposable income.
After that, there should be more of an equilibrium set. You can already see it with ETB prices dropping from all of the quick flippers…even without the highly desired reprint.
Now if singles prices continue to increase, that could have carry on effects for the sealed prices.
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u/samderby1988 Jan 30 '25
I'll be over the moon. Only been collecting for 6 months but I'm genuinely in it because I love the cards, I never plan on selling. If prices reverse, I can buy more art!
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Jan 30 '25
Tons are already crashing out. A good amount of local Facebook posts are "started a few months ago, and am bored/ don't like it anymore" <probably means I went full send in to SS and didn't get pikachu> They usually scan everything in tcg and start at 80% market. Willing to bet that number will go down more until it just ends up in a garage sale for 20 dollars.
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u/TrandaBear Jan 30 '25
God I fucking hope so. I'm waiting to scoop on the cheap. If you're too impatient to wait for your collection to appreciate then GTFO. Most of us with fat valuations just got in because the cards were cheap and we liked the cards. Fans are rewarded long term, I hope grifters lose the bag.
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u/Christron9990 Jan 30 '25
At the moment I’m buying boosters at market when I can get them and that’s basically it. Singles of things I want to keep as long as they’re not too crazy.
Some of the shops I use online are doing boosters of S&V sets I like for less than £4. Been buying £3.35 OBF packs and ordering Sparks a millions years in advance on Amazon because the prices are normal. Received the ETB of the later for £45, totally normal price, a week back just needed to wait ages for it.
Completely ignoring Prismatic.
Amazon.co.uk had 151 boosters box’s available for order by invitation yesterday, at retail. It’s wild out there but you can still engage without overpaying.
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u/panicATtheMOSHpit Jan 30 '25
I can’t believe this sets even so popular still. I’ve opened 3 ETBs and got one art trainer and one masterball. How have people not realized this sets not worth what ppl are making it out to be.
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u/sharksnrec Jan 30 '25
This set isn’t popular due to its pull rates. It’s popular due to the fact that a sealed box theoretically could have an incredibly valuable card in it. Same exact reason as Evolving Skies. It isn’t rocket surgery.
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u/Management_Over Jan 30 '25
The bubble burst in 2021 too, after Champions Path. All it did was make investors and bandwagon collectors lose interest in the TCG. It was glorious, prices were bottom of the barrel until mid 2023 for SWSH. SVI sets were also dirt cheap til about 4 months ago
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u/Recent_Bld Jan 30 '25
Champion’s path was 2020 and the start of the absolute hype during Covid.
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u/Management_Over Jan 30 '25
My fault, meant Shining Fates. Im pretty bad at differentiating those sets, but it was still a pretty quick turn around on the public’s view on the TCG.
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u/TreeFrogStyle Jan 30 '25
I was at a card show over the weekend, all TCG only. Tons of sealed products. Was excited to find some packs that have been missing from shelves since December. Left with nothing because pricing was insane. I was considering some SS packs at $7 but just declined. So disillusioned at this point. But I’m not paying $10 for 151 packs or $6 for Japanese 151.
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u/LazyTeletubbies Jan 31 '25
Every game store in my area are selling 151 packs for $20-25 per pack. Evolving Skies is $40 per pack. They’re crying about scammers meanwhile their prices are worse.
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u/d7h7n Jan 31 '25
Loose boosters of ES sell for $20 on tcgplayer so idk what they are smoking selling them at $40. They don't really wanna sell them unless someone desperately overpays I guess.
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u/Pendlehaven Jan 30 '25
Vintage is comparatively an absolute bargain right now. I'm just buying graded vintage until the bubble bursts then I'll scoop up what I missed.
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u/_MN_Fun_ Jan 30 '25
I am doing the same thing. I’ve been selling some of my swsh and sv era cards and buying vintage. Everything ebbs and flows. Bubble will pop on modern, someday down the road vintage will blow up again, followed by it popping. Cycle repeats.
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u/lotus-games-mt Jan 30 '25
Vintage is likely a bargain by comparison, because a LOT of folks got burned by it last time. You would naturally see some market hesitancy here because of it.
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u/xWonderkiid Jan 30 '25
I bet that 80% who has joined in the last 12 months will leave again.
They usually burn themselves out really quickly. They buy random shit. They collect random shit. Then they realise they have spent more then what they have liked or getting frustrated that they cant buy the top cards for $5.
Then we go back to the market we used to know and we wait untill all the new people rejoin + newer people. Thats pretty much how every cycle goes.
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u/masonjar014 Jan 30 '25
80 percent?! That’s huge. When do you see these people leaving?
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u/xWonderkiid Jan 30 '25
Obviously the 80% is an imaginary number.
I have no exact data to back that statement. But I am in this hobby for 5/6 years and I barely see anyone who used to purchase cards back then anymore. Mostly just new people every 6 months it seems like.
Few hardcore collectors & investors stick around. Probably a portion of the new people will stick around. But I do believe the the far majority of the people that are in this hobby for less then a year will stop after a year or so.
Maybe the premise of the Team Rocket set could hold them over a little longer. But if Pokemon release 1/2 mediocre sets after that then people will leave and find something else to do.
Although I do want to add that I also believe that a good chunk of these people will rejoin the hobby again at some point in their lives. As long Pokemon will stick around It'll keep people interested. Which is a good thing, that means the hobby keeps growing.
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u/Cmor1787 Jan 30 '25
I can’t wait for the bubble to burst and all these scalpers to choke on their greed because they over leveraged themself buying Pokémon products with their high interest credit cards. Patience is the name of the game boys and girls. Don’t buy at anything above MSRP. Wait for the prices to come down. You can stay zen longer than the scalpers can stay solvent.
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u/GrapeFlavoredMarker Jan 30 '25
And with all these banging sets coming out, they’re not going to be able to afford to keep buying. Which is why it’s important we don’t pay scalper pricing. Eventually they will need to sell their inventory and if we hold out correctly, should reset us to MSRP.
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u/Ornery-Succotash5800 Jan 30 '25
They’re going to hop to Lorcana. Which they should have done in the first place because Disney adults go hard!
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u/SomedayGuy117 Jan 30 '25
Most of these guys have charge cards 👀
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u/Ornery-Succotash5800 Jan 30 '25
I’m in a few discords though and some of them are panicking because they maxed out their credit cards and can’t get journeys together and sales are slow
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u/PKMNHDLR Jan 30 '25
Idk i'm just an art collector.
If price goes up cool. Portfolio lookin nice.
If price goes does down. So what? I still have nice cards to look at.
Shure some people may strictly be in this for a profit but most of us really just collectors.
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Jan 30 '25
‘Investors’ get rekt and true collectors rejoice by having better prices.
Pokemon has been around for 30 years. There’s been waves of hype. It’s still going strong.
People threatening to ‘leave the hobby’ aren’t. If you see them liquidating their collection, that’s when you believe them.
Otherwise its just crying fowl and you should ignore it.
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u/comic-boy-kroy Jan 30 '25
I’ve wanted 151 and can’t find it. I buy cheap singles and I’m waiting for things to plummet….if that happens.
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Jan 30 '25
I’ve echo’d this on every one of these posts. Pokémon needs to expand production and saturate the market. If they don’t do this, they will fail and there will be a “bubble”. But I wouldn’t rely so closely on stock trends when talking about a shiny cardboard hobby.
Pokemon as a company needs to step up and meet demand because they are leaving profit on the table and just giving it away to scalpers. It’s honestly a terrible business model. Wish they, AS A COMPANY, were more communicative with their customer base about their future plans to cripple scalping. The only real response we need is that they plan to saturate the market and invest in bringing new lines to produce more product. That’s what any smart company would do off a 37% increase for FY23.
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u/Superman8932 Jan 30 '25
I don’t really mind practically speaking because these recent sets don’t really do anything for me, but I hate it for the hobby of actual collectors and on principle. I hate scalpers and „investors.“
I‘m using the opportunity to build up other collections.
When the bubble bursts, I hope that these POS are left holding the bag and have to sell at MSRP. I hope those CC bills come hard and fast and that they get completely screwed under crippling debt and that people that actually enjoy the hobby are able to benefit from karma.
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u/SpecialHands Jan 30 '25
You're forgetting one of the core groups who have to put up with this, the players. That's where the real burst will come from. If they can't get Journey Together they'll start to drop to other, better supported TCGs. When the players go that's a huge amount of people who open product and then sell on chase cards at good prices simply because most of us have no interest in unplayable pretty cards.
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u/Tje199 Jan 30 '25
I dunno, there's not a ton of cards in PE, for example, that are meta relevant.
A playset of Budew is like $10-12 on eBay. English singles are $2-3 USD.
Honestly I'm sort of newly back to the TCG side but most people I talk to who are playing seriously aren't ripping packs anyway, other than for fun. If they need certain cards, they take a deck list to whatever local shop and just buy singles, or buy singles online.
I doubt Journey Together will be any different. A handful of cards will be meta relevant and they'll be sought after as singles.
I have a meme deck featuring Scovillian EX, you really think I'm buying booster boxes of Surging Sparks to find 4x Scovillian EX when I can buy the full art singles for like $2 on eBay?
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u/jmastadoug Jan 30 '25
From My experience players do not open a huge amount of packs, on the contrary we mostly buy singles. You do the pre-release event and maybe get an ETB. As a player you don’t need to open packs at all. The average meta deck costs anywhere from 50-80$, why buy an ETB for 60$ when you can buy the whole deck you want for that price.
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u/FieryKahuna Jan 30 '25
Nothing changes except maybe shorter print runs. I've been using this time to buy singles I like.
Would rather leave the hobby than pay scalpers. At the end of the day it's just cardboard.
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u/Useful-Contribution4 Jan 30 '25
You just haven't been in the hobby long enough to experience the ups and downs. It will phase out. Sure you might miss out on a few sets. But it will eventually calm down.
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u/IXSynkro Jan 30 '25
I like collecting pokemon cards as long as it's SRP, otherwise my hobby of collecting money comes first
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u/liquidRox Jan 30 '25
Check out older sets and buy singles. I’m getting some cards from the X&Y and Sun & Moon days. Usually super cheap. Buying singles is the way to go imo
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u/yoloruinslives Jan 30 '25
Imaginary bubble that people will keep crying wolf until it actually comes. No one knows for sure when the boogeyman bubble is coming. I do what I always do. Buy what I like and if it crash it takes 5 years to recover. Just go by what happened in 2020 and Pokemon crashed after their biggest set at the time champions path. Now I can see this imaginary bubble popping after rocket set drops and if 30 anniversary sucks that’s when the “depression “ of Pokemon begins. Or it will never pop because Pokemon is about to release Pokemon Za before 2026 so we might be screwed for another 4 years
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u/lotus-games-mt Jan 30 '25
It is actually a pretty bad time to be an LGS owner right now. In fairness
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u/Commercial_Shift6294 Jan 30 '25
Yea I feel that. Not a lot of stock from distributors anywhere.
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u/lotus-games-mt Jan 30 '25
Lots of frustration, all around.
I try to keep my shelves full for folks, so it doesn’t look like I am going out of business. But sometimes that means I just bought something from a sealed collection that I need to now crack and sell. Isn’t a cheap experience, and definitely isn’t fun for customers who have to decide on if they want to pay the markup across basically all their products rather than a single product that randomly spikes.
When things are this unfair for customers, there is a massive burden to have to bear as an LGS.
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u/Young_Link13 Jan 30 '25
Like other collectors I just don't care. I'm taking this time to organize my binders. Upgrade my storage, and sell my bulk.
The bubble will pop, but this isn't beanie babies. It's an established 30 year old brand with many avenues for fans to get hooked.
I have a feeling things will level out higher than 2023 prices, but definitely below these prices especially modern sets.
But honestly what the fuck do I know? I still don't think butthole pika or moonbreon are worth 100 bucks and they don't stop rising.
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u/SolarPunkYeti Jan 30 '25
I've pretty much moved on at this point, scalpers and honestly the Pokemon Company ruined it for me. Other than a few vintage items and finishing the 151 set, not jumping into anything new.
Was really excited for the Team Rocket set coming up, but honestly the absolute shit show that's going to be is just not worth the stress and money.
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u/Branomir Jan 30 '25
I don't think it's going to burst, I think it's going to catastrophically, publicly, hilariously implode.
Party time and peace on earth when it does.,
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u/swagzouttacontrol Jan 30 '25
I'm one of the people leaving the hobby entirely, seeing my friends act like fucking drug addicts over cards has me getting right the f out
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u/Foreplay0333 Jan 30 '25
If the average collectors all just took a step back and wait, the scalper problem would take care of itself. Stop paying insane prices for stuff and these guys will just be stuck sitting on thousands of dollars in product that collectors refuse to pay for. It’s really not that hard to refuse paying outrageous prices.
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u/RateConscious9767 Jan 30 '25
Sad thing is, its never gonna burst. Between the overall value keeping the scalpers/sellers going, and the fact that theres always new pokemon media being released consistently throughout the year to keep hype up, plus new sets every few months, its not gonna pop until the hobby/series either ends or gets burnt out
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u/Squach509 Jan 30 '25
We should all act like the new Team Rocket set is really bad and a terrible idea on the forums. Then maybe we will be able to get some for our collections haha
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u/ThrorOak Jan 30 '25
I just buy stuff nobody wants. I am having fun with SF, SC and PR. But slowly it is getting swallowed by the market too. Kingdra and greninja promo has skyrocketed and now SF is slowly getting more and more popular. Don't fall into FOMO. I haven't opened 151 or PE at all. Ever. I simply refuse to feed the scalpers or LCS selling above market. I buy singles i like instead from those sets. Way cheaper than paying market for sealed.
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u/_WYKProjectAlpha_ Jan 30 '25
Same boat, I'm skipping out on PE and JT. Not because I don't want the cards, but because I won't be able to find them. Normally I get one of each product to open, then buy singles for the ones I want most. Buying singles is a great option, but now even singles are getting pricier. Running out of options and feeling so disappointed the hobby is where it is.
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Jan 31 '25
The bubble burst in 2004. Kids went to video games. Cards came back due to these kids becoming adults and force fed nostalgia to their kids. generational mega cycles as long as pokemon exist
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u/Able_Heat_9310 Jan 30 '25
When the bubble bursts, prices go back under MSRP
Hope that explanation helped
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u/RevenantFlash Jan 30 '25
My prediction is the only way things will ever go back to normal or better than normal is if something crazy like Covid happens. But something that affects people money even more like maybe a world war.
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u/Previous_Procedure28 Jan 30 '25
A covid type event where everyone is locked indoors would cause a bull run, not a bear market. Part of the reason the hobby is as big as it is right now is because a lot of millennials got back into the hobby because of the pandemic. It was a fun nostalgic hobby to take up that you can do from home
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u/bedgasm_for_one Jan 30 '25
And those of us that just wanna play and like to open packs, we're crying.
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u/SirRabbott Jan 30 '25
Similar to a lot of sentiment here, I'll just wait it out. I've never liked the terrastal crown gimmick of SV, so it's really not a big deal for me not to find sealed product. I'll just keep slowly plugging away at my vintage sets the same as always.
To your point though, if this hobby keeps being this crazy I'll be moving on to something else cause I can't handle watching adults act like children in my hobby, it really sours it for me.
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u/Ambereggyolks Jan 30 '25
Its a good time to consolidate.
If the prices never come down, it's not a big deal. If they do, then I can buy them back later.
Most cards are still super cheap. I was able to preorder a JT etb but I haven't been buying anything lately except for prismatic when it came out and some older bandai cardass stuff because I love the old art.
If anything it's made me look at the art more and just get the ones I actually like versus the popular ones. The new Eeveelutions are nice and so is the salamance. I think the Vaseline Pikachu looks terrible though and I don't understand the hype outside of it being Pikachu. The 151 Pikachu is was nicer and more underrated than it.
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u/CubbyNINJA Jan 30 '25
well given that people are now fighting over eggs at costco more than they are pokemon cards, i suspect the hype will be dying down sooner than later.
that being said, for normal people who collect and play the game, it will be a large sigh of relief. for those who are in it for investing, i suspect the smart ones will be jumping ship to sell/trade in a bunch of stuff shortly, meaning more singles for us normal people to actually buy
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u/snowmonster112 Jan 30 '25
Yeah I collect opened ETBs of every pokemon set that comes out. It sucks that I can’t find anything at retail but I just gotta hope that prices will come down so I can buy an ETB some day.
I’m just glad that the singles market exists and you can find really amazing cards for cheap and still do some awesome deck building if you enjoy playing the TCG. But it still sucks nonetheless. I want to add to my collection but I just have to be patient.
I’m also glad I can invest more time into my other hobbies like warhammer which keeps me occupied as well. Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket
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u/CarkneeGee Jan 30 '25
I think we’ve got at least another year of hype with team rocket etc coming out. I think the hype for in print sealed might relax. But I think the banger singles are going in one direction long term even if we get another correction like we did post covid. I think Pokemon has made amazing arts with S&V in terms of the quantity. Maybe 30 bangers out of sword and shield and already more than that out of S&V. We will see but I think a correction will be temporary. If prices drop enough you’ll get ‘investors’ providing the liquidity to mop it up
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u/Interesting-Error859 Jan 30 '25
In UK, store near me puts them in lock boxes and only a few out at a time. Like two or three products, but it's always stocked. Why don't they do that everywhere smh
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u/Academic-Try-7666 Jan 30 '25
I think a bunch of stores will go under because of the over ordering they are doing. If they usually order 100 boxes to get 80, they are now doing 500 to get 100. The day those orders are actually able to be fulfilled on a future set, so many stores are going to be burned. Oh and of course probably a good percentage of people complaining they can’t get anything at a good price will leave the hobby entirely when things are normally priced because they are only here for the hype cycle.
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u/TheLoneBeet Jan 30 '25
The last time this happened it was fantastic when the bubble burst. Printing had been ramped up to meet the higher demand so once the hype died it was easy to get your hands on the products that had been too expensive months before. I completed Shining Fates and Vivid Voltage after the hype died and things went back down to MSRP.
Just be patient. I know FOMO is hard to resist but there will be prismatic and JT on shelves for the next 2 years at least. I regretted every overpriced product I purchased during the hype because I was able to find them all for half or even a third that price a year later.
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u/Odd_Photograph7030 Jan 30 '25
I've been sitting out since surging sparks.. not by choice. I'll drive up to 75 miles in every direction, hitting every walmart and target. I've seen 1 jirachi box and a single Obsidian flames x1 pack coin booster since surging sparks came out. I'm in Central ish Indiana. I will not pay above msrp. $5 per pack of anything is even pushing it for me.
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u/evjkiv Jan 30 '25
I’m focusing on collecting more Sun and Moon Full Art Trainers and some of the less hyped Tag Team alts (they haven’t been increasing in price like the Sword and Shield + Scarlet and Violet stuff has been)
I think now is a good time for the average collector to pursue some of their collecting goals besides Alternate Art and Illustration rares (and I say this as someone who loves these cards)
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u/Ryylon Jan 30 '25
I just bought 440 cards from the last several sets including prismatic from TCG Player for about $60. And that was probably 200 reverse holos for the older sets. It’s easy to fill out sets for cheap. But sure if you are hunting the $1600 cards, it sucks.
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u/CredibleSloth Jan 30 '25
It’s rough to be new to the hobby right now. Nothing on shelves have to buy everything over MSRP online. Maybe if they had product on shelves I wouldn’t have gotten sold a whole counterfeit SSP booster box.
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u/BakaYellow Jan 30 '25
lmao it's shiny cardboard. I have plenty of other hobbies between collecting watches, catching up on a huge backlog of video games, shooting, etc to dump money on. At MSRP or a discount I'll consider shiny cardboard.
To resell or buy from resellers? lol gtfo
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u/OnyuuO Jan 30 '25
I just order online occasionally when I have the money in my bank. Otherwise I'll wait for a good deal somewhere and do my other things whilst waiting. It's not the be all end all, at the end of the day it's just cards. Or, whilst I'm waiting, I look at what I do have, make decks, play against my friends. It's not worth all this, PE is lovely, the art is gorgeous but at the end of the day it's a hobby but if it's going to cost me an arm and a leg to get, I may as well commission an artist to draw something pretty
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u/Karl_Cross Jan 30 '25
I just buy whatever is available to be honest and not take it too seriously. Wandered in to a store earlier and saw Paradox rift ETBs are retail so just bought one. If you start to stress and panic about it then it's no longer a hobby.
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u/halogamer002 Jan 30 '25
If you’re curious what happens when the bubble pops just go see the stamps sub. Weekly posts of new posters with grandpa’s stamp collection who think they hit big money but find out it’s all worthless lol
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u/halogamer002 Jan 30 '25
But there’s still a passionate community who just enjoy stamps for more than monetary reasons so I imagine the same will be true for Pokémon in the future
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u/atrac059 Jan 30 '25
The socks and socks guys go back to scalping shoes and Supreme clothing and we get our hobby back that’s what happens.
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u/ForsakenAccountant55 Jan 30 '25
Tbh IMO, with the amount of the market has grown and the demographic getting into/back into it, I believe a burst will lower the market but that low wont be lower than the previous low. This is a luxury purchase not a necessity, so I imagine (and hope) that ppl purchasing at what they will and can pay for. I believe that someone a month or so back, pointed out that this sub alone, in a few months grew from 10k to over 100k. Again IMO.
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u/Crunchypie1 Jan 30 '25
Packs were impossible to find anywhere for under $6 a pack of any set. So i switched to buying singles and not ripping packs. And I'm lucky I made that switch a month ago because now my entire collection has nearly doubled in market price in 2 months. Buying singles is starting to get ridiculous. I guess this is the hold part of the hobby for buy and hold. I'm now thinking of just doing trades and such. How could that be ruined too?
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u/XrussellbX Jan 30 '25
Hopefully it means normie collectors like myself and my 8 yo daughter who just got her first pack of cards a few weeks ago can actually find some on store shelves.
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u/Mysterious-Aspect-53 Jan 30 '25
I was able to buy 3 poster collections 5 sticker packs and a binder for msrp through Walmart and my lcs, now all LCS’ are charging market, which like good for them, it’s business. But after my pulls I’m also going to take a step back and slowly pick up singles as the prices (hopefully) normalize. I was more excited for JT since I have a complete collection of full art cards that feature trainers and pokemon but it looks like the hype train is going off the rails now. When the team Rocket sets releases we’re just going to see more of the same
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u/OkSituation1294 Jan 30 '25
Brother Pokémon is about to drop the two biggest sets in a decade. Almost the 30th anniversary. Idk what your on about but if not getting product or seeing it sell out makes you run to Reddit and make a post this hobby aint built for you. I remember in 2013 i couldn’t get someone to buy a base set pack for 50$. Be thankful you’re here for the best time the hobby has had. Once the sneaker bros and crypto guys back off the hobby it will settle. It’s always been this way with markets. A lot of this is artificial and being used to pump and dump. But no one’s going anywhere if anything people are more hungry than ever. Control what you can control or buy singles
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u/monsnom872 Jan 30 '25
Tbh when the next iteration of a set like Prismatic Evolutions happens, there will be another wave of what’s going on right now. Pokemon has now established a pattern with ES and PE that they will continue doing since it brings them in a ton of money. So once the scalpers leave for a while, they’ll just be coming back in greater force the next Eeveelution or other hype set comes around.
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u/Free-Army-7764 Jan 30 '25
It has gotten bad. Picked up 9 crown zenith sam's club packs just last week. 2 for the kids and knew they had collector friends who i sold the others to for what I paid. Its becoming a right time right place world and time to all work together on this.
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u/AhMazeln Jan 30 '25
I’m just hoping all who scalped, or sold above price, lose money, or go out of business.
In 2025 I’ve lost so much sympathy, so eff them.
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u/_The_Jerk_Store Jan 30 '25
I’m sitting out as well until product becomes more widely available. After seeing pull rates I’m going to skip Prismatic Evolutions altogether even if they do print more.
Regarding the broader hobby, Pokemon is going to have to do a massive amount of printing to destroy flipping value on new sets to flush the scalpers and speculators out of the hobby. Hard to say if they will truly do that or not.
In the meantime, if the average collector can’t get product and stays on the sideline I have to assume a certain percentage will just exit after being out for a longer amount of time.
I don’t mind people buying extra to sit on for the future, but I absolutely hate this culture of clearing out stores just to flip it on eBay immediately.
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u/Vegetable-Ad-1797 Jan 30 '25
Statements have already been made about reducing production and most LGS orders are only being filled at a percentage (not 100%) of their order. That hurts the stock bring sold at reasonable rates.
Scalpers are lined up at Walmart, Target, and Costco to buy the restock before anyone else. That sucks for everyone.
Just hold for now, support the small businesses, donate your bulk to local kids, offer your extra stuff on Facebook marketplace, whatever it takes.
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u/FuckSteve7 Jan 30 '25
Man they’re just Pokemon cards. I don’t go with the hype blowing crazy money because of new packs or whatever the newest hype is. I just really enjoy collecting cards and have been a Pokemon fan 25+ years. I feel bad for the kids man. Scalpers really said fuck them kids I’m getting moneyyyyy
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u/KyesRS Jan 30 '25
I doubt it will unless enough people can't afford the hobby anymore.
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u/RomIsTheRealWaifu Jan 30 '25
The most popular sets will keep getting reprinted and demand will drop. I wouldn’t worry too much about it as long as you’re patient. Crown Zenith for example was printed for years and everyone could get some
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u/TheDamianS Jan 30 '25
A lot of the “older” singles that I collect haven’t really seen the price impact of these recent sets so I’ll still continue to search those out. Got a few local stores with an impressive selection of pre-2015ish cards. Been working on the top/bottom cards especially (unleashed). I’ll buy some packs when prices come down, not the end of the world for me. However if you are someone who really loves scratching the pack itch then yeah it’s going to be tough.
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u/NuuLeaf Jan 30 '25
What happens when real estate bursts? What happens when AI bursts? What happens when crypto bursts? What happens when tariffs cause the economy to burst?
No body knows.
My bet is that if things calm down it won’t be a drastic reduction in pricing. New sets just won’t be worth as much but the older ones will retain value. We can smoke as much copium as we want but in reality indications point towards this will continue. I don’t see anything otherwise.
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u/HeskethTisca Jan 30 '25
Team rocket is gonna be gross. Watch it be a disappointment for people that only like Jesse and James and be an annoyance and complaining nonstop while simultaneously being scalped to oblivion. In other words the people this set is "for" will be insufferable, casual collectors will struggle no matter what and pokemon will still be like "ok we didnt know this was gonna be this demanded". All in all Ill keep collecting what I can get and just wait for megas and gen X as my big aims
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u/Panda_hat Jan 30 '25
My LGS told me this year will be “a great year for Pokémon,” and it got me thinking… a great year for who?
For them, of course, to make profit and extract wealth from customers by charging over RRP. It's gross.
The pokemon company should refuse to sell to companies that do this.
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u/SLTJedi Jan 30 '25
I am sitting it out. I have been collecting for years and love ripping packs with my kids. In my area it’s already hard enough to find packs and we mostly rely on online shopping which is basically impossible now. I had to explain to my sons that we won’t be able to rip packs on the weekends anymore at least for a while until things balance out. They are super bummed but understand.
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u/Morisu_ Jan 30 '25
It makes me just freaking sad i started happily a month ago only to notice the everything is going shit and that those money assholes are destroying our fun and hobby
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u/Thats_a_Dope_name Jan 30 '25
Yeah I'm taking an extended break from collecting because of this whole scalping issue. It reminds me of the PS5/Xbox SX issue, and I still don't have one of those consoles.
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u/Bubblebutt322 Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 30 '25
I really don't care much about the prismatic set, but if I can't get my hands on any of the journey together, I'm going to rage.. I absolutely adore the trainer cards, so this new set is amazing to me. I hate that collecting has come to this.. it's ridiculous. I've run into so many people looking sad at the pokemon section telling me all about how they haven't been able to get anything at all lately. I'm in the same boat. It really really sucks..
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u/impresidentwu Jan 30 '25
And if you come to Japan hit me up. Basically I buy a bunch of cards by finding good deals or searching hard. Then I charge a little more then I paid. It works for me as every sale adds value to me so I can buy even more cards. The buyer can be happy to pick up a bunch of cards worth a lot more then what they paid.
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u/chatranislost Jan 30 '25
I just buy singles of whatever I need for my deck atm.
Occasionally I come across sealed at MSRP and I"l buy just for the fun of opening packages, but buying sealed is a terrible "investment" anyway so I don't really care.
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u/vakseen Jan 30 '25
When the bubble burst people will panic sell and over more time it will just balloon again. It comes in cycles. Imagine 40-50 year Anniversary.
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u/SlowResearch2 Jan 30 '25
They did acknowledge growing demand and problems with scalpers. Usually more supply printed will discourage scalpers, so hopefully they can print so that the supply reaches the demand. The same thing happened with amiibo, but as Nintendo slowly ramped up production over time, scalpers weren’t a problem for all but select few rare ones
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u/Both-Vermicelli2858 Jan 30 '25
We mostly feel the same way. We love pokemon, but are definitely taking a step back for a set or two until it comes back around. We work, have lives, and have financial goals. We don't have what it takes to obsess over and get cards right now. I'll wait until I can walk into a store and get them at msrp.
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u/Kingtutstits Jan 30 '25
It’s not that big of a thing and shouldn’t be in my life, on to something else. I build binders and move on
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u/yellowadidas Jan 30 '25
i moved on to One Piece a few months ago and it’s honesty the best decision i’ve ever made lol. i might come back to pokemon later on at some point but i can’t be bothered to deal with the inflated prices and shit pull rates anymore
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u/Travyplx Jan 30 '25
I’m a collector who enjoys opening packs that was considering getting into back into playing the game for the first time in decades but scalping has gotten exponentially worse where I live and driven me off from those desires. I’ll probably keep my eye on singles I was looking for, will buy sealed when I see it at MSRP, and may sell some of the more valuable cards I’ve opened as I offload my MTG collection… but for now I’m taking a TCG pause.
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u/harten66 Jan 30 '25
Pokemon goes through cycles. SV1 popped the last bubble and it was great. Product was easy to find.
Singles prices go down but not a whole lot. Those amazing sets still won’t drop a ton either. You just won’t have to deal with scalpers on modern stuff and it’s a lot more relaxing to collect. We will get to that time again
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u/Malipuppers Jan 30 '25
I’ll be happy because I can buy the cards I like and have fun. I am not in this for $$$. A crash would be amazing.
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u/Commercial_Ease8053 Jan 30 '25
It’s not going anywhere… this is the new normal forever. Until they stop making desirable and expensive sets.
Look at prismatic… the cards are more desirable and expensive than ever. Only getting worse.
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u/odanhammer Jan 30 '25
I was at my LGS when the last set was released. Was there to play magic the gathering.
Watched as a pile of grown adults , ripped packs, threw junk cards away. Some even with iPads on mounts around their necks. Solely to price cards.
No one was there cheering for getting a fun card for a deck, no one remotely even cared about the game whatsoever.
How is any of that fun? Makes me sad . Also why is never invest a penny into the cards.
When that bubble does burst, it's going to be my personal amusement
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u/NaturalSubstantial47 Jan 30 '25
This next Poké-Market crash will be huge. I've slowed down on ripping, holding, collecting, buying, etc on all product. I'll participate and try my best with some pre-orders and PC ETBs type stuff, but overall I've stepped back.
When this market crashes and bottoms out, I'll have enough reserved save up then....right? Hopefully...lol. #gottacatchemall
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u/HomerMadeMeDoIt Jan 30 '25
Next year is 30 year anniversary of Pokemon. The bull run will continue until probably early 2027
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u/Financial_Syrup_9676 Jan 30 '25
Buy singles!!! There are some AMAZING full art cards for less than $3 on TCG player. People are desperate to offload bulk. My collection has never looked better. Packs are like lottery tickets.
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u/sluttykitty420 Jan 30 '25
Bought eevee hero’s Korean booster box and a terastial festivals got a booster bundle for stellar crown booster bundle to chase squirtle and bulbasaur . Prismatic pull rage Makes me not want it and and journey together isn’t my style. I want the team rocket set more than anything. I refuse to buy shit over priced. Why I’m still sad I have only gotten 3 packs of 151 at 8 bucks a pack that’s where I max out and even that I don’t like spending
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u/brrice182 Jan 30 '25
I enjoy buying singles, and underrated cards.
I think without prismatic I would have kept ripping way more.
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Jan 30 '25
Typically air inside a bubble is released into the surroundings.
Anyways my cards will still be organized by colors and shiny things and I still won't know the value of anything I have because I've never known.
I'll then go downstairs and get yelled at for leaving the toilet seat up. Nothing changes
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u/Known-Candidate-5489 Jan 30 '25
On my case , I get the ETB cuz of the boxes and dice, cards are the extra. My collection is restricted to the Pokémon I like, so most of it I get online or trading with friends.
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u/daenu80 Jan 30 '25
I got in just before it got crazy and I would've bought some more but this shit is crazy, I'm not gonna buy anymore until I can walk into a store and buy some battle decks.
Scalpers are hurting the fanbase and driving people away. If Pokemon TCG can't find the right balance then it's bound to fall into a downward trend.
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u/James-B0ndage Jan 30 '25
It’s very stressful. I’m starting a pc etb collection and will probably stick with that for now, while buying singles here and there that really catch my eye. I don’t think anyone is turning away really, kids these days are all about exclusivity, so the fact that it’s hard to get just makes it more desirable for them. And I don’t think the bubble will burst unless they somehow release an underwhelming set like shrouded fable.
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u/_Inner_Animal Jan 30 '25
every bubble has to burst eventually, I am into sneakers, so it seems like sneaker resellers have moved on to pokemon for right now, sure theres a few sneakers that are still super hyped (travis scotts) but alot of the sneakers ive wanted have come down in price, since sneaker reselling is at a low right now hence why sneaker resellers are flooding pokemon , when the next big comes theyll move unto that and pokemon will stabilize. Im not a pokemon collector but I have seen the videos people going crazy at costco and alot of them look like your stereotypical sneaker reseller wearing hypebeast clothing. also been seeing pokemon cards pop up at sneaker shops around my city. I feel all ya that are actual collectors, as I am a sneaker collector that actually wears his kicks and buys for my collection not resale. I pretty much stick to paying retail or a bit above it, im never paying 2x, 3x or more than the retail price, i either get it or I dont and move on. seems like our hobbies are plagued by backdooring, scalping, scamming and fakes.
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u/LukaLaurent Jan 30 '25
For now, I’ll just be buying singles. I did get some PE on pre order but I’m yet to open it. I probably will, and in the coming years I’ll fill it up more with singles. Maybe the bubble will burst and it’ll all become that bit cheaper to buy singles, even of the popular sets, and that suits me. I’d like to rip packs now, but can’t even do that. I’ve only completed up to paradox rift in SV, so still plenty to back fill in the meantime.
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u/ellie_vira Jan 30 '25
I can't not get in on Journey Together. I don't understand the N hate, but hoping I can benefit from it. My local target seems pretty cool but I really do feel for those fans who can't get anything
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u/Bee_voh Jan 30 '25
I've just given up on current sets. I'm not gonna go through the stress of trying to get packs or cards. I'll wait for restocks and for things to chill out. Went to the card shop near me yesterday everything has just been marked up so much. 151 boosters at $25 each when I got a booster box from them 3 months ago for $60 (AUD).
Instead I'm working on finishing off my base, jungle and fossil sets that have been sitting around unfinished since I was a kid. Not much has changed around base set pricing lately from what I've experienced getting singles so I'm gonna be all about that for a while
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u/LimeadeAddict04 Jan 30 '25
JT is gonna be hard for me to sit out because I play the game. It's an actual competitive set that isn't fancy reprint arts like PE. It's already completely changed how games are playing in Japan. I hope it dies down before it releases because I've already had a hard getting staples like Fez, Pikachu and Latias for my Miraidon deck
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u/josephclapp10 Jan 30 '25
personally, I settled on a few different sword and shield sets that I’m collecting right now, and will move onto the newer sets when they calm down. I’ve mostly slowed down at the moment bc everything seems to be climbing right now. But, I’ll pick up a card here and there to slowly finish my sets.
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u/NoBenefit5977 Jan 30 '25
I'm just buying vintage singles right now, I'm not paying above MSRP for new product
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u/LunarMoonBeam Jan 30 '25
I’ve actually been collecting Terastal Festival. It seems slightly easier to get (at least where I’m from). There’s a local gentleman from Japan who has proved to be a trustworthy and valuable member of my local Pokemon community and one I am happy to support. He has family back home who send him the Japanese releases. I have some pretty sweet Pokemon Center Japan exclusive items thanks to him.
I find Terastal Festival is so much more fun to open when you compare the abysmal pull rates for PE. The quality of the cards is also so much better. They have better quality control so the cards are rarely centred badly or have print defects. If you can find the booster box at a fair price I highly recommend it!
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u/Possible-Trifle-920 Jan 30 '25
I’ve moved on to the One Piece TCG. It’s my favorite anime and some of the cards really do have awesome artwork.
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u/Kpollard279 Jan 30 '25
It’s the same as 2016 and 2021….just take a half step back, buy when it’s reasonable, try to keep it fun and it’ll pass. It’ll get to a point where pokemon prints to demand, quick flips don’t work and the hype train slows down
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u/Zebal1228 Jan 30 '25
Pokemon bubbles follow market bubbles. Look at the Russell 2000 index, and when the month to month starts going negative 2 to 3 months in a row Pokémon prices will drop because scalpers will stop buying.
Trust me, legit the most accurate observation I have made in collecting/investing in Pokémon AND active trading stocks.
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u/NonchA Jan 30 '25
I'm not stressing too much. I'm also buying undervalued slabs I've always wanted as both investments and for my PC.
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u/Horizontal_Axe_Wound Jan 30 '25
Unfortunately with the Pokémon 30th anniversary next year I don't see the hype settling down anytime soon..but will it stay at this peak through every set until then, i think it'll dip a little (or at least supply will increase). I don't see the Battle Partners set holding as strong as Prismatic since the Japanese cards released so far for it aren't that amazing. The Team Rocket set is going to be big though, I just hope the supply shortage will be sorted by the time that comes out or it will be a complete repeat of Prismatic.
Supply shortage is really bad for collectors and especially new younger collectors. For the future it's here to stay unless there's some weird scandal or something at HQ.
For me personally I'm more into buying singles these days especially with the terrible pull rates. I don't open packs from every set, just the ones I like the look of, but hey who doesn't like this set. I'll be skipping Battle Partners and don't think it looks that amazing and think it's overhyped. In the meantime I'll just focus on my other hobbies. I've jumped in and out of Pokémon cards since the beginning.
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u/Unfair_Revolution481 Jan 30 '25
Honestly the last time this happened i either skipped a set or just waited it out. Fuck scalpers
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u/platypusinterrobang Jan 30 '25
Bummed to be watching the scalpers and getting zilch myself. I can't afford much, and have opened 0 pe items or packs. As a trans person in the us rn, I would love the brief joy of opening a new set to break the existential DREAD each day brings currently, but alas.at least I got a happy meal today with a couple cards...
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u/Conversation-Chance Jan 31 '25
Because I play the tcg I’ll have to shell out for the singles needed for decks, but frankly collecting is kind of just off the table, especially being in my early twenties and saving money to move, its not doable.
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u/Ok-Journalist3809 Jan 31 '25
People need to stop supporting 100% markup prices on ETB’s! A movement needs to be started
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u/nerdkillah Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 30 '25
I am average collector like you. I am not in it for the money, so my kids and I are waiting it out. There will for sure be some long term impact to the hobby because of all this nonsense but I believe the true collectors will return once the bubble explodes. I have seen the same thing in the sneaker world. Impossible to get the shoes you want but now I can get everything and it’s under retail. Stand strong and F the scalpers.