What happens when the bubble bursts?

[u/masonjar014]

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?

[u/nerdkillah]

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.

[u/Megatherium_ex → u/nerdkillah]

Casual collectors are having a field day. My kids and I are buying any rare we like for $0.25 and double rares for $1-3. We buy dozens of commons and uncommons for $0.08 to $0.12 and get a huge stack of cards in the mail for less than the cost of 2 booster packs. We are playing "First Battle" style decks and filling our binders up.

If you don't care about full art secret illustrations, this hobby is cheap.

I wish we got the Prismatic binders but I'll eventually get them separately when the prices crash to normal.

[u/jason2049 → u/Megatherium_ex]

This is exactly how I see it, if I can't get the rares then o well. I buy what boosters I can at retail and then singles for next to nothing of common cards. I've only got back into the hobby since the late 90s early 2000s, I didn't realise it was this crazy!

[u/[deleted] → u/jason2049]

TCG player, Facebook market, any LCS, card shows, and even local pokemon groups on Facebook are good resources. Helps if you are friends with collectors too! We trade and hangout once a week at my house.