About a month ago, I talked about how I’ve reignited my Pokémon card collecting hobby again alongside my partner. A hobby that, for both of us, we loved when we previously collected and have continued to do so now. Between us, we decided that we were collecting to collect but also so that we can take part, in the future, in the actual Pokémon Trading Card Game against others. Who knows, we might even go to a Regional event one day? Watch this space, I guess!
Currently, we’re about three months into the hobby again, and I wanted to take the time to share some tips and advice that I’ve learnt and discovered during this time.
Starting Your Collection
I don’t feel there is a real right or wrong way to go about starting your collection. There are plenty of ways to get started, regardless if you are collecting for fun, to master set a particular set or wanting to play the Trading Card Game itself.
Some ways you can get started are:
- Purchasing Battle Decks/Theme Decks as an introduction to the Trading Card Game
- Purchasing Booster Packs/Bundles to kick-start your collection
- Checking out local independent businesses to see if they sell bulk/excess cards
- Purchasing single cards from independent businesses to start a particular theme/collect a particular Pokémon/or if you are building a deck
These are just a few things that I did when I started collecting again. From doing this, it actually led into diving a little deeper into seeing what my local area had available as well as slightly further afield. It also prompted me to check out what local events were coming up, as well as discovering local Pokémon Play locations and businesses, alongside which retailers actually stocked Pokémon Trading Cards in general.
Helpful Mobile Apps
Collector apps for documenting your collection, checking prices and checking out the contents of a set, I would say are a must-have for on the go. Not only a great way to keep track of your personal collections, they are also handy when you are out and about and need to check something, be it a price or if you have a certain card in your collection.
Here’s a few that I’ve been using over the past few months:
Now these are free, although they may have premium paid options. They have been very insightful and handy when I don’t have my binder to hand or just to glance at something. They are also available of both Android and Apple devices.
So far, I’ve found myself using Collectr the most for documenting and checking prices. They also have a handy website based client as well. Pokellector has been handy for just checking the contents of a set and Pokedata, personally I haven’t used a lot. Of course, there are even more apps out there, these are just three I’ve used the most in my own journey.
Pokémon TCG Websites
As well as a variety of mobile apps, you also have multiple websites you can use as well. There are two that I have been using which is Collectr and also TCGPlayer.
Both very helpful and good for when researching prices of individual cards and sets too!
MSRP vs Above MSRP vs Realistic Budgets
There’s no denying that the Pokémon Trading Card game is seeing its biggest influx of new and returning collectors/players in recent years. With so much demand, the pricing of Pokémon TCG products, has risen significantly, much like the availability of products. If you are in the UK, you’ll certainly know what I mean!
One thing I have learnt and something that has remained important on my own journey so far is to be realistic with your budget and how much you are willing to spend on the hobby. It’s incredibly easy to get sucked in and just want to buy everything, and it’s surprising just how quickly those purchases will add up. Yes, I am talking from experience here.
I’ve been doing my best to pay as close as possible to the suggested retail price for Pokémon TCG products, using the Pokémon Center website as a guideline for pricing. Depending on the type of product, I’ve given myself a £5-£10 leeway as some retailers prices are ever so slightly higher above what is suggested, which is okay and normal. However, there are some places where the going price can be double (if not much more) on certain products. Again, this is natural, but the point I’m trying to make is more so about being realistic and mindful with your own budget when making purchases.
Now, there are products and even individual cards that we all dream of getting for whatever reason, be it a chase card, needing particular cards to complete a Master Set, that’s natural in any collection hobby. However, don’t be afraid to shop around and see what other retailers or sellers have the same product priced at. You never know, that passing on the first one of something you see may just lead you to discover even better deals further down the line!
UK Main High Street Retailers
There are a handful of main UK high street/online retailers who generally stock a variety of Pokémon Trading Card products. It’s important to note that stock levels and overall availability can vary. The main retailers you can find stock at are:
- Smyths Toys
- T G Jones (formerly W H Smiths)
- Ryman
- Waterstones
- Argos
- Game (Sports Direct/Frasers Group)
- Forbidden Planet
- Geek Retreat
- Supermarkets – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons
- The Original Factory Shop
- Amazon
- Very
There are also independent online gaming retailers who specialize in various trading card games, including Pokémon. The two most notable ones are:
Most of these retailers have regular restocks as well, however, it’s important to keep in mind that many retailers now limit how much you can buy of a product to ensure availability to as many people as possible.
The best way to keep in the know with restocks at UK retailers is to check out is the Pokémon TCG UK Reddit as well as Pokémon Stock Alerts UK and Pokémon TCG news & stock UK on X. Now these are just a few places I’ve found that have been helpful, but there certainly are more out there too!
Good Binder Behaviour!
In the words of Deep Pocket Monster, “Good. Binder. Behaviour!“
Whether you are collecting or playing, make sure you invest in quality products to help protect your cards and decks long term! Sleeves, top loaders and a good binder are excellent purchases to help those collecting and protect your cards too!
A way that I learnt about what is good and bad binder behaviour was from this video from Deep Pocket Monster. They are also a Pokémon TCG creator I recommend checking out on YouTube too!
No Stupid Questions & Community
Finally, my interactions with the community so far has been wonderful. It’s been friendly and welcoming as well as inspiring. I’ve learnt a lot from my short time back in the hobby from others and even helped those who have just joined myself.
Most importantly, no question is a stupid question. There’s a lot to learn within the hobby, and it can feel overwhelming to start with, but please do not let that put you off! Ask those questions, go to those events, the card shows, there is so much positivity within this hobby that often gets overlooked because of a small minority.
Finally, for me, I’m still in the process of learning and this is just some of the many things I’ve learnt on my journey so far which, I wanted to share with others.
If you’ve been following the releases for Pokémon TCG, Mega Evolutions finally beings release in the UK later this week. This will be my first big release experience since returning, having only seen the smaller Black Bolt and White Flare release a few months ago.
Restocks and releases can be overwhelming, however, don’t worry if you miss out on launch day as there will be more drops of the new products in the coming weeks. Don’t forget, we also have Pokémon TCG Phantasmal Flames right around the corner too!
Those pursuing some launch day goodies for Mega Evolutions this week, good luck! Those holding off or waiting to see how the launch weekend goes, I’ll be joining you there!
In the meantime, let me know some of your favourite Pokémon TCG sets or even what you are collecting at the moment in the comments below!
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