Thinking of getting back into it. Is it worth it?

[Alfieri]

So recently I went to Target and Toys R Us to buy some Pokemon figures and every time I browse these stores I see the trading cards in their shiny boxes and tins on display near the cash registers or in the toys section.

I stopped collecting the cards around 2011-2012 and I have a big collection from when I used to collect them around 1999-2004. I keep telling myself that it is a waste of money. Mostly because selling them is pretty useless and I don't play in tournaments, just rarely casually. However, I really do like that some of the boxes come with small figurines such as Mega Latios and Mega Charizard Y. I also really like the tins because you can use them afterwards to store more things.

So my question is, I'm kinda thinking about having the TCG as my hobby again but not sure if it will be worth it in the long run. I think of the cards as nice art to look at and collect and the figurines and tins and a plus.

 

[donavannj]

It's not going to turn a profit as a hobby for most of us. It certainly isn't turning a profit for me by having the cards sitting on my shelves.

That said, my personal stance is just to go ahead and collect. Collecting is a hobby that is fun. I'm an avid collector of many things, including the Pokemon TCG. It's not a waste of money if you enjoy the collecting in any way. There are a lot of people who only collect the cards.

Go for it.

 

[ryanschmoll]

Hi Alfieri - I'm a newcomer to this site, and to Pokémon in general. I have a 7 year old son that knows a frightening amount about the game, and I'd love this hobby for the two of us. He loves the cards, and I like your question about value. I've been a long-time sports card collector, and gaming cards are no different - if you buy retail wax (packs, boxes, tins), it will never be profitable. I'm willing to bet that a $20 tin will get you $5 to $6 worth of cards. That said, there's no reason buying second-hand (eBay, Craigslist, Amazon) couldn't be financially worth it if it were done right. But as the first responder said, if you love the hobby, then it isn't always about the money!

 

[donavannj]

That said, there's no reason buying second-hand (eBay, Craigslist, Amazon) couldn't be financially worth it if it were done right.

In this hobby, that'd basically be a full-time job. You can speculate what'll be hot in the future and buy a bunch, but if that card ends up not being hot, or if the company behind the game puts out a promotional tin with a promo version of the card to increase accessibility for the people who play the game competitively, you're stuck likely eating a big loss. The Pokemon Company likes to try to keep secondhand market prices down for cards that are currently eligible for official competitive tournament play to keep the game's barrier for entry relatively low compared to other TCGs/CCGs, so with even the more valuable cards, you're fighting a losing battle.