The dust has settled now that Mega Evolution has been released, so let's go through some things that I personally do when collecting Pokemon cards. Who knows—maybe you can be like me and grow your collection to $10K without having to fight scalpers at Costco. Let's rip into this one!

Pokemon TCG is garnering a lot of attention, with publications like the Wall Street Journal highlighting the incredible growth rate of the Pokemon TCG market. With all the attention the hobby is getting right now, it's become increasingly harder to be a casual collector.

How do I define casual? Someone who knows what Pokemon is, has played the games once upon a time, and remembers owning cards but has no idea where they went. A casual collector is someone who enjoys many hobbies and likes owning a little bit of everything they enjoy.

So, if this defines the type of collector you are, or if you're just starting a collection, here are the best tips I have so you can optimize your spending on Pokemon cards while still owning a collection you can enjoy and be proud of.

The biggest lie in the Pokemon TCG hobby is this:

The fact that so many in our hobby believe that opening packs to pull your chase card is the only way to enjoy the hobby are fooling themselves and are simply addicted to the gambling aspect of opening packs. Leave the pack openings to YouTubers and streamers. There's no reason for us casual collectors to be buying packs in pursuit of pulling our favorite card from a set.

Instead of buying packs, just buy the singles you like. Sure, you may feel silly spending any amount of money on a single piece of shiny (maybe nicely textured) cardboard, but you'll spend WAY less money—and honestly, time—obtaining your favorite chase cards this way than by buying packs just to open.

My recommendation is to check graded card prices and buy your favorites slabbed in protective plastic, but there's also nothing wrong with spending less on a raw single to put into your binder. Either way, you'll find yourself enjoying the hobby a lot more.

If you're looking to collect sealed product and create a nest egg that will grow exponentially over time, you'll find that it's nearly impossible to buy sealed product at retail price online, in-store, or anywhere for that matter.

That's where services like PokeNotify and Sleeved come into play. They are premier notification Discord servers (yeah, you'll need Discord) that provide early links and heads-up when product is restocked at most major retailers.

Discord servers can be intimidating, especially when it comes to selecting "Roles," which establish what restocks and product releases you'll be notified of, and navigating the multitude of channels to join and participate in.

My recommendation is to mute any channels you know you won't spend time in and to be notified only by channels that alert you of restocks on the PokemonCenter.com website, Target, Best Buy, and Costco.

Install Discord on your phone and make it a priority notification so you won't miss the next time the PokemonCenter.com queue loads up.

I have had more success finding and securing deals on my favorite cards on Facebook Marketplace than anywhere else, and that includes attending card conventions, small local game stores, and even eBay.

Sellers on Facebook Marketplace fall into one of two categories: casuals like us and hardcore resellers who vend at local card shows. The first are people who are like us, looking to trade or sell cards to fuel their obsession with printed, shiny cardboard of pocket monsters. These people are most agreeable to deals and tend to respond quickly when you know what the cards are going for and are possibly buying in bulk.

The second group consists of vendors/scalpers/resellers looking to make quick flips to fund the next flip. These people are harder to negotiate with, as they're sitting on sizable inventory that needs to flip for as close to market value as possible for them to make a decent profit. This group focuses heavily on any and all sealed product and are usually hard to negotiate with. They have terms like "Will accept trades 80% in my favor" and "firm on price, must take all."

My advice is to find other casuals on Facebook Marketplace and do a few deals with the same people. You'll find that it's easier to work with people who are like-minded in the hobby and just want to see others win too.

I've said this quite a lot in the short life of this newsletter, but the truth remains: booster boxes are the single best investment in the hobby. The fact is that more product is being opened today than ever before, and at quite an alarming rate, with the growing number of YouTubers, rip and shippers on WhatNot, and just a growing fan base of consumers.

Booster boxes, despite being one of the pricier sealed products on the secondary market, are surprisingly liquid. You can always find someone who is looking to buy booster boxes, while the number of people looking to buy Victini illustration collections are far fewer.

So take that budget of yours, and instead of investing in a couple of Elite Trainer Boxes, just buy one booster box. Your little nest egg of Pokemon TCG gold will appreciate over time with minimal effort and thought.

Collecting Pokemon cards is for everyone, whether you've been into Pokemon since the late '90s or you got into the hobby because your kids like it. There's something for everyone in this hobby, and there's always money to be made in collectibles.

The hallowed Base Set Charizard by Mitsuhiro Arita was reprinted as part of the 25th Anniversary set "Celebrations," and the price has held steady for the better part of the last two years.

With the 30th anniversary of Pokemon coming in Q1 of 2026 (March 2026), there is a great chance that many of these cards featuring nostalgic artwork will rise in value. Although there have been many Arita-art variations throughout the history of Pokemon TCG, this one most closely resembles the original card, from the holo pattern to the font/lettering, even the proportions of the card.

Look for this card to soar if Charizard is tied to any rumors about a 30th anniversary TCG set.

Should you buy it? This one is a resounding YES.

Misty’s Tears Was Too Risqué 💧

The Japanese version of Misty’s Tears depicts her crying… unclothed, with Squirtle comforting her. When released outside Japan, the art was replaced with a fully clothed Misty.

Catch deals. Pull grails.

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