Has anybody attempted a master set for the gym sets published by wizards? I ask since I might attempt something similar in the near future, and I am sorta in the process of doing this as we speak, but I’m more looking to not just get all the unlimited English prints, also the 1st eds and Japanese variations on top of that (in addition to other oddities like the Japanese cards w no rarity and the stamped promo variants of cards in the set, like the prerelease seadra and wizards vulpix). For those who have completed a master set or are in the process of doing so, is (or was) it a fulfilling experience? Did you learn anything from it (that is, was there anything you discovered you could apply to not just within the hobby itself, but also generally and to other fields of interest) and, if you can recall, what methods did you employ to get all the cards you wanted (how did you find the cards, how much you spent, etc.) and reach your goals? Not specifically looking towards advice from ppl who have done as I described - or even doing the same set, it can be anybody doing anything from other wizards sets to modern ones, to whoever reads this message regardless of interest.
(almost forgot to ask, but I am correct in assuming the gym sets were published exclusively in English and Japanese? Just making sure whether there’s an extra set of cards I might have to worry about since my goal is technically getting all the cards and their possible variants).
I collected like this for years. I collected master sets of every set in English (and a good few in Japanese) and stopped around 2017 (sets got too big and prices of modern cards picked up too much while I was finishing older sets). I’m down to missing Trainer Deck A & B and like 50-something variants or errors I just don’t have it in me to go after (IC stamped cards, worlds placement cards).
Fulfillment: Yeah it was fulfilling. It just depends on how you like to collect. The biggest counterargument against master set completion is having to buy cards you don’t like as much as others, but I like sets. Having to get every card made me have to learn about every card, and I feel nearly maxed out on standard Pokemon card knowledge.
Learned anything: Sort of. Collecting like this got me a job that helped me learn a ton about startups and venture capital, so I guess adjacently maybe, but not directly.
Methods of acquisition: I bought most of it from eBay and TCGPlayer, but I got the best stuff from vendors at Regional Championships. Nowadays you could do the same at any local card show.
Gym sets are only English and Japanese, though the Japanese theme decks have no rarity symbols on them, so there’s an extra variant to collect. Also don’t forget about the English corrected Blaine’s Charizard and Rocket’s Minefield Gym.
When collecting master sets you end up buying a lot of cards that you don’t even really like or enjoy.
I see a good portion of set collectors that post the completion of their set collecting goal on their IG story and a week later the set is for sale on their IG story. So it’s a mixed bag of whether it’s fulfilling or not.
Honestly, I don’t think there’s a card I don’t like in the gym sets, which is kinda why I’m considering a master set for them - idk why but I’m especially enamored by the backgrounds for sugimori’s illustrations, even if it’s a stock background with a resused asset on top. There is a card show going on in the summer and I’m debating whether I should attend it since I might just dry out my wallet once I leave haha.
NOT CHARIZARD!!! Of all the cards to have an error it had to be the most expensive! lmao thx for pointing that out though, hopefully it shouldn’t be too difficult to find…
I am a bit cautious of how much I’ll be spending, especially for first edition or holo rares (or both), but it is like I mentioned, part of the reason why I’m thinking of committing towards such a master set is because I like basically all of the cards in that set (such as Sugimori’s and especially Kinebuchi’s gym cards).
I don’t rly see myself selling the sets once I’m finished, especially if it would net me a fortune, since I mainly collect vintage cards for keeps, so I can’t rly imagine myself feeling unfulfilled if I had them completed.