My story is like a lot of peopleās , big into Pokemon as a kid , left the hobby , then came back as an adult. Since coming back to the hobby I have been struggling with what to buy. I have missed so many sets itās overwhelming but I also want to collect cards that will hold / increase in value over the long hall. After becoming a member on e4 as well as patreon member , and going down countless rabbit holes on eBay after watching smpratte patreon videos Iām completely sold on japanese promo cards . They have great art . A great deal of them are unique and not duplicated in sets and the seem to hold value very well. The munch promos being my favorite at the moment ( only need Pikachu and mimikyu for the complete set now).
I was curious if anyone else shares this same feeling. I look at set cards and for the most part , while they are great , they donāt really spark anything . The promos on the other hand intrigue me . Everyone I look at that I like I find myself searching for the back story on it . How many were made , how hard was it to get , where was it released etc .
I remember as a 6th grade kid , when my friends and I first saw an ancient mew , it was hysteria . We all were left wondering , how do we get one. What does it say . How rare is it. So many questions as a little kid . The japanese promos bring that back for me and Iām sold!
Smpratte patreon is no joke, will consider you an expert from now on. Yes japanese are the best tons of sets with unique art, carddass, vending, VS, coro coro
Nowadays I make more infrequent purchases because I only want to go after rarer items that do not come up often or currently command higher prices than a majority of set cards. Getting into this lane definitely makes it more financially worthwhile but it definitely requires a lot of patience and discipline to maintain theses goals (imo)
Agree. I am still buying some modern to keep sealed . I figure one day whatās modern now will be vintage and maybe it will pay off holding all these years. I still open some modern as well because my daughter enjoys opening packs . But the promos just hit different lol
Japanese promos have always been my favorite. Other than the Japanese Base non-rarity set (which I assembled 20 years ago, before hardly anyone believed me when I told them what the cards were), Iāve never really been excited by any sets.
Really enjoy this take on things for sure. As you said, that mystery is what keeps you feeling young and fresh in collecting, and that too is the main driving force for many. So whatever avenue that takes you down and makes you happy will always be the right path.
As for myself and set cards, well it really depends. I have my love of neo genesis, my love for Typhlosion and the johto starters, but in the end ive seen them all already. I tend to now stick to japanese anything for the most part, and the beauty i find in collecting is through making small niche goals out of random things that end up making my collection very full and meaningful for me.
In the end, remember this isnt a race as well. Go at your own pace and you can concur whatever you desire. I made that mistake in the start and ended up buying things i didnt actually want for myself, so its sound advice to add here in decision making. By doing that, following your heart, and just overall having fun in the process, youre bound to have an amazing time doing so and will meet great friends and folk to share in that passion as well along the way.
I wish thatās all it took it be an expert haha! Iāve got just as much time here buying and selling as Scott, and Iām in Patreon, yet still I feel Iām a noob. Too much knowledge to truly be had by one person. (Not bashing OP here, just commenting about my personal inadequacies )
But anyways, yeah, the promos are where itās at. I definitely concur with the above statement about VS, I got super addicted to the lenticular deoxys and metagross.
Another excellent type of stuff to look at is the intro packs from base and Neo era. They have unique arts as well that are absolutely gorgeous. The Marill from the Neo set particularly stands out to me. Atsuko Nishida and Kagemaru Himeno hit home runs with that set. Similarly is the red/green starter set. Some on here may already know my addiction to that Zapdos as well (I made a thread a while back about cards with many copies I someones collection).
Sounds like you know what youāre into though, so best of luck with your future endeavors! Iād love to see a collection post whenever you make one!
Awesome! I would definitely agree that thereās just something about Japanese promos! Iāve had a very similar experience to you, and Japanese promos absolutely have been my focus as well. It looks like a lot of the heavy hitter areas have been mentioned already, but yes, definitely check out: Vending series, the Movie Commemoration Sets, and Japan exclusives. There have some freakinā awesome artworks created for all sorts of different cards that would make our 10 year old selves drool haha. I use this page on Bulbapedia to dig deep when I have an itch. Happy hunting!
I agree with everything thatās been said, Japanese is superior in most aspects.
BUT since they have been mentioned a few times now, I have to insist on making clear that Vending, VS, WEB, Intro Packs are NOT promos.
A promotional product is sold/given out to go along with or promote the sales of another (primary) product, whereas the aforementioned cards ARE the primary product. Therefore theyāre simply sets, even if theyāre Japanese exclusive and sold in unconventional ways.
Too much knowledge to truly be had by one person. (Not bashing OP here, just commenting about my personal inadequacies 
)