For those of us with non-Pokemon collections, this might not be a difficult question. But some of you may only collect Pokemon. I am curious what hobby you might have turned to and whether it would have included a collecting component at all.
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I loosely collect NHL memorabilia and cards, and foreign currencies, but in the absence of Pokemon I am not confident I would be so deep with one of those.
I would definitely find something else to collect in depth, but the community would be hard to replace.
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I’d probably pick up gemstone collecting again.
It was a favorite hobby of mine when I was a kid- any spare change I got on vacation always went to a pretty rock in the gift shop, and I’d hunt for quartz in our yard daily when it was warm enough. I still have a small collection of rocks, minerals, and gems, but it’s significantly smaller than what I’d likely have if Pokémon wasn’t taking up so much time (or funds, haha).
I collect PVC character figures and plushies as well, which I’d likely still have as a hobby. I do have quite a few of the Pokémon girls, but most of my collection is Miku, so without Pokemon there wouldn’t be too much of a dent.
I’ve been told I’m corvid-like in regards to collecting things, haha.
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When I was 3 I collected bottle caps laying around at gas stations. The only thing I collect in my adult life is pokemon, it is hugely nostalgic for me so that definitely has something to do with it.
I do think I would be collecting something, I have collected something my entire life I think lol
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I would be fully into Yugioh! or probably venture into basketball cards
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Having only started collecting Pokemon recently, I can say I probably wouldn’t be collecting anything else semi-diligently. Before Pokemon, I did collect penny souvenirs, but I just happen to pick them up whenever we go on trips. They were never the reason to travel.
If Pokemon never existed, I think I’d still be doing crafts but would also be engaging in other things that have been pushed off due to lack of time (e.g. learning keyboard, learning a language, games, etc.). I do miss these things, and it may necessitate some time away from Pokemon to dip into some of these other hobbies again. I’m currently on vacation, which has forced a pause in collecting, and I was finally able to finish Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky after having started the game sometime last year.
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I collected a lot of things as a kid and made a decision to cut it down just to Pokemon as I got older. I did also love Dragon Ball Z discs around that same time and had a large collection so perhaps that would have replaced Pokemon.
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Since I already collect yugioh, and mtg although casually, I’ll try to imagine a world without TCGs and collectibles cards!
Even so, I think some people can’t really resist the hobby of picking up shining objects and building little funny sets with them.
I would probably be into fossils/minerals collecting (which I dropped as a kid in the current timeline), maybe manga, shikishi or cel-animation frames (because probably I couldn’t resist picking up good artworks).
I still have a decent number of gameboys, even if it could be difficult to draw the line and distinguish between using them vs building a collection.
I already posted this, but after all I’m still the one who collects interesting pebbles and glass marbles, whenever I see them on the beach:
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Couldn’t say for sure, but I don’t think so. I got really into the semi-precious stones and fossils thing for a few years as a kid, but I don’t think I ever would have carried that on.
The thing with Pokemon, is that when the TCG released, it just seemed to capture the very essence of the joy of collecting. While the components of Pokemon and the card game by themselves are not original (i.e., card games existed before as did the idea of collecting/swapping trading cards, and bug collecting/hunting), it amalgamated all these things in a way that, arguably, offered-up the most enticing series of collectables there has ever been, and an entire new culture around it.
You could write a whole thesis postulating on how TPC achieved this, but I think in general they managed to capture many elements of joy and satisfaction in one franchise not just by tapping into the tried-and-tested notion of shiny physical collectables, but by basing it on a huge, very high-quality franchise founded on the principles of personal achievement, development of relationships with people and animals, a sense of reward and pride, and healthy competition.
I don’t think there has ever been anything comparable in quality or depth before it or since, and because of that I don’t think I would have ended up collecting anything else if it never existed.
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@decoypalmette I was thinking no I wouldn’t collect anything then read your post and realized, I do collect stuff. I took collect stones, pebbles and sea glass whenever I am on the beach ( almost daily). Even made a walk way with some of those stones.
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Omg, I love that they look like many little flowers, that’s beautiful @niece!
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Thank you
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I collected muscle cars before Pokemon and I think I would probably still be in that world if I didn’t come back to cards and collecting in late 2016.
It’s hard for me to imagine what else I would be collecting because Pokemon has had such a drastic effect on my life. I would likely still be a mechanic at whatever dreadful factory around here and would not of found the other hobbies ive fallen into since.
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Ive collected things since i was a child. If it wasnt pokemon itd probably be fossils and gemstones, maybe itd be boardgames, or even signatures of notable people. For a while i considered collecting used books with personal inscriptions from garage/yard sales and blogging the more interesting ones I found.
It is not in my nature to not collect something, preferably tied to memories or history.
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As a kid I collected so many things; coins, bottle caps, buttons, hockey cards, gem stones, and of course a small handful of pokemon cards.
After the childlike wonder fell off, I collected virtually in pokemon video games always trading on serebii wifi chat to get shinies and event pokemon.
After high school I haven’t really played the video games much and dove headfirst into physical collecting again.
If I did not collect pokemon cards, I would likely have more 1st Ed books, alternative movie posters, Opals, Ghibli cells, and vinyls.
But I think collecting pokemon fueled a lot of these side collections in a way. Knowledge about editions, certain marketplaces, and setting notifications for listings really all came from my experience with pokemon.
And all of these other collectables take up way more room than an ungraded card. So I’d probably need another apartment if I had reallocated my funds over the years haha.
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As a child I was into playing/collecting Lego, video games, hockey cards, Pokemon, and then eventually MTG & Yu-Gi-Oh. If it wasn’t Pokemon, I probably would have stuck it out with MTG. The only problem for me with MTG is I’m less attached to early MTG (i.e. ABU sets) than I am early Pokemon, and if I put the amount of money/time into MTG as I have with Pokemon, I would have completed my collecting goals with MTG relatively quickly & easily.
The other problem is, I have basically no interest in modern MTG whatsoever. Some cards & sets here and there, but no where near my interest in Pokemon. Then Pokemon also has Japanese, unique promos and other offerings with less re-prints which keeps the collecting side more interesting to me for the long haul.
So short answer is, it’s possible I would have picked up another hobby, but no where near as vigorous or with as much continued interest as I have with Pokemon. For me, it’s an irreplicable hobby for collecting at this point in time.
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I got the collecting bug bad, resistence is futile.
I’ve collected coins, crazy bones, bottle caps, video games, marbles, shot glasses, sports cards, and probably a few more.
I’d probably collect video games or sports cards if there was no Pokemon. Interacting and discussing collecting with people is one of my favorite things, and the other things I’ve collected haven’t had those same opportunities. I was on a coin forum for a number of years in college and shortly after, and it was sometimes difficult to relate being like 50 years younger than most of the other collectors on there.
Outside of collecting, I don’t think my other hobbies would change much. Still enjoy reading, but would probably spend more time learning a language. Oh, and personal finance. Please @ me for personal finance talk.
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Digimon and Super Nintendo games are something I think I’d be heavily more on if Pokemon didn’t exist.
I don’t look at Digimon at all, and Super Nintendo games are something I play regularly.
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Like some others I’d say maybe, although collecting Pokémon solidified collecting anything for me in a way. It’s quite difficult as someone who grew up with the series to contemplate what life without it would look like. I also maintain that despite them playing second fiddle in terms of popularity pokemon helped give attention to other franchises. There’s always stuff to collect but starting with collecting Pokémon gave me a framework for “side” collecting
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I’ve collected dinosaurs, trains, spider-man action figures, tractors, combine harvesters, hot wheels, pencils, CDs, happy meal toys, books, hand tools, stuffed animals, marbles, guitars etc.
Collecting can’t be reduced to a single concept that’s done for a single purpose. But for the sake of brevity, collecting is in my blood.
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