Anyone here collect Japanese cards over their English counterparts solely based on the art?
I’m finding that this is a much more affordable option, granted I am just jumping back into it as of this year.
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Yep! Especially for WoTC era cards.
I’m collecting all Holo set WoTC era cards in PSA 10 which is extremely affordable comparably to English. For moderns cards however SM/SwSh era I’m collecting the odd card I like in English.
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The colors and holo on Japanese cards often look much better! A great example is the yellow borders on English cards.
English cards are reprints!
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Yes absolutely. I always prefer to go for the Japanese ones
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I’ve actually been debating this as of late. I’ve always been a primarily English Collector but I absolutely love the Japanese Cards I’ve owned!! So, I’ve been thinking about making the switch to a primarily Japanese Collection with the English on the side. I’m curious to hear more people’s reasons for doing so.
I’m considering it mainly from a cost and aesthetic angle.
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For the few set cards I’m after, I prefer Japanese. Partly for the slick aestethics, but mostly because of the affordability at high grades. I don’t have an issue with not getting my nostalgia kick, because I didn’t grow up with English cards anyway.
- for the e2-e5 sets you can get the unlimited, rarer cards, for the same or lesser prices as 1st Ed., which is nice.
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Collecting PSA 10 set cards < collecting PSA 9 set cards < collecting set cards < collecting promos < collecting exclusive art promos ≈ Japanese
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Its criminal how underrated and undervalued japanese cards are! They look amazing if not better! They also tend to be better condition as a whole in the earlier eras and they are the OGs of pokemon!
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Sometimes, depending on the situation for me personally.
For example, theres loads of Japanese cards which never saw an English release, and some of which are cards I truly love being theres many of my favorite mons included in them. So in that case, absolutely!
In terms of ones which have seen both releases, it depends, but there are some cases where I like one of the other and ill go out to grab it instead. All and all, cant go wrong picking something you enjoy, right!?
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For set cards I prefer Japanese for anything newer than Neo Destiny. And the Japanese promos have of course always been far superior and much more diverse than the English counterparts.
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For set cards, I just prefer english since that’s what I grew up with and it’s my native language.
For promos (like the victory medals I’m collecting right now), I definitely prefer Japanese counterpart
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Yes for almost everything! I collect pretty much any Japanese exclusive cards and any set cuz the quality is much better and holos are more vibrant at half the price. Most of us collect for the artwork, not necessarily the language (unless for nostalgia sake).
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Japanese sets are waaaay cheaper and super easy to get PSA 10s in. If you’re not tied down by nostalgia, emotional attachment, or investment growth Japanese is the way to go:) Many find it very rewarding. As mentioned above, English takes a real serious financial investment.
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I love collecting Japanese cards in 10’s and booster boxes. It is still a bit of a challange and they are getting more and more attention but you don’t go bankrupt. Plus I agree that old back cards look better compared to their English counterparts. Maybe just missing the 1st editions though…
Regarding the boxes, the art on it is so much better, they contain almost double the packs and 5 times more holo’s compared to the English, what’s not to love?!
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I also collect Japanese cards and sealed product simply because it is much more affordable and was an easier point for me to get back into the hobby.
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i prefer japanese goldstars.
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I mostly collect Japanese cards, and Japanese booster pack art, as most have already pointed out. The holo and the quality is much higher than English for most of the cards, some unique artwork like the Japanese vs set, masaki promos, Japanese vending cards, fan club, players promos, corocoro and not to mention all the other promo cards to be found, the cost generally is a lot lower, and I find that I can buy more of my favourite cards than I ever could if I was to collect English, that said some cards do look much better in English, and one that stands out for me is the Neo destiny shining cards. Nothing can beat that thick yellow border, booster boxes look more collectable and have more eye appeal, and the pack arts have full illustrations of Pokemon and scenery ( more so than English ),Japanese cards tend to have a lot more history behind them and unique releases
Collect Japanese if you like
Higher Quality
More History
Uniqueness
Lower price
Collect English for
Nostalgia
Investment
No language barrier
( as other people have pointed out )
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I love both! Only two languages I collect and enjoy.
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Japanese cards have a more darker color tone that really brings out the artwork and detail. I definitely collect both, even for nostalgia purposes. I remember WOTC japanese packs back in 99 sitting right beside English packs for 2 dollars less and I’d pick Japanese simple because it was cheaper. My first charizard pull was Japanese Blaine’s charizard which I still have. 
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where do you guys buy the japanese cards from? are there any good web sites?