We sometimes speculate about which mini-sets (small collections like Crystals or Gold Stars which can be considered their own entity) in the hobby are the most popular (in the form of questions like “which era did shinies best” or "Gold Stars vs Shinings vs Crystals). Let’s back the opinions up with numbers!
In similar fashion to my last poll (“Do you collect more English or Japanese cards?”), you now have the chance to rate each mini-set from the vintage era expansions on a scale from 1 to 10 (note: each set can get a rating from 1 to 10, so you could rate each set a 10 for example. It’s not a ranking in which only one set can get a 10).
I limited the poll to the vintage era and to standard expansions (boosters) to keep the results somewhat comparable, and also to avoid going into promo mini-sets because there are just so many of them and often it’s not a clear-cut decision whether something qualifies as a mini-set. I also didn’t qualify the respective era’s game mechanics (ex, Lv.X, Prime, EX) as mini-sets, nor do I consider all owner’s/SP Pokemon and all Delta Species Pokemon as mini-sets. Admittedly this comes down to personal interpretation, but to me it feels like these are something bigger than a mini-set.
Link to the Poll
I will evaluate the results in mid december, so you have one month to vote. Let’s see which mini-set is king 
And as always, feel free to comment here to provide more information, for example why you like a specific mini-set or why you prefer it over another.
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Thanks for doing this. Was definitely fun!
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Out of curiosity: why include Legends but not Primes? I know Primes are more commonly thought of as the exs or Lv.Xs of the HGSS era, but (unlike exs or Lv.Xs) they don’t actually offer a unique game mechanic, while Legends do! I’d be interested in seeing a tier list that included all cards beyond normal C/U/R/H rarity (although it might not make sense to include super general stuff like Gym Leader’s Pokémon, which appear in many sets, or Alph Lithographs, of which there are only a few). This is a really cool discussion topic, though!
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@politoed666, I’ve thought about including Primes for a long time but ultimately decided against it because I thought of it as that generation’s “ace Pokemon group” if you want to call it that. Each gen has these Pokemon that are somewhat stronger than regular Pokemon, and I felt that Primes fit the slot better than LEGEND Pokemon, which are pretty unique. So if I included Primes, the next logical step for me would be to include ex/EX/Lv.X as well, which wouldn’t make it a comparison among mini-sets only.
I think there’s room for a poll that only compares ace Pokemon groups, and another poll that compares Japanese promo mini-sets (e.g. all GB cards, all Nippon Airways cards, all JR Stamp Rally cards etc.). I originally planned to include all mini-sets in one poll, but had trouble defining what mini-sets are, for example, are all Corocoro cards a mini-set or is it already too big, and also since some cards like Shining Mew could also be part of other mini-sets. Or vice-versa, are the CD Promos already a mini-set or is it too small?
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We all know Southern Islands is actually the best mini set.
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Here’s a little bump of this survey for everyone who missed it when it was posted first. Have you always wanted to rate your favorite vintage mini-sets (Shinings, Crystals etc) and see how they compare with each other? Here’s your chance. I’ll wait with the survey evaluation until at least December 15th, plenty of time for more participation
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I enjoyed doing this! Thanks
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