I know that most of the cards we collect are designed around playing cards and rewards from such. The rest are promo cards that can be acquired from other ways. I came up with this idea when i was looking on ebay for Marvel cards. Marvel cards are being produced by fleer and they are combining a few ideas to make some amazing sets. The set ideas I’m suggesting would interest both english collectors and the japanese exclusive collectors. Here are some of the idea with examples.
Precious Metal Gems: Precious metal gems have been around since 1997/98 Basketball Skybox set. The idea is that you have
the base set card design or a different one on a single color similar to a precious gems. Each color correlates to an increasingly smaller numbered set. The current Trend is Red is 1 to 100, Blue is 1 to 50, Green 1 to 10. With the current 2015 Marvel Fleer Retro they released a golden 1 of 1 card. The value of these cards are very high with a green 2013 Marvel fleer retro selling for nearly 2,000. According to the PSA report there is 1 PSA 10 PMG Green spiderman. I can only imagine what that’d go for. The Golden 1/1 cards are going for 500 to 1500 on lower desired characters.
Sketches: Sketches are another popular thing among the Marvel Fleer Retro sets. Sketches can be fold outs, 4 separate cards that make a panel, Landscape mural style and single cards designs. Considering their uniqueness and artist freedom they would be incredibly popular.
Retro: This is just a set that uses some of the early 90s Marvel artworks into the base sets. They could use previous WOTC sets as artwork in the base sets or use other sets as a base set.
Let know what you guys think of these idea for a pokemon set. I certainly know I’d be interested in it.
As a collector, I think it would be cool for Pokemon to mirror other hobbies with rare parallels (not just reverse holos). It would make completing sets harder but also more rewarding in my opinion. However, I’m not sure if it would catch on as cards are aimed more at players and less at collectors.
I agree but I think normally many people outside of sports wouldn’t collect non sports cards (not trading card games). However when they make it this unique and interesting we’d see alot more people jump to this collector oriented sets.
I definitely think it is something that would be beneficial to try out for exactly that reason. I just can’t realistically imagine TPCi trying it though
PMG- Personally I wouldn’t enjoy more variant sets, it’s testing and expensive enough to complete master sets as it is. I like uniformity and having a few different colours of reverse holos (not necessarily called this)would do my head in. Including insanely rare and therefore expensive cards into mainstream sets simply leaves a ton of people’s sets incomplete, which is the opposite of the goal collectors share. Personally I wouldn’t spend money starting a set I knew I would have almost zero chance of actually completing, ever.
Sketches- I think this is an area which could change things up a bit. I think we could get some really nice 9 piece artworks of some certain older female characters which would work well.
Retro- All for it. I’d enjoy a new set with amazing looking wide illustration (or whatever they’re called) versions of all the old starter and legendary artworks. The artwork wouldn’t need to match exactly but for example a wide illustration venusaur, you should be able to tell its a revamp of base set venusaur for example. This would need to be done very carefully though, Pokemon has been known for overusing artwork in the past.
Theses would be there own sets released every 2 to 3 years. There are several sets within the whole mater set. Think of it like the play promo or trophy promo sets. Not everyone is going to be able to afford them. I understand there are cards out of my reach. Just because monetarily a set is out of people’s reach doesn’t mean it shouldt exist. While most sports cards arent worth a lot all PMG cards command high priced and sell well. One of the sellers of the marvel PMG had a complege set of the red, blue and even green PMG set.
I collect all the Hulk PMG and other cards from the higher end marvel sets. If pokemon did similar sets many people would do the same with their favorite pokemon. I can’t afford to buy things so I changed my collection goals.
These ideas certainly would add a new element to the hobby, as far as collectors are concerned. It would make things more interesting but challenging at the same time. As someone mentioned, the only problem is that not everyone would be able to obtain that 1/1 card, or 1/50+ card, and some collectors might be turned off by that. Yet, I think it’s worth giving it a shot. It seems to have worked for a while with sports cards, so I don’t see why not to give it a try for a set or two and then evaluate how people react to one of these sets. If sales increase exponentially, then maybe it should be done for all future sets. At least, it can’t be worse than just making RHs of regular cards or “Secret Rares” that aren’t really Secret…
These boxes go for 200+ and the 6 box cases go for 1500+. I understand most won’t be able to afford the 1/1 or even the 1/10. I know charizards will be expensive and hard to find like spider man or wolverine.
I agree though that’d it’d be worth giving a shot. I think it’d breath new life into collecting for pokemon outside of the just the gaming cards.
Exactly except its made by Fleer. These cards are very very thick as well. The foil on PMG has a chance to
flake if not handled right and you need slightly bigger penny sleeves. Honestly I dont care much about grading
these even though I will. It’s just the price of spending $50 to $500 on a card I’m going to grade it or authenticate it to
protect it. I just find these sets more exciting than the regular pokemon sets.
I think this already exists: Japanese Exclusive Promo cards.
Honestly Pokemon has a ton of promo cards in comparison to sports cards. I personally like the japanese exclusive promos better as they have a story, and/or a unique illustration. Also, the illustration usually relates to that story.
Modern sports cards are contrived. Since the baseball bubble burst, “rookie” cards are antiquated. Companies do these limited print runs to get people to buy their product. In fact, the more expensive cards are the signed + patch cards, which are essentially memorabilia.
I don’t know how this business model would translate to pokemon. What makes pokemon intimate is the singular company production.
I do not want any more exclusives. I want less. There was a time when you cold buy a box and get a complete Japanese set. With Bandit Ring, we have 16 secrets on a 81 card set. That is 16.49% They are not doing that as a reward, they are doing it to drive sales. The downside is sets become more expensive, making it easier for people to stop collecting. I dread the day of the 1 in 20 box pull, or 1 in 50 box pull. Can you imagine having 200 of a common card just to pull 1 super rare exclusive. Yes, you pull it, you have hit the lottery, but what about everyone else? Why should I chase the set, if I have no hope of completing?
I like a few of the Japanese exclusive promos but the majority are just the same type of design or pokemon. The trophies are always pikachu (obviously for a reason), the sketches are kid designs and aren’t most aren’t much different than the sets. I’d like something english exclusive wise that’d be great collect. The story part of it is great but other than a few very exclusive cards there isn’t much of a story. Insert year trophy card or limited card give away. If the story is how you got or the work to find it then it’s not much different than other collectibles.
I get I’m reaching for nothing. I’d just like something different to come out. Anime sell cards, artists sketches, different holos. I doubt the pokemon tcpi would ever do it.
They upped the SR chance in BR. You pull one in almost every box. As far as commons go. The sets I’m talking about are sold in small boxes. Imagine the difference between english and Japanese booster boxes. That is how they sell thesession types of sets. I also don’t think you’ll get a complete base set in 1 or 2 boxes.
Sets are actually cheaper now. Everyone is rushing to be the lowest completed set. On ebay some of the newer master sets go for 300 or less. If your complaint is because you or many others can’t afford to keep up with all the set cards than it really doesn’t have a place in the argument. If the cards were cheap enough to buy all of them when they came out then they’d be worthless. If smpratte complained he couldn’t buy all the exclusive promos and tophy cards because they were too expensive than those cards shouldn’t exist? That’s a bit of a hyperbole but the monetary cost of collecting shouldt be a limiting factor on what’s created.
As opposed to Gold Stars or full arts which are literally all the exact same style?
The problem with completely generalizing all japanese promos is that there are different eras with vastly different styles. The original era, (pre 2003) is mostly handrawn, and majority of the cards don’t have pikachu. Then there is the modern era where everything slowly becomes more CGI based. Within the CGI progression there are still different styles.
Either way, I only brought up the japanese promos as there already exists this type of thing as suggested in the original topic. Whether someone decides if they want to collect them is their choice, but they exist nonetheless.
I think everyone would also love to see more English exclusive cards. I feel like I always state the obvious when I say this, but since pokemon is a japanese company, there are naturally going to be a ton more japanese exclusive promos.
I agree they aren’t all the same but for the most part both sets and the majority of promos are boring IMO. I understand about there being more exclusives to Japanese. Pokemon is still very big here in the US. I think eglish exclusives would do very well. It’s sad that the opportunity isn’t here.