Hi e4 community, I’d like your help by reading my post and tagging any friends who can give input! I am a young collector graduating college in June, I’ve been engaged in the hobby (buying, selling, watching YouTube) for about 3 years. I enjoy browsing E4 and researching cards in my leisure time. I want to decide on my long-term career goals and start working towards them now, I think I’d love to eventually sell Pokemon market consulting. So, how can I spend my time in a way that is conducive to this goal?
One of my ideas is to create a website that acts as a central hub to all data for a certain card. I would give links to websites like PSA Pop Report, Bulbapedia, Pokemonprice.com, PokemonMarketCap.com, YouTube videos about the card, relevant e4 threads, and any other reputable sources. I could summarize these metrics in a short “pros and cons” YouTube video. I could create my own “collector’s sentiment” summary blurb based on e4 posts about it.
Is this a good idea? What should I do differently in creating a card data hub? Would my time be better spent creating a completely different market resource? Should I instead volunteer for an existing website? Who would want to collaborate with me? Thanks for reading and good luck with your collection!
It would be difficult starting anything from scratch. I would suggest trying to work with something that is already existing and maybe gain some experience and knowledge while making money doing that.
This is outside of what I’m knowledgeable in, sorry I can’t be more helpful.
If it’s something you enjoy doing I’d say just starting going for it. If it is something useful and interesting to the market then the market will respond by embracing it and using it. If it proves useful to you and you enjoy doing it I would say it wouldn’t be time wasted even if it doesn’t go where you would like it to. I have no idea what goes into making a website really but it seems like a big undertaking given all the cards out there and then all the places the information is spread across. New cards coming out every day and more information coming out on old cards occasionally as well.
Youtube wise though a lot of new channels popped up this year, many doing very well and again if you enjoy doing it just start putting it out there and see where it goes. Very little to no outlay to get a channel going.
I make Youtube videos studying interesting cards sold on ebay. We could work together on a couple videos and discuss the market if thats something you are interested in!
For me, a business needs to solve a problem. What are YOU able to do better or new that someone else hasn’t/isn’t already done/doing.
Follow what you’re passionate about if put the time and effort into it, you’ll find success maybe not the success you thought but there is always an opportunity. You just gotta take them.
To be blunt as I am, you need a business plan or an actual idea before attempting to present it. Take that scary leap and go for it.
@cedar, send me a DM of your business plan and it would be my pleasure to discuss it with you
There are a couple of start ups happening around cards mainly in sports, but I would imagine that they could use some guidance on Pokemon because I think a couple are now trying to compete with eBay in the near future and that would require proper filtering for search engines and all that kind of stuff. Some are investor groups too. I think joining one of those, or seeing what they are looking for is a great place to start.
I agree with everything that’s been said already. The only thing I’d add is what might be useful. There’s been talk by multiple people @pichufan @ joshspkmncollection @quuador and others I’m probably forgetting of creating a database of sorts for all cards in all languages. This would help with data for languages less recorded as well as provide an easy play for the single Pokémon collector or artist collector to go. The problem of course is the work load this would take. However there is enough people interested that the possibility of a programming team isn’t entirely out of the question
@sacari, yes I would like to join an existing resource and eventually inplement my ideas into it. @sherotgc, talk about a big project haha! Wouln’t be surprised to see a Lapras ferry in my lifetime with Pokemon remaining so popular @gottaketchumall, yes I would enjoy doing this project. I would feel even better if I knew I would eventually get paid for it so I will keep reaching out to existing data resources. In terms of YouTube, maybe ill start a channel where I talk about a card and then film myself swim in cold water like a Lapras! What better clickbait thumbnail than that? haha @lp1, What is the name of your YT channel? If I end up doing one I would indeed like to colab @odds, The problem I see is decentralization of data resources. I was thinking the same thing about needeing a business plan that will realistically bring future income. (I’m a business minor) I will reach out to you for advice in any entrepreneurial moves. @nikhil, what are the names of these startups? I am interested! @pichufan, thanks for the support my friend! @mjisaacs, Absolutely, I’ve seen that thread. I’m thinking “All-Pokemon-TCG” would be an attractive website title.
I’ll echo what others have said, think about your reasons for wanting to do this and what you want to get out of it. I made PokemonPrice because it was something I wanted to do for fun and was a tool that I personally wanted to use that didn’t exist at the time.
It’s turned out to be quite popular but could have been a huge flop that nobody used and that wouldn’t have bothered me, because I still use it myself which was the motivating factor to creating it, as well as being a fun side project.
If it’s something you’ll enjoy doing and want to do regardless of community adoption, go for it.
@cedar, Card Ladder, StockX (not a start up but slowly getting into Pokemon and cards) and Alt is a big one from the Silicon Valley. I’m pretty sure they are the ones who bought the two 1.8 Million Lebron and Giannis Cards.