Hey, I am new to pokemon, last year I saved about $250 (maybe more, idk) and it was Christmas. So I figured I get into pokemon cards again. So I bought 4 battle styles set. (Victini V, Gardevoir V, and Melmetal V vs. Mewtwo V Battle styles) and I also bought some penny sleeves and a pokemon 3X3 binder (it’s the Pikachu one) so should I find the prices of them and save those and keep the commons?
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One of the first things you should do is establish a goal. Are you looking to put together a binder collection? Are there certain cards or sets you like? Are you trying to make money by selling? What are you looking to buy with the money? Is there one specific expensive card you’re looking to save up for? Etc
If you don’t have a clear goal in mind, it’s hard for others to provide advice
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yeah, I’m just putting a binder together. And I shove all my energies from the four battle styles (like I’ve mentioned above) into the very back of the binder and the hooks, rare, ultra rare (I got a Roller Skater Holo/reverse Full art from when i was a kid) and the trainer cards are afront of the energies. ( So for an example: I have 9 Great Ball cards. I have them in one side of the pages and continue with the next 9 cards) Sorry if this is confusing
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It sounds like you bought pre built decks, not the best choice for collecting cards to put in a binder
I would just go to Target, Walmart, Gamestop, whatever store you have, and buy some packs. I always like metal tins personally. If you have any sort of nostalgia or attachment towards any cards or pokemon, then that could also be a good place to start.
Try not to get caught up on all the trash that is on Youtube about collecting. Snags some packs here and there and enjoy them. The hobby can be extremely toxic if you dive into those areas.
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I normally watch Pokerev, superdani, and dpm (deep pocket master)
I watch Frosted Caribou, CooltrainerRyan and Logan Paul.
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Well I mean, in June I’ll be turning 20. So I’ll have money. And I think I should be saving for a etb. (Tbh I have no clue of what I should be doing. But I think elite trainer boxes are cool)
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It’s going to sound like overly generic advice, but early on I would just collect what you enjoy or have an interest in. That’s what I’ve done as I’ve built up my collection over the past few years. Don’t chase hype or let yourself get swayed or influenced into buying something you may or may not enjoy in your collection. There’s also certain cards/sets that I didn’t have an interest on in the beginning, but over time they started to grow on me more (for example, many Japanese cards/sets).
It takes time to learn all the cards/sets, and so I would just start building a list of what you are interested in and work on collecting those, and then branch off more over time.
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If looking to make money over time, I can only tell you what I did. I watched all of Scott’s videos (SMPRATTE on Youtube), and start at the bottom. I think he started in 2017.
I personally believe you need more knowledge before you begin spending your hard-earned money and looking at it as an “investment”. @pfm gave great advice above. You want to have a goal, or emotionally you will probably stray (we’ve all done it more than once).
#1 rule, make sure you’re having fun. Otherwise, a lack of price movement will bury your love for the hobby.
Side note: Welcome to E4! Awesome to have another nerd join the ranks 
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Welcome to e4!
I would recommend scrolling through some of e4’s collection threads. It will give you a good idea of what others like to collect and may spur your interests.
There is no “right” way to collect. Find what you like and pursue that (within reason).
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I’m so excited for you getting into the hobby and being here! I would spend some time researching sets and looking at what’s out there, unless you have an idea of what you want. When it comes to English, I like to spend time looking at the sets lists on TCGPlayer. It’s also a fantastic site for buying cheap singles, especially for ultra modern where most NM cards are seemingly pack fresh. There are a lot of Vs, VMAXs, and exs out there for about $1-$2 if you just want to quickly fill your new binder with some shiny cardboard.
Best advice for starting out:
Enjoy Pokemon. Theres no wrong or right way to play! Theres many things out there to explore and discover. As prof. Oak said: Your very own Pokémon legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon awaits!
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I’m in the minority, where I enjoy the research aspect of the card and set the most. Purchasing the card is like 25% of the fun.
What a geek. I’ll show myself out.
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Pokellector.com is a great site to view set cards and help you decide what cards appeal to you. I still use it when im deciding what card to buy next
I’m glad you’re starting your journey with us here at e4, and not just with the influencers on social media.
It’s important that your goal(s) are your own. As you begin, I would recommend starting at first with what you like, and forget about the investment part for a little bit. If the hobby is too financially based, it is not a hobby anymore, but a side-gig/hustle. As someone who spent his entire young adult life doing side-hustles to get by, lemme tell you, it aint nearly as fun as it might seem. =) It IS really fun sometimes though. 
Anyway, DO YOU.
I’d say you’re out to a perfectly fine start, and recommend researching currently available retail cards. Then decide on something you REALLY want and go for it. Start small. Later you can aim for more expensive stuff, vintage, legacy, JP, whatever. You will grow in the hobby as things go. And best wishes on your collecting journey. 
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Pokellector is a great resource, I’d recommend just scrolling through some of the sets, and picking out artworks you like in your budget.
I recommend looking into trainer galleries or the more recent Art Rares in JP or English (whichever one is cheaper if you don’t mind the inconsistency). IMO they provide the most bang for your buck artwork and binder display wise.
Starting out is a really great time as a collector because every card is new. Please enjoy the excitement of a fresh start!
Key to collecting at any stage is setting a goal. Pokémon is a vast hobby with lots of ways to collect.
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You could collect sets, which was perhaps more achievable in the vintage era compared to the enormous set counts cards see today. But it is still possible to complete full card sets and build binders to showcase them.
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You could collect a certain species or evolution line. Species collectors seek out all the cards for specific Pokémon and build their collections around that. The only downside to this is that some Pokémon have more cards than others. If you want to collect Clefairy cards you have plenty to assemble. Not so much if your favorite Pokémon is Bonsly.
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You could collect cards by artist. Pokémon cards have some artists that have been illustrating since the beginning, some are newer. But as you look over Pokémon cards, pay attention to the illustrator on any cards that especially strike you. Some artists have a really distinct style that makes them really fun to collect and assemble.
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Option 2, by species, is a great option that you can start at any time. Lots of collectors with challenging goals also have a species collection just to have something more approachable that’s always growing. It also gives you a reason to stay up to date with new releases while still exploring old cards.
Option 3, by artist, takes some time to develop taste. You haven’t been exposed to the illustrators yet and all their unique work. But you will and you might really resonate with someone’s work. It’s really fun to follow that spark, but you might need more time before you’re really motivated.
That said, I think the easiest place most people start is building sets based on current releases. This teaches you the “mechanics” of collecting Pokémon as you become familiar with how they look and feel, how they are distributed, how to identify them, how they should be stored, and which cards you really like and which ones you really don’t. You may not have a clear goal right away, but keep an open mind and follow the call in the direction you find most interesting.
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Option #4: Collect what you like. Sometimes there doesn’t need to be a cohesive narrative to your collection or a specific list that you check twice. There’s nothing wrong with collecting what you like and learning as you go. Don’t let the set, species, or artist collectors tell you otherwise. 
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