I’m kinda newer to the Pokémon card collecting scene (collected as a kid but am trying to rebuy old cards) and was wondering where everyone buys their singles cards or what store would be the best to get them in the highest condition possible. As of right now I’m trying to buy up as many commons/uncommons for the sets I am working on since I am on a budget. Ive ordered from a couple vendors on TCG Player and Troll and Toad and I’ve mostly been unhappy with my purchases for NM cards. Is there a store that I can order from that will give me the highest quality cards without breaking the bank? I’m thinking about ordering from CoolStuffInc but I don’t know if there are better options.
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You just have to buy from the most reputable and consistent sellers on tcgplayer, and you will (largely) find good fortune. Stick with the high feedback and 100% or close to sellers. Read feedback, look a little deeper into every vendor before compiling a cart for NM cards. Some big sellers just have crap standards, but it is a trial and error effort over time to find the best.
You are welcome to PM me and I can point you in the right direction. I have a ever-increasing seller list, from “banned” to A+ with amazing NM standards. TCGplayer actually is very strict with NM condition cards in their guidelines, so if you ever get something not acceptable according to their standards, make sure to message the seller. They should be accepting (and paying for) returns for MP cards and the like when advertised as NM.
TCGplayer is an amazing source for cards when navigated the right away, but even then, you will have to deal with some problems here and there with vendors that you’re unfamiliar with.
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Based on your needs I will second what @brendantheclayboy is saying and stick to TCGP. I always leave specific feedback out condition when I’m pleased on there and other users do to. Check feedback before you buy and be willing to pay a premium to sellers with positive condition-related feedback.
CSI and Collectors Cache are hit or miss but generally more consistent than T&T. I have bought a ton from the first two, but stopped buying from T&T pretty quickly. You still get mis-graded cards from all 3 but if you find the right price on one of their sites I say go for it.
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I think you are looking for mint cards and won’t be happy with near mint quality.
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I stick to eBay and r/pkmntcgtrades the vast majority of the time. It is more time consuming than a big store like T&T. I can examine cards fairly well via photos and if there is a problem I usually don’t have to bend over backwards to get a fix.
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@wobafett, I’m not looking for perfect mint cards, but it would be nice. I’m looking for NM Card from TCG Player Standards. Sometimes its hard for me to know what is considered NM but I see what youre saying
I’ve ordered a decent amount of cards through TCGPlayer to build my sets, and I’ve found that once a set approaches a year old, it can become difficult to find near mint bulk and reverse holos from vendors. I recently ordered a couple hundred Sun and Moon cards and a significant portion (almost half from the TCGPlayer Direct service) were dirty, scratched and had shuffle wear. What this tells me is the storage system at TCGPlayer Direct Warehouses isn’t exactly great for preserving condition. So my buying strategy differs depending on what cards I’m buying.
For SwSh cards, especially the latest release, I will buy from TCGPlayer Direct and really, any seller with high positive feedback. Difficulty arises when you are looking for near mint cards over a year old because of improper storage. For anything older than XY or over $20 raw, I use eBay. XY on TCGPlayer can be hit or miss, and honestly so can Sun and Moon, but I’ve ruled out certain sellers as well. Pre-2020 I had found a couple sellers with mint ex era holos, but those times are long gone. It should be noted that just because a seller doesn’t send NM cards now doesn’t mean they won’t in the future, or hadn’t in the past. But ultimately it’s all about trial and error, finding good sellers and understanding the advantages and limitations of both buying and selling on the platform. I’m sure @brendantheclayboy has a much larger and expansive list than I do, but if you or anyone wants my list of excellent and negligent sellers, I’d be happy to provide.
Also, I don’t use TrollandToad any more. Every order I’ve ever received from them (vintage AND modern) has only a small proportion of NM cards. Most cards I’ve received from them are dirty, dusty, scratched, played, or even damaged, and its obvious the damage is from improper storage and handling. They price ultra rares above market and given the track record they have with condition, I wouldn’t even give them below market for their cards.
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