Ive been thinking about it for a while, and I feel like if the hype was to ever start seeing a downward trend then pokemon may do something to make cards even more sought after to keep their companies financial growth. They wouldnt need to but its been on the back burner of my mind. Has anyone else gotten uneasy that collecting is going to get more difficult or is this just a phase?
I don’t think I fully understand. How does population make cards unobtainable and what could TPCI do to make cards “more sought after”?
Sorry was a typo. I meant to say popularity. Ill edit that. Ive also seen people wanting serialized cards which would definetely induce that FOMO mentality, and Im sure there could be other methods from other tcgs deployed that I hope never make it. I was curious if other people would like that, or am I the minority in thinking it.
Pokémon’s main revenue stream is from games and merchandise. TCG cards makes up a small portion of total revenue.
If things got sketchy from an economy standpoint, I think people will still buy the games to play. $60 for 100s of hours of entertainment is a steal. So Pokémon won’t need to do serialized stuff with the TCG to stay afloat
Yeah that was just a bad example. They do not NEED to, but with everyone coming into the hobby these days cards we have now could continue to see rise. This somehow makes me feel sad for younger collectors coming into the hobby as well if it keeps up. Got me thinking about my own collection and how a SIR or something Im chasing could be too much on release day. Im probably overthinking it, but I just hope we can continue collecting without it being too difficult to collect in the future via whatever happens. Luckily pokemon has been doing the best they can for collectors, so no worries overall.
I haven’t heard anyone say they want serialized cards. That’s a sports card thing
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Yeah im guessing people branching out to pokemon from sports would want this. I highly dislike it myself.
I thought it was highly predatory when they started doing serialized cards in Magic. Keep that ish away from Pokemon.
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Amen.
Highly predatory and frankly lazy. Definitely felt like a desperation move from WOTC.
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Does anyone fear certain cards will never make it in your collection?
Regarding this part of the prompt, yes - certain cards will never make it into my collection. Either too few copies are available to the public, or I would have to save an obscene amount of money. I’ve come to terms with this by focusing on achievable goals.
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Learning to be comfortable with not owning everything you want is a healthy lesson in this hobby.
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I wish they would do artist autograph cards soooooo bad. Make it a card not numbered in the set so it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t get it to complete the set and not a different artwork for the card that isn’t in the set. Also not facsimile autos like I’ve seen in Weiss Schwarz.
Oftentimes you don’t even need to be comfortable with not owning something, you just need to be comfortable with compromising a bit. Maybe the card doesn’t need to be a PSA 10/Gem Mint copy, maybe it can be 9 or a 7 or even a creased copy that looks great in a binder. Maybe it can be a different language or a less desirable print.
Outside of the most highly sought-after trophy and promo cards, Pokemon is an incredibly accessible hobby.
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I agree with this conpletely. Do you think it will remain that way was more where I was headed.
Keep in mind that the pokemon company isn’t publicly traded. They don’t necessarily have to resort to crazy tactics to keep shareholders happy. Prices are going up for certain cards, but there’s no modern card that’s unobtainable with my current budget and saving
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I actually find it exciting knowing that my collection will never reach a point where I’m fully satisfied. The constant chase and rearrangement of my collection to fit new goals are what makes the hobby fun for me (although I can understand why this can create stress for others). Truthfully, if the hobby were “easier” such that I could obtain everything that I wanted quickly and within my budget, I would probably spend more time on another hobby.
As prices rise, it has really made me evaluate what’s important for my collection. Do I really need the extra PSA 10 copies of the Pokekyun Sylveon Full Art that I just graded? I’d like to have extra copies cuz I’m a degen hoarder, but if I look at my list of collection goals, I can’t justify holding onto these extra copies when there’s so much cool stuff I want. My collection is a growing puzzle that I have to rearrange to get me closer to goals that will probably change in the coming years.
As for your other point, don’t be sad for young collectors. Back in 1999, kids knew they weren’t getting the Charizard, and that was okay. It didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the TCG, and it certainly didn’t make kids back then feel bad. We were happy to trade a Nidorino for a Machoke and reread the card text for Squirtle for the 50th time. Kids enjoy the chase, but most of all, they derive more pleasure out of “junk” cards than you can ever imagine. I give all my bulk cards (along with tins, dice, counters, energy cards, etc) to my friends’ kids, and they treat it like Christmas every time.
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This is a great take honestly, and makes me appreciate the cards I dont collect even more. Thanks for this comment!