Collecting Strategies: What is Yours?

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PokePhD

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Hiya PB!

I've noticed many of us have different ways we go about collecting cards and merchandise from the Pokémon TCG. Whether you are a fan of English, Japanese, or both products, I am sure that you have a strategy when a new set hits the shelves! Do you buy a case and try to pull as much of the set as possible whilst trading your extras? Perhaps do you prefer to go after the promos and open loose packs along the way? This thread is here so you can discuss and share with other members your favorite ways to collect the latest TCG (and older memorabilia, too)!

My strategy is really quite simple: I'll start by saving up funds for a few boxes of the latest set prior to its release. Depending on the size of the set, I'll order either one or two boxes (possibly a third for EX Battle Boost when it comes out since the set is MASSIVE). Usually at this point I have most of the set and I only need to scope out a few of the rare cards. Older sets are a bit trickier.. I am convinced it's easiest to buy the complete sets or possibly mixed lots when boxes aren't available.

How does everyone else chase after additions to their collection?

This should go without saying but please:
- No bashing other members whatsoever.
- Try to keep the thread on-topic and constructive.
- Have fun! I look forward to reading your replies!
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

This looks like a cool thread! I'll post my stratagies.

I usually don't get booster boxes (too expensive, although I will probally get a Plasma Freeze one), so I just trade with others and order single cards off of ebay that are too rare to pull or that I can't trade for.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

I always trade for things I need, and occasionally purchase a few packs.

Removed the bit about weighing packs as it's a prohibited topic on PB. ~SoulWind
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

Heres my english strategy: I recently begun this. I go to a pre-release, finish event (And have fun), and buy some pack downstairs at the event. Then, I buy blisters when I can.

Japanese strategy: Just buy a box every so often.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

As a precon collector, I try to buy every single theme deck, only if they are available. I won't go wasting time trying to find the base set theme decks, or any old stuff though.

I am a guy who loves to crack packs. Only packs from the most recent 8 sets though. My collection would be only from packs I bought throughout the 2 years. Right now, the oldest set I will still buy is Emerging Powers. The newest set that I won't buy is Black and White. Whatever Black and White base set cards I have, will be my collection, and the only way I would obtain any more of these packs would be from box sets and tins, and I never buy box sets unless they contain a figure that I like.

I sort of like my collection to be dictated by random chance.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

I usually buy quite a lot of packs, and then trade or sell the extras for the cards I need for decks.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

as a collector I buy singles of the ultra rares secrets and the more hard to find items first I only collect the foils and ultras.
Japanese I buy booster boxes until the set is full done and sell my excess
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

Target gullible juniors at league

I'm more of a old card collector, so I usually go about obtaining old collectables by trading for meta material. People will usually give me very favorable trades when I'm giving them playable cards for unplayable cards.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

I'll buy a box or 2 when a new set comes out. I'll pull some full arts/shinys and certain EXs that I'll keep for my collection, but then I'll trade some of the stuff that has playable value off for more FAs/shinys if that makes sense.
So I opened a box recently and got;
Shiny Garbodor
FA Deoxys
FA Tornadus
Thundurus EX
Tornadus EX
Rock Guard

Traded the Thundurus and sold the codes and I got 2 extra SRs and another full art. So from buying the one box I ended up with 3 SRs, 3 FAs an EX and an Ace spec. And of course all the holos which looked fantastic in PZF.
That's the approach I usually take with each English release. No where near as efficient as buying singles, but where's the fun in that :p
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

Boxes are too expensive for me as I'm a kid who doesn't earn money, so I trade with friends and buy singles occasionally. Trading online is harder for me as I have very little of value, so I try to get as much as I can from my friends by trading.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

I used to just nab whatever I could get dirt cheap when I had money...now I switched my strategy and focus only on Japanese cards and am going in order from Base to BW and leaving the Trophy cards for later when I finish my degree and have my life in order.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

I don't really have much of a strategy, per se; I just trade for what I want/need, occasionally buy around 2-5 packs every week or two and sometimes I buy singles. I also go to PRs and buy a bunch of packs when I'm there. I'm more of a player than a collector. The only completed sets I have are Fossil and a Master Set of Unleashed. :p Though I'm working on a Master Set of Plasma Storm.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

Spend it all on packs and some singles. Then I'll try to trade for what I need.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

Well since most of my funds, go towards college travel and food I don't have enough to get a box. I am not really too bothered about saving for one either, I usually buy 5-10 packs within the first few weeks. I trade for the singles I want from the set usually. If it's Japanese, I trade for the nearest to complete set, my friend buys the boxes anyway so he trades the sets to me. Korean, I just buy a few boxes of the set.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

I'd like to think I have it easy because I'm not a completionist collector. I don't mind if I don't get a complete set (only a few sets have I fully completed), so I guess my "strategy" would be a bit different from others.

For Japanese cards, I buy 2 boxes of each new set, 1 of each for double sets. I store and organize and look at the cards I got and the cards I didn't get. For ultra rares (and the occasional holo) that I didn't get that I want, I'll see if I can trade for them, offering up other URs that I'm not as interested in or any duplicates I have.

Back in America, I started to be the precon decks and promo sets that matches the set releases too, but due to customs regulations here, I've stopped that for now. 2 booster boxes is *just* under the minimum where I start paying crazy import taxes/fees, so I can't add those things in with the same shipment and I don't have enough discretionary funds that I used to have when I had my own job in America. I did like snagging those though (both for collecting and trade purposes), and would like to start ordering them separately again when I have a job again.

My English collecting, back when I used to do so, was more or less the same, just with only one booster box instead of two. I also was more discriminatory about my promo purchases, especially considering I would pretty much always get crap pulls from gift sets and tins. But, same deal, go for the cards I'm most interested in, trade for what I don't get, and not sweat about not completing a set.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

I collect Base through Neo Destiny, unlimited edition. After realizing most of the cards I'd receive buying individually weren't as mint as I'd like, I found it necessary to buy boxes. Thankfully, this was around 2009 when prices for older boxes were much, MUCH lower...I snagged Base for about $100, Jungle and Fossil for around $80-90ish.

The only box I paid a huge amount for ($300) was Neo Genesis, only because most of the boxes going around at that time were first editions, and when an unlimited edition finally popped up on some obscure site, I jumped at the chance.

I've slowly sold a lot of the collection off, pulling cards one at a time to sell in generation-era sets (Original 151, Johto sets), but I'm likely going to repeat things again this year as I will be better-equipped financially to do so.
 
RE: Collecting Strategies: What are Yours?

I don't really put any importance on new sets anymore, but back when I did (ex series) I would buy the 2 theme decks first, open those, then buy around 5 packs. After this I would just trade with my friends. This was back when I was a youngin, so I couldn't afford to buy much.

My new plan that I plan to pursue is buying 2 of every item: 2 sets of theme decks, 2 booster boxes, 2 of every promotional pack/blister, then opening 1 and leaving the other sealed. It's quite a bit of money at once (somewhere around $250 when all is said and done) but it's worth it in the long run because it contributes to every part of my collection. Then to complete the set, I plan on just buying singles online and trading.
 
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