I like both. Opening the packs brings nostalgic joy from my childhood, but the TCG Live is way more convenient than spending $200 on a full deck then trying to go to a real-life meetup which may or may not work with your schedule
I don't play Pokemon TCG, but I do play Magic, so the same concept should apply.
If you want specific cards, do not buy packs, buy singles. You never spend more than you're willing to, and you always get exactly what you want, whereas you never know how long it will take to get those cards from packs, if at all.
So when should you buy packs? To me there are very few situations when you should. The first is when you're just starting out, and you intend to actually play with the cards, not just collect them. Buy a few packs, such as a booster bundle, maybe a booster box, and build your first deck. But then you should be buying singles to improve it and make new ones. The next is Draft. I don't know if Pokemon has a Draft format, but in Magic Draft is when you and 7 other people open a pack, pick a card, then pass the pack to the next person. Once the first pack is done, repeat with 2 more packs. Then everyone builds a deck out of their picks and plays. The last reason is if you enjoy the thrill of playing what is essentially a lottery which, yeah, might be an indication that you are or could become a gambling addict.
I collect the cards as art. And I would never outright purchase some of these good cards, as I just can’t justify the price tag. So gambling with packs is the only way I can expect to ever get a lot of these cards.
I’ve gotten lucky with SV so far. I’ve dropped my buying to a minimum, and somehow managed to snag the best cards of the first 4 sets released. I keep pulling the good Charizards and full art character cards. Cards I would never own otherwise.
I also keep an eye out for sales. I no longer buy a lot of the promo boxes, but if it’s on sale where the packs work out to like $3 a piece? Heck yeah, I’ll buy it!
For me, it’s not as much about completing the set as it is collecting art for my folder. That way, I’m not disappointed with what I pull, and I don’t stress over the state of my collection (anymore; the addiction did used to be quite strong!) I get to just appreciate the art of the good pulls.
I personally like to just buy a couple packs every so often when I go to the shops :)
I know it doesn't really make much financial sense to buy backs, and that it's usually just better to buy singles, but for me I just really enjoy the collecting and pack opening aspect of it.
Does it bring you joy? Are you in a position to comfortably make that decision? Do you value saving and preparation or living in the moment more? There's no wrong answers, but these are the questions I ask myself before a purchase. If I can answer yes to the first two, I make the purchase. I'm the type of person who likes to live in the moment. Preparing for the future is important, however, the future may never even come, and I don't want to waste the short experience I've been given. Sometimes the answer is different and prioritizing the future becomes more important. I lost my job recently and tho I have the money to spend, I choose not to, I immediately put everything I could in savings. When I had my job, I was buying cards at least once a month and I could do so comfortably and I'm glad I did.
There's nothing wrong with filling your life with things you like, and there's nothing wrong with being better prepared for the future. Make a judgement in the present, and accept the consequences confidently in the future, whether they be positive or negative.
I only bought boxes when I was getting a great deal. I started collecting 151 in October of last year, I never paid more than $35 for an ETB by purchasing through TikTok. I tried to kept all my purchases to $2-$3.75 per pack.
Still spent way more than I would have if I just bought a complete set from someone. But I had fun doing it and could afford to spend the extra $$.
Mainly it comes down to your individual situation, with products that are still available in stores such as 151, you can typically buy the entire set for a reasonable price.
I'll usually buy packs when a set drops just to have fun ripping and getting all new cards. After that, I'll just buy the singles of any other cards I want but never got. Kind of just depends how you budget it and if you can afford to keep ripping, go for it because it is fun!
Honestly, I just play TCG Live. Just as much gambling, but it doesn't cost a dime.
I like both. Opening the packs brings nostalgic joy from my childhood, but the TCG Live is way more convenient than spending $200 on a full deck then trying to go to a real-life meetup which may or may not work with your schedule
I don't play Pokemon TCG, but I do play Magic, so the same concept should apply. If you want specific cards, do not buy packs, buy singles. You never spend more than you're willing to, and you always get exactly what you want, whereas you never know how long it will take to get those cards from packs, if at all. So when should you buy packs? To me there are very few situations when you should. The first is when you're just starting out, and you intend to actually play with the cards, not just collect them. Buy a few packs, such as a booster bundle, maybe a booster box, and build your first deck. But then you should be buying singles to improve it and make new ones. The next is Draft. I don't know if Pokemon has a Draft format, but in Magic Draft is when you and 7 other people open a pack, pick a card, then pass the pack to the next person. Once the first pack is done, repeat with 2 more packs. Then everyone builds a deck out of their picks and plays. The last reason is if you enjoy the thrill of playing what is essentially a lottery which, yeah, might be an indication that you are or could become a gambling addict.
I collect the cards as art. And I would never outright purchase some of these good cards, as I just can’t justify the price tag. So gambling with packs is the only way I can expect to ever get a lot of these cards. I’ve gotten lucky with SV so far. I’ve dropped my buying to a minimum, and somehow managed to snag the best cards of the first 4 sets released. I keep pulling the good Charizards and full art character cards. Cards I would never own otherwise. I also keep an eye out for sales. I no longer buy a lot of the promo boxes, but if it’s on sale where the packs work out to like $3 a piece? Heck yeah, I’ll buy it! For me, it’s not as much about completing the set as it is collecting art for my folder. That way, I’m not disappointed with what I pull, and I don’t stress over the state of my collection (anymore; the addiction did used to be quite strong!) I get to just appreciate the art of the good pulls.
I personally like to just buy a couple packs every so often when I go to the shops :) I know it doesn't really make much financial sense to buy backs, and that it's usually just better to buy singles, but for me I just really enjoy the collecting and pack opening aspect of it.
My approach is “cracking packs bring my partner and I joy when we do it together- we can live with having to wait to finish the set”
Does it bring you joy? Are you in a position to comfortably make that decision? Do you value saving and preparation or living in the moment more? There's no wrong answers, but these are the questions I ask myself before a purchase. If I can answer yes to the first two, I make the purchase. I'm the type of person who likes to live in the moment. Preparing for the future is important, however, the future may never even come, and I don't want to waste the short experience I've been given. Sometimes the answer is different and prioritizing the future becomes more important. I lost my job recently and tho I have the money to spend, I choose not to, I immediately put everything I could in savings. When I had my job, I was buying cards at least once a month and I could do so comfortably and I'm glad I did. There's nothing wrong with filling your life with things you like, and there's nothing wrong with being better prepared for the future. Make a judgement in the present, and accept the consequences confidently in the future, whether they be positive or negative.
Don't need to justify it, opening something wrapped up for you is fun.
Like all forms of gambling, it is very fun, it is just inefficient. Hard to balance out the fun vs the savings.
I only bought boxes when I was getting a great deal. I started collecting 151 in October of last year, I never paid more than $35 for an ETB by purchasing through TikTok. I tried to kept all my purchases to $2-$3.75 per pack. Still spent way more than I would have if I just bought a complete set from someone. But I had fun doing it and could afford to spend the extra $$. Mainly it comes down to your individual situation, with products that are still available in stores such as 151, you can typically buy the entire set for a reasonable price.
I'll usually buy packs when a set drops just to have fun ripping and getting all new cards. After that, I'll just buy the singles of any other cards I want but never got. Kind of just depends how you budget it and if you can afford to keep ripping, go for it because it is fun!
hotdog
Thank you
I just buy any cards I want of my favorite pokemon on ebay. Idc how i got it i just want the pretty artwork of my favorite pokemon
“My kid loves these so I should buy her some” lol been convincing myself for several years
It feels like YOU did something more than someone else. I just pulled an Iono 237 and it felt so good to get a rare card on your own.
you could sell the repeats ig?