HOT Take - Pokemon Card Investors are NOT the Problem

[@never_wrong]

How are you going to sell your cyclizar ex boxes if its not on your website?

[@pokene_pokemon]

Took them off this afternoon to rip open for packs - they’ve sat here for years lol

[@Dylic]

@@pokene_pokemon I'll buy em, list for 15 free shipping

[@gabrielg7825]

The reason no one wants the Cyclizar box is bc it's not a competive card. You don't get that the vast majority of us are players... NOT collectors! Wake up man!

[@avekakristianto1314]

@@gabrielg7825 while majority of us is player, if youve been in this hobby long enough, majority that open packs arent players

[@masonbarnes48]

@@gabrielg7825 I believe that massive majority of people currently into the Pokemon TCG actually are not players of the competitive game, they just collect/sell cards and slabs

[@DantesWrath7]

Timmys weren’t telling shops to list their booster boxes for msrp when the market was $90-110. Now it’s swung in the other way and they call every shop scalpers. The root is always with The Pokemon Company not people buying up stuff people didn’t want or wasn’t “cool” enough to want.

[@tuongpham7609]

All the current English issues could easily be solved by printing it to the ground. They’ve done with before with the charizard upc. It was scalped to high heavens on release but then it crashed since it was so plentifully available. It was way below msrp for the longest time and now it’s climbing back up. Same with crown zenith and 151. People are just angry now because they didn’t have the foresight to buy more of it. Most of the anger I see are from “tourists” that just joined Pokémon.

[@allybear2375]

You're right, its not the investors, its not the collectors, its the one's riding the hype train. As someone who just recently got back into the hobby in October, there are still all the other sets already released that I want to collect from and build my collection up to be the way I want it

[@mikec.9877]

The truth is the problem is the people clearing out stock at stores/websites and flipping it the next week for triple the price. Investors contribute but they aren't the main problem. Scalpers are the ones doing real harm.

[@thevampsyd7]

Exactly!

[@jacobsladder5262]

That’s why I keep saying tik toks and KZbin shorts are destroying everyone’s attention span and patience

[@mobileempire5446]

As Opossum once said when it comes to this hobby “most peoples opinions can be bought”

[@RB-pc7tg]

Until you say the words Shrouded Fable and Paradox Rift. I love seeing all these videos now coming out trying to persuade the populist that these sets are now the greatest.

[@Jokerpilot77]

Our king Opossum bud mentioned

[@rellikreed8681]

So many people skip the sets until cards in it are valuable. Those people call themselves collectors but didn't buy when it was cheap. Once it gets some valuable cards then they get excited about it and complain when it's over priced. They are all just investors that are late to the game. If they are only after certain cards because they are valuable then they are not true collectors

[@arpeykeys]

I’ve always found it odd when I see comments on reddit saying the hobby is dead. I’m new to collecting, but even I know everything in this hobby will behave like stocks, and the market will rise and fall. If you don’t like the prices rn, just don’t buy. You can focus on older, previous sets that don’t cost as much. Or just buy singles. The market will likely correct itself eventually.

[@pokebarn1]

This video is spot on, where was everyone months ago. And yeah investors are not buying the expensive sets right now.

[@TheZumm17]

To be fair, millions of people weren't collecting when 151 was cheap. Many started to get into the hobby again with PTGCP.

[@crazybadkid08]

@@TheZumm17was thinking about this I just got back into the hobby because of pocket. was wondering how many others carried over with me

[@st1ngplays]

@@crazybadkid08I’m back here cuz of Pocket 😅

[@Ellesdy1]

Truly Ignorant people here

[@Epitome_]

I started collecting because of TCGP thats why im here now

[@lodomirr]

One of the core rules of investing: "Buy low, sell high", not: "Buy extremely high and pray" 😉

[@manithecomiccollector6361]

Scalpers are the main reason the hobby is ruined. Today my local vending machine was being stock. I was in line waiting patiently all of a sudden one dude showed up I noticed he got on his phone and next thing I knew a few of his buddies showed up. Definitely scalpers saying how there where going to buying up the machine hi five each other truly disgusting. One dude actually ran up to the stocker as he was leaving and immediately asking “what your restock date” “can I help you help me” Stocker told him no saying his job more important than him😂 Truly disgusting behavior scalpers are scum and gives zero F’s about the regular person

[@BlakeBosin]

give that person a raise!

[@OldMrCj]

I experienced something similar yesterday at target. Some dude was waiting for the lady to finish restocking at a target 151s I went up to her and asked her if I can buy some that I never have had a chance to buy one before. She asked how many I said 2 she gave them to me. The guy looked super pissed at me and waited another 30 minute while she finished and wiped the set.

[@rocklee7634]

@@OldMrCjgross, how pathetic of that guy

[@iso_Bandit]

You should have yelled for a manager and asked them to kick them out for cutting in line...

[@tuongpham7609]

Can I ask you why you’re buying sealed product? Is it for a certain card? Is it for the thrill of ripping packs? Is it because it’s the newest set? Were you planning to open or keep them sealed?

[@steelcitycollector]

Nobody mentions TCG pocket when discussing bare shelves. I don’t think Pokémon minds the traffic the mobile game is seeing in the interim.

[@dillsimmons]

People will always complain no matter what direction things go. There is no middle ground in peoples minds.

[@TheAmericanAmerican]

Man, I'm just a mid-30s OG Pokemon collector from the 90s who cut his teeth on ripping and sleeving all the Base and Neo sets my mom would buy me, who's now gotten back into the game with a new found addiction for the Crown Zenith set lol

[@kitkat6959]

Are you me

[@kmeck5186]

Fellow former OG collector here from Base -> Fossil. Just got back in a few months ago. Man did I come back at a bad time to try and collect anything. I don't plan on going anywhere and am not going to fomo. Just going to get what i can at msrp and play the TCG with buying singles.

[@TheAmericanAmerican]

@@kitkat6959 yes I am indeed me

[@GSRGaming115]

Factual

[@userofsharingan]

Do t forget me, i went from a singles collector, to a singles and sealed collector. To now a single and sealed collector/investor. The whole time my limit in the hobby was binded by my discretionary income

[@youcanthandlemyname7393]

ive said it before and ill say it again. investors are in a symbiotic relationship with the hobby. their investments only bear fruit so long as the hobby is healthy. as a result good investors do what they can to insure the long term health and stability of the hobby. scalpers are the opposite as they are more of a parasite on the hobby. their only goal is to suck the hobby dry for all its worth and then move on to the next feeding ground when theirs nothing left to suck out. they activly damage the hobby and they are the problem. it should also be noted that some investors and even some collectors engage in scalper behavior and when they do that it does not mean that investors and collectors are the problem. rather it means that these specific investors and collectors are also scalpers and scalpers are the problem. the way i see it anybody who buys more than a single case of product at a time when theirs a serious shortage of that product is a problem, but people who do it just so they can relist that product for a profit are the problem.

[@mech0p]

yep, because theyre the ones that buy shoes nintendo switches, ps5s graphic cards and so on. they dont care what it is

[@Stormfire152]

a single case is a little low, there are people that aren’t scalpers and just want to chase more cards for their collection or make a master set

[@OldMrCj]

All relative becuase my example if a store puts out 1 case of 151 and they take it all then thats a problem ive experienced that multiple times this month in stores.​@Stormfire152

[@mumbosauce4]

If making money is the end goal, you’re part of the problem. You can’t sugarcoat it any other way. Content creators focusing their content around grading and prices creates a horrible mindset for the hobby as a whole.

[@ajax803]

Where were you at when 151 was cheap? Most of us hadn't thought about pokemon cards since we were kids. We saw something from our childhood and bought a little out of nostalgia. By the time we wanted more the prices were out of control.

[@MuLK3y]

This is exactly me, i didn't see 151 until late last year after not collecting much since Evolutions

[@TheAmericanAmerican]

I stopped collecting after the Neo sets and got back into it when I heard about 151 but was too late by then. I coped with Crown Zenith but that ones been getting expensive too 😝

[@skrufy11]

Thats cool, but if ur just comin into the hobby now, when its crackin, u get the price you deserve. U cant expect to just come in to the hobby all willy nilly and expect to get cheap product. You gotta pay ur dues

[@firebreatherstudios448]

@@skrufy11This is stupid. You act like this crazy market isn’t affecting EVERYONE that’s been collecting and playing- regardless of new or not.

[@teamrocketjoey]

Right 😂

[@JPitt1070]

19:30 I am not a diehard fan that’s been around for decades. I collected as a kid, fell off, and very recently got back into it with TCG pocket and DPM getting my attention back on it. I’m not buying product for the big numbers I can resell for, I just like collecting cards of Pokemon I like. I do like pulling big priced cards because I can sell those to my LGS for store credit to buy singles of cards I want. In my opinion you can blame a lot of this on scalpers but I also equally blame the idiots who will pay over market price for sealed product ESPECIALLY before release. If there was no demand from people who will pay such a ridiculous price then we wouldn’t have this mess. Remember when if you missed out on a release you just missed out?

[@doritofan1002]

I feel like the problem is there are 2 types of “investors” there are real investors like Warren Buffet style. They buy blue chip and hold long term. Then you have the Hawk Tuah meme coin bro investor that wants to make a quick dollar and don’t care who gets hurt as long as they make their money.

[@botta88]

I totally agree. The guy who grabs a few etbs or a case to save as a long term investment is not the same as the scalpers buying tons of them and trying to flip for immediate profit. Or the ones walking into retails and literally cleaning out the stock from the shelves to flip on Facebook marketplace. The quick flip people are artificially inflating the price.

[@messy3371]

You literally just described an investor and a scalper, not two types of investor?

[@kun6497]

When I said I wanted to buy more Paldea Evolved, some people actually found that funny.

[@MTGUnpacked]

Every so-called collector complaining about high prices should stick to buying singles. Yes, ripping packs is fun, but you'll save an absolute fortune over buying sealed products. And when you complain about those $1000 cards, do you realize how much sealed product you'd have to open to pull them?🤦‍♂️

[@momohd1071]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU . This video hits so many points I’ve been thinking for so long. The “collectors” suddenly appear with greninja present . The “collectors” disappeared when crown zenith prices are driven to the ground . The same “collectors” complaining about 151 when it was on store shelf walls for months . They are more gamblers than they are collectors.

[@momohd1071]

Paldean fates probably exposes these collectors the best . All of the sudden this set which got enormous hate for being underwhelming is suddenly popular because of bubble mew? The dates can be aligned as well to indicate that prices rose after the popularity of bubble mew started to rise as well

[@Droluk_]

"They're masquerading. They are Twilight Masquerading." 😂😂😂

[@jacksimpson6299]

As someone who has been collecting on and off for a couple decades, I was able to relate to the "fake collector" comments a lot. Even though I've been in it for my entire life, and have never once sold a card I've purchased. Id say Pokémon fatigue is a real thing and the amount of people in it for profit has never been this high. so to say things like "if this is all it takes to make you stop collecting your not a real collector" can come off as insulting to a lot of average collectors that I'm sure feel similarly as I. I think its fair to say when there is a lot of buzz about a set, it not only brings in new "fake" collectors, but also re ignites old ones like myself. every time a hyped set comes out, the effect of resellers "flippers" is felt more and more. some people just have to draw a line, and i think its crossed it for a lot of people. i would also say that most of the people saying they "are done with the hobby" are really just saying they are done for now.

[@jacksimpson6299]

Also would add that the restaurant analogy is bogus. The correct way to put it would not be “went ten times in a row and two times it sucked” a more accurate analogy would be more like “I’ve been going here and there for years and it’s going gotten worse every time recently”. That touches more on slow increase of this “scalping” culture

[@HeySpanky]

I usually agree with everything you say but this argument doesn’t make sense. Lol bc investor said something on youtube therefore collectors weren’t collecting? What?

[@NBAdux]

He said fake collectors about 100 times in the first 10 minutes. Fake collectors are people who only buy sets when they're hyped to make a profit instead of actually collecting, so if an investor says not to buy something, the people who only buy cards to turn profit won't buy. they're not real collectors, who this video isn't about.

[@turboswim]

I have been eating up early SV sets, while people at my local store complain that I don't have new sets to trade. I have a bunch of art cards from those sets sitting there for a trade value of a few dollars each, but that's not the hot new thing. I look at this as a great reason to go back and try to grab/ get cards I didn't finish over the last year. For some reason people have the hardest time understanding that I buy low as a collector, and intent to rip it and hold onto it as an investor would. But I think that is the problem, hobbyist want to have eaten their cake and still have it to display too. they don't want the non-hype sets, they want the big time chase, but they also want it to be cheap.

[@no-name4u]

The only people that should be ashamed are the card shops that went back on their pre orders and screwed over their customers. There is a hype train with every specialty set and no one is entitled to it.

[@PokeFangOfficial]

Scalpers come running in when the investors start putting up the bat-signals that say 'folks, it's time to buy'. Full stop.

[@reizushaman7513]

I maintain that print runs not responding to the demand whether that be investors, scalpers, or otherwise is the issue. It's cardboard it is only in limited supply if they want it to be. Monetarily it should be good for them to print more as long as they don't actually exceed demand. Scarcity creates non-monetary benefits in the short term, but extended scarcity will tapper interest creating a product that's harder to move.

[@MegaEvoMartYT]

investors lookign at older sets and NOT the most modern sets is so true. perfectly said

[@CINDARR07]

I had cards when I was a kid and then not brought a single pack since 1999-2000 , found my old cards randomly just as 151 came out (total coincidence) a friend of mine who was still into the hobby told me about 151 coming out amd I decided to buy some . Got me into it again , completed the set and now I’m back into it . I reckon lots and lots of OG Pokemon fans from The 90’s have gotten back into it because and after 151 . Also bringing with it people who have seen the prices rise and are deciding to buy stuff to sit on for a few years . Thats my theory anyway . Lots of people who came back because of 151 and then now is buying multiple products to sit on .

[@iso_Bandit]

The main issue is, theres no way to build a deck because there's no bulk for anything after temporal forces

[@Chirs67]

Playable cards are wildly cheap. 1-10¢ cards you can easily buy on tcgp

[@iso_Bandit]

@Chirs67 true it's cheap but finding it in bulk at local stores is near impossible. I spent 3 hours last week going through one shops bulk and found 1 copy of a card my wife needs for her deck. Sure I could just order it but that's not helping my local businesses.

[@rogueinvestor2375]

@@iso_Bandit The bulk is already sorted. Don't expect to find any playable or big ticket cards when you dig through the bulk boxes. Sure, sometimes the sorting guys miss the gems and you end up finding them while rummaging the bulk boxes, but you don't get that lucky every day. But still, you do get lucky once in a while.

[@ant_989]

I saw your comment on JLUV stream and I saw how he glanced over it and didn't bother making pretty much any comment about it. The reason is pretty simple. If he'd admit that it's true, he'd sound like a huge hypocrite. Because he also became a "collector" only few years ago when cards were at the peak. Peak of popularity and peak of resale prices. It's funny how he slowly transitioned from "investor/collector mentality" to "I play hardcore TCG/I need to win Worlds/gamer mentality" the same time when things started to go slow with the hobby. Makes you think :) I saw the transition and it made me laugh. Most people don't or don't care about it. Real question is, who deserves more to be a collector. A guy who "invest" buying pallets of TCG products since 1999 or a guy who started being a "fan" in 2019, who thinks antagonizing groups of fans is a good thing for the hobby. He, and Opossumbud are really doing more bad than good for the hobby. Next step is, who deserves cards more? People who collect or people who play. Because there's only 1 right way to enjoy cards.

[@pokene_pokemon]

Bro claimed he “missed it” even tho 2 people repeated it and then I repeated it in the comments after he asked again 😂 Great insight here

[@lordextraordinary]

Isnt it quiet logical that there are many new Investors/collectors? Many collected Pokémon as kids. Now probably in their 30-35 and have a secure financial situation. Probably starting to have kids on their own and want to share a hobby?

[@MattsPokeMart]

I’ve just got back in 5months ago. Me and my daughter enjoy it.

[@lordextraordinary]

@@MattsPokeMart Its when you got kids that you are Starting to see Pokémon on the shelves again. And ofc Investors will utilize this circular hype.

[@audrisampson]

I am not a Pokémon collector/investor or anything but a person looking from the outside in. My game went through a fake fans thing from 21-22. Rudy had told everyone there was money in it and suddenly every one loved the cards. They never saw the anime or played the games portrayed on the cards but they loved it and were the biggest fan. Most are gone now and you can see then on facebook selling all the same graded cards as all the others like them had. That must really suck for Pokémon fans right now. You have 1000s of people buying up everything just so they can farm you the fan for profits. Who cares what it does to the market of the actual fans cause like the ones on my game it won't matter cause when things dry up they will just move on to their next hustle.

[@Droluk_]

I'm a true collector. I started collecting with my kids around when Crown Zenith came out, and we have spent thousands of dollars on our collection, and we have not sold one. I would like to buy singles, grade them, and sell them, but it would only be to put it right back into buying more cards.

[@Wizlume]

A true collector started with base set. Sorry dude you don’t qualify as a pure blooded true collector. Satire btw

[@yummstersthecoward3731]

I only started collecting recently bc of pokemon pocket,n I do prefer to collect expensive cards but since then I've fallen in love with the art in general and I am EXTREMELY excited for pokemon market to crash, I wasn't able to collect when things were cheap so here's hoping it goes down again

[@poke_fit_art3859]

There is still great cheap arts/cards that can be bought right now

[@Fraxorus]

I love it when rich people can't get as much product as they want. They think they have the same struggle as the people who want just one product. stores just need to put a limit on products, problem solved. I'm 200% on my Pokémon investments and I didn't have to scalp. Cherry on top, I always managed to give my local card shops all my bulk for free. Pokémon needs to print way more, that's the biggest issue we have right now.

[@_Heng_]

Pokémon is printing more than ever though. Since 2019, they’ve increased how much they print sixfold, from an average of 2 billion prior to 2019 to 12 billion between march 2023 and march 2024, with the mark surely surpassing it by the time march of 2025 comes around. Adding this: Considering the scale, it’s unrealistic that Pokémon can print enough in the near future so that scalpers run out of money to keep scooping up whenever restocks occur and ensure that stuff actually gets sold once scalpers realize it’s a losing battle. The main issue is retailers not enforcing and/or limiting amounts per customer, a significant if not majority of LGS who sell at double or triple MSRP or “market value,” and Pokémon company not penalizing those who take advantage of such situations by cutting allocations like Topps/fanatics does.

[@UnifiedMimes]

Yes.. 100% yes. Actual investors aren't even looking at prismatic. Even if you could find it at a price that had room to go up, you can't find enough of it to make it worth it.

[@Collectabulls]

Investors are fine, scalpers are not. One puts their boxes in the closet for the long haul to gain value. The other is looking to immediately flip for money.

[@botta88]

I think you want a healthy balance of collectors and investors. Investors bring more money into the hobby and help boost the value of items while collectors maintain excitement and relevance of the product. I think they also help shape what cards are the more valued ones. Pulling a rare card is fun for everyone. But pulling a rare card that’s worth $2 is not nearly as exciting as pulling a card that’s worth $50, $100, and even more. You can’t have too many investors because then they gobble up all the product and it creates a more artificial scarcity which hurts the actual collectors. But without some investors, there is less value in the product. And let’s all be honest, when someone pulls a rare card the majority of the time, a major focus is on its value.

[@Kagineko]

So whats your point exactly? That investors are the good guys because they are the perfect consumers who scoop up all the products as is, and fans/collectors deserve to be punished for passing on some products, and now everyone across the board suffers due to hype? Call me stupid, but I really don't get it

[@Bassgod84]

Just recently got back into the hobby. Been into cards for a long time. Mostly got back into pokemon because I never saw one piece on the shelves. Started selling on whatnot. The hobby is very alive in my eyes.

[@OhBenE2]

Fun and insightful rant. To further your point, “investors” don’t buy preorders at MSRP then relist immediately when the set is released at inflated prices. That’s not their philosophy.

[@Crazydragonitelady]

I love this video. I started recollecting around 2011 when I hit college and never looked back. Any time there's a big influx of people (2016, 2020 and now 2025) I just take a step back and focus my purchases on singles that no one cares about and wait for things to settle. True happiness is filling out a page in one of my binders.

[@SaltMas0174-xyz]

I agree with you on the fact that there are more Timmy's entering the hobby chasing the next Moonbreon, but as Collectors have their counter part as Timmy's, the Investors have their counter part as Scalpers, so the same question applies, how many scalpers have entered the market since the Scarlet and Violet era exploded?

[@PokeBeardTCG]

It's hilarious. Preorders were available for 3 days at gamestop for Prismatic but all these "collectors" only wanted the pc etb. I wonder why😂 I also just mentioned singles are dirt cheap in my new wiw. Evolving alone has more higher priced cards than the entire sv era

[@nightbotmike2388]

Investors = People who buy sets at Market price because they believe it is undervalued. Scalpers = People who buy out inventory of a new set at MSRP and immediately sell it online for Market price. One is long-term and is truly taking a risk. One is short-term, takes no risk, and is preying on the supply chain issues, stores not limiting purchases, stalking stores everyday to wait for stock to show up, using bots to buy out limited items (Pokémon Center ETBs), etc.

[@tuongpham7609]

What I find frustrating about the Pokémon community is the lack of self accountability. It’s always the boogeyman scalpers, flippers, investors, etc. but never the community driving the demand up. I’m not saying that scalpers and flippers aren’t the problem since everyone contributed to this issue. The only people I don’t see complaining are those that actually play the card game. As a matter of fact, the channels that usually do market watch for singles and not sealed, are usually pretty happy. Thanks to all these rippers and “tourists” that only want to open packs, singles are at an all time low. The world championship deck was only $75. I get it, gambling is fun. But why spend $150 for an etb when you can just use that money and buy singles you wanted for your collection?

[@Monsterkiller0305]

Thats the reason why im currently buying shrouded fable. Nobody wants it so its dirt cheap and i just wanna open some packs. Its also a plus that i actually like the SIRs in the set.

[@Edwin582]

Collectors are investors, investors are collectors.

[@pokeparentsclub]

Tons of shrouded fable and other affordable sets. Everyone is evil when you don’t give people valuable collectibles for cheap

[@Mikethatguy7]

Being a collector is pretty easy when the things you’re collecting are worth money!

[@ilidawg20]

I used to collect when I was younger. When I fell out of the hobby, I gave my whole collection to the neighbor's kids cause they liked pokemon cards but couldn't afford them. I wasn't interested in the hobby for years. Still loved pokemon but was more interested in collecting plushies or blind box figures of my favorites. While people bashed Scarlet & Violet, I adored the game. It was a glitchy mess but I found it fun & I loved Rika's design so much that I cosplayed her a week after the game's release and continue to cosplay her at conventions to this day. When I heard that Rika got a full art trainer card, I wanted to start collecting again. I thought it would be fun to make a collection of Rika & the pokemon on her in-game team. Maybe some other collections of my favorite pokemon later on. Then I saw the price points of some of the newer packs and it was surprising. I want to get back into collecting but it just seems so expensive at times. I'm sure I'll get back into it buying actual packs eventually. For now, it seems like it might be easier for me to start my collection by purchasing the loose cards. Great video, I stuck around til the end. You made a lot of good points. It feels like this is a repeat of when people were getting into the hobby because they realized how expensive some of the rare cards could be once graded.

[@nonukesnomads995]

I've been collecting since before covid. I purchased things that gave me nostalgia from my childhood. It just so happened that what I bought is now worth way more.

[@jeffreyhammack3557]

Not the investors but the scalpers. These people have bots for all major retailers for 151 and prismatic. Then they turn around and flip for 5-10x! It's ridiculous that people are actually buying at those prices

[@jaredsshield]

Would this be a no true scottsman fallacy not qualifying someone being an investor based off time length? I think time length doesn't disqualify.

[@PokeBeardTCG]

I've been screaming sv base, rift, and paldea since release! I even have a video explaining why sv base is the best base set. That video was over a yr ago. So many people disagreed with me, lol. Great video.

[@pokene_pokemon]

YUP - and thanks man 🙏🏻

[@premiumpulls]

“They’re masquerading… they’re twilight masquerading” 😂😂😂😂😂

[@IFtwIxJewJitsu]

Most people don't have their ear to the ground. If a product is only readily available at MSRP for a week or two then most people will miss out on it.

[@kalsyx]

I collected as a kid in the 90's, but gave away that collection. Came back in the early 2010's and collected some singles here and there, then gave that collection away as I moved onto other hobbies (and didn't have the money to build a collection worth having). So, I've been a collector off and on my whole life. Late last year I randomly got into Marvel Snap which lit that "card collection" fire under me, and that led into Pokemon Pocket TCG, which eventually led to me buying a few packs of cards. That was right around when Surging Sparks came out, so I bought up a bunch (20-30) of Surging Sparks packs until they were too expensive then moved onto other sets. I really hate that I came back at such a rough time. I started buying Crown Zenith packs early this month because they were cheap and had tons of cool hits (the Galarian Gallery) and even those now are exploding from about $4.20 a pack to over $6-7 a pack. I'm at the point where I'll just have to buy some singles online here and there.

[@mech0p]

The reason i dont pick collector sets up is because i hate them honestly. They are to big and bulky and i want collector sets to actually be collectible like etbs and upcs. I think they should be released more rarely and be more important.

[@Cksgetchapull]

Scalpers are a massive problem rn never seen it so bad: 40+yr olds selling a kids card game for triple the price: we’re cooked!

[@mikeymendenhall]

I've collected since I was a kid. I have left because of life decisions like getting married and having kids. Now that I have more disposable income, I have been able to get back into hobbies. Honestly, up until the cold weather hit, I was spending that money on disc golf. So I fit into the new collector. 151 drew me in right around November 2024. I was late to the game, but I also love disc golf. It is what it is, my loss on the deals. I still bought the 151 master set and am getting SV sets to collect. If after I'm gone, my kids want to sell them, sweet. Fingers crossed that I'll be able to open them with my grandkids one day.

[@ChriskipTCGMTG]

STOOOOP DONT TALK ABOUT VIVID VOLTAGE ON THE PC IM WAITING FOR THE NEXT PAY CHECK TO GET ONE lmao

[@fourpointg5996]

I genuinely believe it's the way the pokemon company packages their products compared to Japan. English products have like 6 or 7 different products for one set. Whereas Japan, as I understand has just 2 or 3 products (booster bundles, singles). As a collector it's difficult for me to figure what to do with my 100 tin cans and giant ETB boxes as they all take up too much space.

[@topgearsgear]

Hard to argue with the emotional manbabies in this hobby, They can only ever hold a narrow view otherwise their argument falls apart immediately, Rarely pointing the finger at the actual issue / cause. Ignorant plebs stay mad 🤣🤣 Pokemon itself is a cold hearted business looking to profit, you do NOT need to "protect" them from mistakes they make, If the packs are too expensive maybe there isn't enough to go around? If there was 3-4x more of this set it would be near msrp. Buy at msrp, Open a couple sell a couple to fund other pokemon purchases, The whole hobby is basically a pyramid "scheme" money is channeled in from the low - mid end people's actual day jobs to feed the full time high end collectors, traders and "investors".

[@Spamthulhu]

It is causing a massive problem for players and collectors. Since people buying and sticking a bunch of cards into a storage unit and one day selling it causes prices to rise and limits supply a large amount. It also causes a lot of harm to new games that have hype. Star Wars and lorcana had a ton of boxes taken off the market making it hard for the game to even get off the ground and makes entry points into games super expensive. Investors cause a ton of disruption in the market. Flippers and scalpers are even worse. The line between investor and scalper is grey and thin because a good return turns any investor into a scalper at times. I don't have a problem with people investing and one day I will be buying a single case of every set to put away for a kids college fund. I do say I can't afford to buy cards right now to open so I am edged out of the hobby by scalpers and investors.

[@Golad-ToA90]

You got it absolutely right. Most of the vocal minority of these so called "real collectors/fans" are only after the new most hyped cards and sets. They couldn't care less about previous sets or vintage sets unless some KZbinr they watch hypes it up. Same with the people who are trying to sell a preorder of a preorder on eBay for 3-4 times msrp. Those people are the real scalpers who give investors or resellers a bad name. They charge ridiculous prices before having any sales data or seeing what the market thinks of the product. They prey on the "real collectors" FOMO and end up ruining sets before they even come out.

[@MikeMesscook]

Buy low, sell high - smart. Buy high to sell higher - risky.

[@tayman4301]

Buy high and sell low. Put the fries in the bag.

[@stevensasy12345]

I can’t even get my hands on sets that aren’t even out yet 😂. Stores aren’t selling

[@tsbuty]

I watched maybe 100 Prismatic ETBs get zero bids yesterday on auctions starting at 120. I don’t think as many people are buying at these prices as one might think.

[@broodwars1776]

I actually took a big page out of your play book and loaded up on SV Base and Paradox Rift. Got in at around 90 a box and it’s great to see it grow. I was surprised that these sets, with awesome Airs and SIRs, were selling so poorly.

[@ybdap7]

If you're not going to a LGS/LCS meeting people, trading, buying and selling are you actually a collector? If you're going to retail and getting product for msrp and not ripping products are you actually a collector? Keeping sealed is cool for the long term or having it on your wall is nice, but really overcharging for a brand new product is ham. Definitely like buying hyped up penny stocks or crypto.

[@universal8109]

i dont know about others but i dont think the cyclizar collection box is the best example of what a collector would find joy in. it really depends on the collector. i personally dont think its worth much cause i dont need it for the packs as i still have better buying options to get those packs in current time and i only need one of them if i really wanted the promo. cyclizar isnt that appealing though and if i really wanted cyclizar id be more interested in the paradox rift illustration rare.

[@derekjeter1994]

ive gotten tired of spending 80 bucks on packs only to pull 3 cards worth nothing. so now i just pick up singles that i actually want and hope the market doesnt skyrocket them before I snag it

[@amberholtrop3656]

I'm very happy to see more people speaking out against the groundless hate that's starting to form within the pokemon space. The situation ain't formed by just one group of people, and everybody contibutes to the high demand. I hope this period of hate will pass in a timely manner, so people can continue to enjoy the hobby without pointing fingers

[@jimkeen6812]

Not new to the hobby but we need the fake collectors and fake investors for sales...there is room for everyone if your smart and patient...appreciate you sharing how you feel!

[@CNT_farmer]

1) People seem to be over dramatic when writing youtube comments. I doubt they're actually quitting the hobby, they're overreacting because they're upset about product availability. 2) the average person listens to react, rather than listen to understand. I feel that most on KZbin, reddit, Instagram, etc. gather a small amount of information and then quickly form a strong opinion. Then, they immediately share that opinion because they can. This accelerates the echo chambers. I'm unhappy with the current situation too. I can't even find a checklane blister at Target. When I've had a bad day at work, all I want to do is stop somewhere after work to buy a few packs and open them when I get home. I cant really do that right now and that sucks, but I'm not going to constantly complain about it on KZbin and reddit lol. I don't understand how so many people comment complaining non stop. Most of us are grown adults 😅. Act like one!

[@CookieAnimation]

Im still trying to finish shrouded fable set lol its pretty chill living in the past

[@AdamMason]

My terminology is as follows: Scalpers (buying/holding less than a week) are like daytraders in the market. Investors are longer term hold but don't use/open. Collectors are undefined timeline but use/open/enjoy. Love your stuff Brian!

[@Theu131]

I don’t have any sympathy for anyone complaining about the prices on anything that’s come out in scarlet and violet so far. EVERYTHING was available below msrp, even for hot sets like surging sparks and 151. If you only got in recently because you saw videos of people hyping it or saw that stuff was getting expensive, then sorry, you already missed your chance to get stuff cheap and you probably weren’t an actual fan. If you are a “true collector” you will stick around , weather the storm of the next year and pick all the new stuff up cheap when everything collapses after gen 10 starts and 30th anniversary passes. Prismatic and journey togethers price hike is completely the fault of opportunists, fomo chasers and the Pokémon company not printing enough . These sets suck for everyone , especially investors.

[@grandmasterchooda9385]

I’ve been collecting Pokémon since swsh and the problem is Pokémon doesn’t sell direct to consumers and other people set the prices for these products. Now real collectors can’t afford it.

[@tictac5274]

Real collectors can still afford products, you can get heaps of products for retail or under retail price still.

[@grandmasterchooda9385]

@ I’m talking about the last few sets buddy. Look online all Pokémon products are raising in prices because of it, there are zero Pokémon products in stores and lgs are raising their prices to compensate. Why tf is an etb 150$ on release it’s ridiculous

[@grandmasterchooda9385]

@ this same thing is happening with magic too. Sets coming out for 100$ more than Msrp. It’s insane.

[@Dude-do8vo]

Tbf I don't buy the boxes because I almost exclusively buy stuff that is wrapped... I like collecting sealed stuff (ETBs, BBs, UPCs)...but I don't like when they're too damaged... the cardboard boxes get damaged too easy imo... I even passed on some good deals of sealed product because they were damaged in a way I don't like for my collection

[@Advocate4kids]

Best statement of 2025. “True” collectors are bull**** themselves more than investors are. Brilliantly said sir! If you’re gonna rant…might as well get paid to do it! Touché.

[@velkymuftu]

I am fairly new to the hobby, started a year ago with 151. At the time 151 was widely available. Paldean fates was really slept on. My first singles purchase was a magikarp for 50£. I bought a paf mew for 70€. All at lgs’ with their markup. I bought cases of pal, paf, par, tef and twm and nobody cared.

[@stupoundit]

The biggest issue I have is with people buying up product to create scarcity and sell it for 3x the price on release. It misses the point of Pokemon. It's about collecting. Yes, there are shops like this one that make money off of it, but they do so, from my understanding, by selling cards at regular prices so that the average Joe can still enjoy the hobby. Scalpers have zero respect for the average Joe. For transparency, by the standards in this video, I would not be a "true collector." Before S&V 151, I had not collected since I was 11 or 12 years old. Once I saw the cards in the set were the OG 151 Pokemon, I was hype. Started ripping packs again to relive the good old days. Spent way more money than I should have because I enjoyed it so much. Ended up making some money back off graded cards, but I regret doing so most of the time. Miss my PSA 10 Charizard :')

[@Say-ro4rq]

This video just sounds like someone crying because no one wants to buy his shit 😂 "boohoo how dare y'all leave the hobby y'all are not real collectors"

[@TheArgon14]

I'm a player and a professor, 100%, I suck at collecting things honestly. But the up front and informative nature of the videos is why I find them interesting enough to keep coming back to watch!

[@animepocky7654567]

I don't mind "investors" at all. I just wish TPC would print enough for everyone. It's turning normal collectors into scalpers LOL ngl if I see an ETB of this set in the wild I might just sell it and BUY the singles I want from prismatic. And that's a huge problem.

[@JustJojua]

I started collecting when Silver Tempest came out. I was able to complete a binder for SV base, but man after the Iono and Magikarp blew up, I couldnt but any Paldea Evolved under 180 per box anywhere, unlike SV base. I put my foot in the water with Ob Flames, and then I ended up just saying Screw it and started collecting cards I personally liked, whether modern or vintage. Some LCS locked me out of the early sets becaue I couldnt get it at retail anymore, or it was just unavailable. I did complete a 151 binder though, but that was rough.

[@kirkniceler9596]

Completely agree with you. A lot of “collectors” now only focus on the value or potential value of the cards/sets rather than on the actual cards. Value to them is solely based on money/profit. Value for actual collectors is usually more personal. I collect Yugioh cards and when I was younger my favorite card was Dark Paladin. So I now am trying to collect all the different types of Dark Paladin cards. For me it’s about what I personally like not what’s the most popular thing. So many “collectors” now only collect certain cards/sets because their favorite KZbinr loves it or because it’s really hyped. You shouldn’t be collecting things solely based off of other people’s opinions but mainly off of what you like, what you enjoy the most. I hope more people are able to see this video because once again I completely agree with you.

[@Brewdog-e8p]

It’s degenerate, gamblers and petty thieves and scammers that are looking for a quick buck seeing a piece of paper that they can turn into money and then there’s a good guy like you dude and the countless others that suffer from the actions of shameless individuals and the best thing any I can do in the hobby is to get smarter. I have more due diligence process before falling victim for our own FOMO for that too good to be true opportunity.

[@zuko7642]

Im a collector, but I'm also an impure scalper. I refuse to be defined as simply one.

[@franknitty365]

I am a collector. Came in around crown zenith after finding out cards were still around. All I did was play the video games. I started collecting S&S all S&V releases and now are working on S&V.. I started playing the TCG and collecting singles with daughter.

[@funkeemelon]

Scalpers/ flippers are a huge problem. All I see on marketplace are blooming waters and prismatic etbs for 2-5x the price. I've blocked dozens of people who have zero past pokemon sales. And a lot have zero sales at all.. it's baaaaad

[@jessycanasty]

Went to a random toy store and saw a base set Mewtwo. Been opening packs any packs with my son for the last year. Love Pokemon always will

[@Fromholzp]

This is why I’m only buying older SV sets right now and even some SS sets. You can still get a lot of past sets for under MSRP. I won’t pay more than $5 a pack. It’s opened my mind up to some of these older sets that I passed on before or didn’t take as serious.

[@GetInTheRing777]

Timmy here, what is life

[@parkerhaley4071]

life is hard Timmy ..... life is hard....