Is opening a Pokemon TCG business a BAD IDEA in 2023?

[@DannyPhantump]

Congratulations to the winners: @blakesmith1993 @thrax2421 @TheCardCommando

[@tayloradams245]

Haircut.

[@aaronscott2278]

Congratulations winners really appreciate the chance Danny 🙏

[@MrSneakyrich]

Congratulations 🎉

[@poke_warrior]

congrats guys!

[@3_x_plus_1]

Weird not my @ all good next time.

[@Chadderboxhobby]

I just had my brick and mortar grand opening on Saturday the 7th! I was online only for about 2 years and then started selling at the local farmers market to warm up the community to my shop before it opened. Our opening day was a huge success! Danny, you've always been a huge motivation booster for me so thank you!

[@BenWritesThings]

Congrats on the launch! That’s awesome.

[@VRule1]

As a small business owner myself, I can tell others it is a big commitment even as a small side hustle it takes a lot more hard work than people think. Nothing is impossible though. My mantra is "Do the work"

[@Nicegram-Me-Kwite-Page]

Hey 🎉🎉🎉..,.

[@Peanut_butter101]

That mantra sounds familiar 🤔

[@VRule1]

@Peanut_butter101 it's a popular one and not my creation but simple and solid.

[@djsano23]

Looking to start something on the side. Any tips?

[@VRule1]

@djsano23 people often say to do what you love. I follow the idea: do things that you don't hate but will bring you to the goal of doing what you love. I've done many tasks and many jobs and taking many clients that I wasn't excited about but it was a stepping stone to getting to the more successful side of my business. Another thing you'll often hear is to Niche down. Get specific about your goals and keep pursuing those specifics. F.O.C.U.S (follow one course until success)

[@PokeBeardTCG]

HELP!!! Extremely overwhelmed. When you type in starting a business in your state it's not that simple. There's so many different things and options and most ask for money. Please help. I'm your neighbor in Minnesota. If you could tell me what you recommend for a eBay store and possibly my own website soon?? I buy big lots online and sell them individually only right now. Would like to sell some sealed from distributor also eventually.

[@Melobane_TCG]

I would love to have the time to open a tcg business. But I’ll stick to making small opening videos and making small gains where I can. Keep up the good work Danny! Love the content.

[@Nicegram-Me-Kwite-Page]

Hey 🎉🎉🎉..,.

[@alltexgaming8573]

I’ve been back in the hobby since 2020 and have sold bulk for cheap but am looking into selling singles and starting a business possibly a brick and mortar. It’s now a hobby, sorting, researching, I love it. Reminds me of the days where I would sit in the living room with hundreds of cards around me in a circle all around the room sorting. This is great info thank you.

[@Nicegram-Me-Kwite-Page]

Hey 🎉🎉🎉..,.

[@stevens22589]

I wanted to open a shop during 2020, really glad I DIDNT

[@Nicegram-Me-Kwite-Page]

Hey 🎉🎉🎉..,.

[@ssubzerofn]

Why?

[@haitham1789]

Why tho

[@nosferdox]

I also recommend to start small with it. Also the business strategy varies depending where you live. I am in Europe and in our stores packs cost 7+ Eur. I bought for 256 eur 2x Silver Tempest boxes and sold singles for cheaper (5 - 5.50 eur). I sold them quite quickly and ordered new bulk (reinvested). But my country has no strong competetive scene. People mostly collect and don't even know how to play. So while I sall locally by word of mouth and Facebook, I am researching ways to sell outside of my country in Europe, because it could slow down at any moment. Maybe the new price increase helps to drive more traffic to me because stores will increase the price probably even more. I have to also start getting the boxes at wholesale prices and not cardmarket prices. For beginning it is ok. This wouldn't work in the USA. Cheers. PS: Danny, if you have any tips or tricks for Europe people... :))))

[@timokthy]

Love how you're always educating the community in all aspects of the hobby. Thanks Danny

[@Nicegram-Me-Kwite-Page]

Hey 🎉🎉🎉..,.

[@brandoc04]

I would say no, unless this is a full time gig it’s hard to make this a consistent stream of income. Reason being, the IRS this year, has recognized $600 or more as being taxable for reselling . This used to be 22,000. So if you buy a lot of cards for 500 on eBay and let’s say you spend a month flipping it to 1000. When tax season comes, that 1000 is up for taxing, which you should expect to give up at least 400 of those dollars. Leaving you with an actual 100 profit. Now I’m not sure how you could possibly fill out “expenses” for a business if this is your part time gig and you’re selling cards individually. But this is my two cents as a successful reseller last year.

[@BonjourKim__]

Luckily, Scarlet & Violet base set looks good for now 😊

[@Nicegram-Me-Kwite-Page]

Hey 🎉🎉🎉..,.

[@jeremyhanner7720]

I always think about starting a business But I end up just keeping everything for myself 🤣🤣

[@NayleeWammieSethany]

Yeah sticking to selling my extra singles on tcg seems to be the way to go for me. Just enough time sunk in to make a couple bucks on the side to make some back from opening, not enough to super stress. Your videos definitely help with that though! Always looking out for commons and uncommons you call out to pull for value. Thanks Danny!

[@Nicegram-Me-Kwite-Page]

Hey 🎉🎉🎉..,.

[@icemanauz]

i wanna win the givaway i never win giveaways

[@game_archives]

Hope to win 1 Vstar Universe booster box soon cos I still have not been able to get my hands on 1 yet :/

[@JokeEnhanced]

As a backpack seller with access to an international border, I started with a family loan of 2,500 + personal credit line of 10,000 to add to my personal collection of about 3k to start selling products abroad. After about 6 months of grinding, I can happily say that my “backpack vendor” enterprise has ballooned to 40,000$ usd (acquisition cost for product), with no personal debt and the family loan fully paid off within the first 3 months.

[@BlackBeltNob]

any tips/advice for someone serious in succeeding?

[@sterlingcards]

great video! super informative and really hits on the main points of running a TCG hustle/business!

[@rigzzz]

i used to collect a bunch more but school has taken priority so waiting to see some stuff before i can go and buy stuff again

[@xESPplayer500x]

The trick to investing is to buy when no one is buying

[@swoopgg3720]

I’ve been selling on TCGplayer for 5-6 months and it’s great, but it’s a lot of work and I have such a small inventory. There’s way more to it than it seems and can become overwhelming. But I do love Pokémon, collecting and helping others with their collections!!

[@CapturealityExtras]

Thank you so much for all the knowledge, good looking out! Always the best content really!!!🎉 vstar universe is amazing

[@StockhouseGames]

Thanks for the great content Danny Phantump. Giving some insights on your journey and giving some reality checks on starting a business with the Pokemon trading card game! I look forward to consuming some more content from you.

[@TKKCollector]

Danny, we actually started an online Pokémon business up here in Canada 🇨🇦. I wouldn’t call it extra income, more softening the cost of collecting Pokémon cards.

[@krnboy99]

If anyone finds a store that buys cards at 80% lmk 😂 lucky to find 55-60% during these times. (But I know Danny was just using 80% as an example)

[@EviIFantasy]

Have a website and an LLC, but after trying for 2 years, no distributors are currently willing to offer Pokemon cards to a new online-only store. Hope it changes soon!

[@joseyupanqui151]

for the past 4 years ive run a part time Otaku stall at a local Flea Market. while the majority of my inventory is comprised of Anime-oriented merchandise including Bandai, Sanrio, Funko, Nendo, YouTooz, Shitmallows, my (now) 12 year old son convinced me to jump into Pokemon just before the Pandemic Pokemon Panic of 2020… what started as a 2’ x 2’ section dedicated to whatever Pokemon hanger sleeves & blisters i could get my hands on has expanded into a 6 foot jewelry case dedicated entirely to tins, collection boxes, ETB’s & vintage packs. early on when American product got hard to find cheap Japanese booster boxes really got me over. 30 pack Japanese boosters for $50 bucks could easily be flipped into $150 by selling at $5 a pack which is high compared to market average but the perfect price point for kids looking for ANYTHING to rip while Target & Walmart shelves were bare. ive never dealt with a proper Pokemon distributor- the abundance of cheap product from Sams, Costco & the combined holiday deals + going out of business fire sales from now-defunct LCS’ has allowed me to stock up on inventory as needed without being locked into forced allotments etc. this model WILL NOT work for online-only vendors as customers have competitive information right on Google and shipping eats a significant amount of profit, but in person u get impulse buys from kids asking parents for packs, tins & boxes on a whim & parents looking for gifts for their kids. if Walmart charges $45 for its ETB’s & i charge $50 (after paying $25-30), the price is close enough to retail that most in-person customers are not turned off by the slight markup over MSRP, especially considering my selection is significantly better than Walmart or Target. at any given time i’ll have SWSH Base, BStyles, Darkness, Vivid, Reign, Fusion, Stars, AssRad, GO!, Origins & Tempest ETB’s on hand. most big box stores have 2 or at most 3 sets for those looking to dip their toe in the water i would recommend against diving directly into distribution/wholesale deals. the key to surviving your first couple of years is flexibility. the LAST thing u want is to get coerced into buying more product than u need, or buying shit product (Battle decks anyone?) just so distributors will give u access to the good stuff. your margins are going to be tight & u cant afford to sit on unwanted product or eat it by selling at cost. instead, find the cheapest products u can- buy 10 of those Costco 5-pack tin bundles at $30 (or less) a piece then break em down & sell the tins for $10-$12 a piece. u just doubled your money. snatch up a few of those Heavy Hitters at $25, sell the full box for $50 or break down the packs for $5 a piece & u turned $25 into $70. $9 Virizion boxes at GameStop will sell for $20. $15 Trick or Trade bags turn into $40 if u sell each pack for $1. start cheap, stay flexible, dont get locked into bad distribution deals & have a few similar themed items to go with the cards: Pokemon plushies, Shitmallows & random anime crap from 5Below, some cheap YuGiOh shit, maybe some Manga, Pokemon funko pops, One Piece cards… Pokemon will be your focal point, the tree trunk, but u need a few branches. this will get u started… from there u can start thinking bigger & with a little work u should be able to build a decent customer base, at which point u start looking at distribution & filing your business papers. again this is a basic formula for a brick & mortar, preferably in a mall or market that already has traffic that u can tap into.

[@jeffreyherrmann2888]

I opened in 2022 looking for ways to unload my bulk at a profit. I've had decent success paid for with long hours. This is my unsolicited advice. Approach the business side of Pokemon TCG as a means to grow your collection value. Every bulk lot you profit $.50 off of, that's .$50 you can put toward something you actually want. Be patient. Enjoy the grind. Enjoy watching your collection grow over time.

[@Zinraf]

I would have loved to get into selling Pokemon, merging a hobby and business would be perfect. But as you say - the margins are so small, that without substantial volume you're struggling for even minimum wage. For now I'll have to stick to it just being a hobby.

[@shuckletcg]

Did a bunch of research for opening a brick/mortar LGS this year but ultimately had to decide against it. My area has a lot of established shops with dedicated player bases that would be difficult to compete with.

[@arnefickert2034]

Hey Danny, thanks for the content. What happens with the price of old pokemon Bulk (Swsh /S&M), because of the New Scalert & Violet Cards Design? Best regards from germany

[@Brause_Market]

dude this video is coming perfectly for me, I bought some cheap cards from Japan this year - to sell them here in my country. I am very curious if this will work. my platform will be Ebay. lets see ; )

[@cooltrainer_chris]

Hey Danny, recent subscriber and fan here - wanted to share a funny story with ya. Long story short, I’m pretty much brand new to Pokémon collecting. In fact, it’s basically been over twenty years since I’ve bought anything Pokémon. However, after recently finding my old collection and cards only a few months ago at my parents’ place, I’ve since discovered a newfound appreciation and love for Pokémon and the thrill/nostalgia of collecting again. I randomly came across your channel while looking at Pokémon collecting videos one day, and how to “get back into it”. It was then that I began to realize how much my collection was worth, but also how I could start to enjoy and look at Pokémon not just as a hobby again, but as a means of investment. So after 20+ years of not opening or buying anything Pokémon related, I asked for “whatever the newest pack is” and ended up purchasing a handful of Silver Tempest packs at a local card store. Not knowing really any single Pokémon of these newer generations, I had to Google nearly every card I pulled. Well, one of those very pulls just happened to be (what I now realize is) the highly sought after Lugia card... “beginners luck” I guess am I right? Anyways since that moment, I’ve worked on learning more about the trading card game itself and the art of collecting, investing, and possibly in my case, maybe even starting a side business down the road. So I just wanted to say, your videos have been instrumental in recapturing my love for this game, twenty some odd years later, so thank you. I also realize now, that this was anything but a “long story short” - but again, many thanks Danny, and keep up the great work. Sincerely, New Pokémon fan

[@sureguy8124]

If s&v base set and the oncoming sets of 2023 aren't bussin. A lot of lgs will suffer. Many sets can be hit and miss. Always be prepared for the miss. From the last 2 base sets of modern (sun and moon, sword and shield), they were pretty much duds. In 2021, evolving skies basically saved pokemon's ass and lgs. Not every set will be great, and will be hard to move products for long periods. Better have cash in hand at all times preparing to buy the better up-and-coming sets while you sit on the trash sets. It's like all of us who is chasing moonbreon, 90% will fail to pull the chase...lol

[@brettcook7787]

I’ve dabbled on eBay for the past few years buying and selling… hard to pull a profit! Time consuming like heck but fun!! Hoping to expand one day?? Appreciate all your advice and truth bombs! ❤

[@abyss9316]

My small little town gained another card shop ..... we already have 3 in our small less than 50k pop pretty optimistic not sure how long it's going to last with these desperate economic times

[@leefamily9000]

last time I checked, the customer pays for shipping, not the seller. gaining a $1-2 profit per booster box? yikes! I'm not sure if that's true.

[@basementofoperations3471]

Would be awesome to have my own business. But I do understand that the time and effort does not result in equal profits. Thanks for the extra info though, much appreciated.

[@yerimchi]

Werent you going to take a break?

[@simthegeek1428]

It's making it's work in my head. Still hesitating before starting a TCG Business in Quebec, Canada. But love to watch contents and learn about it. Your're a great help

[@whythreeh]

I've just started a small side hustle for Pokemon. It gives me an excuse to buy product and then of course sell them to continue financing myself. It is not as easy as people think it is. But, press on I will.

[@stichez5173]

85$$ booster boxes are impossible to find in my area. Typically its 100-125. And bulk selling has went from a descent way to make extra to a chore I have to do to keep the mountains of cards down but I dont make much at all because the rates are ridiculous

[@lissmaher1977]

Congratulations to the winners. How exciting! Such invaluable information, thanks so much for your expertise.

[@bertrammorris214]

I just started collecting Pokemon. Love the channel. The information you provide has been very helpful to me. Thank you Danny!

[@Lumlle]

See. I have two sableye from lost origin and I kinda wanna sell them and I think this video may help a good bit SO THANK YOU DANNY

[@PokemonFamClub]

Started one 1.5 years ago, still can’t get any distributors to work with me, all say must be b&m.

[@abyss9316]

....such a stand up kind of guy....you really make youtube a better platform every day every video

[@TheIfarted]

Heres my business plan. Buy product now and some older sets now. Then open a business in 10-15 years selling todays product for way higher.. im all in sealed product…yeah its a long term game but if a etb for $50 now is $300 in like 5 years or something thats pretty good return.. i think sealed product is the safer then the stock market.. once something is out of print then its over forever and supply goes down

[@FyesanFan]

It's definitely a thought I've had. Myself and my partner have done small scale stuff on car boots which has proved a massive hit so yes it's tempting.

[@Yeeeee928]

Danny Phantump, you always have such a good insight on Pokémon, thanks for the heads up on the biz!! Love the vids!!

[@matthewlyle6295]

Hi Danny! Well done video as always. My girlfriend loved watching the pack break and seeing you toss me a few fail packs on guardians rising. Thought that was super cool. She wants to try next time

[@MarketScraper]

You are awesome! Love the content, very helpful and relevant topics and answers to questions I have.

[@nevercold808]

This is a great vid to ground people who have their head in the clouds. I think a ton of new "stores" flame out quick because they don't realize how much work goes into running an LGS. Good luck to anyone chasing their dreams. Just know what you're getting into.

[@BennyH1987]

Happy Friday Danny. Thanks for the info about the business side. Appreciate all your hard work. 👍

[@IronAndOak]

I’ve got a lot of interest in starting, but man… quite overwhelming and my available time is so low, (4 kids and 2 babies). What are your thoughts on partnerships?

[@Jjepwns]

I've thought about making guaranteed value back pack off of my duplicates and other goodie packs and mystery boxes. Just for fun, I would love it to be a job though. It would be a grind but at least a fun grind and itch the pack opening itch I always have

[@trashpanduh1011]

I could never do it. Not with Pokémon at least. If I got Pokémon for wholesale I’d just rip so much for myself 😂 Instant debt lol

[@CFronTV]

happy 2023!!! hoping to get a box!! thanks for everything you do for the community!!

[@orlandoalvarez214]

Thank you for you business expertise! Definitely looking forward to your videos in 2023.

[@pokeredandblue2383]

Amazing video Danny. I'm a small business owner in Aus. And videos like this really help me out mate. Keep doing you and being awesome. Appreciate the insight!

[@stichez5173]

I started selling buying and trading as a business I'm 2019 and it's been hell. Up and down. Having to still work a regular job because the market is so unsteady.

[@MikeJones-fz3bi]

I have quite a few experiences where it will be listed on TCGP as near mint or mint….then the 2 to 4 weeks later when you get your cards🙄🙄🙄….they are pretty beat up

[@Goozen7881]

I've been thinking about it for a while...maybe just flipping cards for a now lol

[@jesse01]

Really enjoy your videos keep it up man. Question for you or the community. On getting an autograph on pokemon cards is it better getting it on the face of the card itself or on a penny sleeve ?

[@browntown607]

Just made an eBay account and have made 592 in my first week! No lie. Biggest sale was rayquaza vmax alt art from evolving skies.

[@Therealethanparker]

I’ll be curious to see how Lugia VSTAR does after rotation…

[@Castraphinias13]

I opened an LLC but no one will sell to me since I don't have brick and mortar, that's my big problem. I would love to dedicate more time as I was laid off as a Christmas present, but I don't have anywhere to get product :(

[@mattslaikeu8832]

Thought about doing brick and mortar. Just seems really scary with how evil ppl have become with stealing and hurting others. That’s why I ship right now cuz distance between others is nice

[@TheLastDose]

Your section on competitive play definitely encapsulates the supply and demand I do wonder , competitive players while a smaller pop than the whole community buying at say Walmart probably have a higher demand because of the rotations. While the whole population might enjoy any product you put on the shelf, comp players know just what they are looking for which can help sales. I can see how selling to general pop is great too, I just cannot say which is better !

[@Gecko998YT]

Selling pokemon cards is such an interesting idea.. I think i would stick to singles though- trying to move product seems like a headache ! haha

[@Chris-qt6dn]

I've been considering becoming a Pokemon bulk seller because of your videos, along with a few other content creators. Thank you for the vids!

[@thomasaquinas601]

Thank you for touching on this topic. I really appreciate your insight on this that I just don't hear anywhere else...much appreciated.

[@magnificcenTCG]

I think starting a TCG business is a lot more work then people realize, and small margins. More small business fails than succeeds from what I've seen.

[@PokeWojo]

All crucial information in starting a Pokemon business in 2023. @Danny Phantump I was just curious if you knew anything about starting a distributor business? You talk about being a small business getting product from distributors and I was just wondering how a distributor would start. I am sure if you knew a little bit about it there would still be a lot to talk about on the subject and I know there is a lot to consider such as storage, logistics, and etc.

[@TF_TV]

Thanks for the opportunity to win. Love your videos, and insights. Thanks Danny!

[@a-b0t633]

Boy I'd sure love to but even if I were to be good at it I think I'd keep my day job out of fear of where the market will go. Right now I just wanna build a big sealed collection that I can sell when prices get high enough and have a nice cycle of selling older boxes while buying new ones. Maybe it could lay the foundation for a side business but I don't wanna depend on it. Job security is too important.

[@Rockologist]

Thanks for the video detailing these things Danny! I would never plan on opening a TCG store, but very neat! Still a worthwhile video to watch.

[@msk1824]

If they’re raising MSRP, why would they reprint sword and shield? With sword and shield selling at the old price point.

[@twinjb8666]

Now, everytime I pull a bulk phantump, I think it's special because of Danny

[@vherostar]

Selling harder than ever with tons of ppl selling through twitch doing live breaks. I wouldn't wanna get into it personally but I'm in the UK which is small. Good luck to all that do.

[@carlosanaya558]

Appreciate this videos. Really helped out with what I’m looking for

[@slothpajamas]

Thank you so much for your advice. I love watching your videos!! Your content is so helpful

[@testestfff]

Pokémon Support claims there is a reprint coming. Idk how reliable someone from Pokémon support would be so take that information with caution

[@supatank2105]

Congrats to the 3 winners. Thanks danny for giving out 3 booster boxes this week..

[@anklez8623]

My 12 year old is the president of their middle school shop. They sell little things like pencils, fidgets, small stuff like that. The group decided they want to start selling Pokémon cards. I have no idea how they plan on getting started on that since it will be expensive to get inventory.

[@FamerGame]

Def would be a dream come true to be able to help so many kids fulfill their dreams with completing sets/getting their favorite Pokemon and setting up shop somewhere. Good luck out there yall!

[@lottstosea]

Interesting info! Never considering doing Pokémon as a side hustle but this was still really cool, thanks!

[@ashylegz9647]

You're the best Danny. I liked this business style of video. Can you do a video on how you calculate your orders and sales for accounting product for taxes.

[@Silas_Games]

Working to start my business currently :) Thankful for the advice.

[@JusZard]

Much love Danny !!!

[@claytonfrusco6460]

Thanks for all the informational videos!! I’ve just started looking into trying to make a little money on the side with the hobby. These videos are a huge help!

[@stichez5173]

I dont regret starting but I wish I didnt quit my job and think I could make a living on everything, especially right when the market was about to drop to rock bottom.

[@ItzAndy25]

Kekw. Stores only offer 50% value at best nowadays. Plus a stamp is 60c now.

[@chrisqwright8918]

Ty for the opportunity for a vstar universe box. Very much appreciated. 🙂👍🔥

[@aquariumplantman]

Love your vids, I’ve just started long term investing into Pokémon whilst also enjoying the hobbie with my son.

[@NcaSnare2012]

Love the video, Danny. It would be a dream to start a pokemon store so hearing your story was very insightful. Thank you!

[@nakai_bee6024]

I just started collecting again, for the third time in my life, four weeks ago. I am already considering getting into starting my side hustle business. Lol.

[@theriptide27]

I won’t be starting a Pokémon tcg business but these videos are fascinating and helpful!

[@trevorsimpsonglass3963]

Thanks for the love and sharing your experience brother. It means a lot🙌🙌🙌

[@danizard_tcg]

Hey Danny. You mentioned a list of cards that will be going out of rotation. Would you make a video of cards that are may be competitive after the rotation. It be great to know what we may want to take off TCGplayer until rotation hits

[@alexatwood6765]

Very informative, I really enjoyed the video and feel like I have a much better understanding about the tcg business!