Market MELTDOWN: Understanding the Crash in Japanese Pokemon Cards

This video is a quick summary on the recent downturn that Japanese Pokemon cards and sealed products have gone through and its possible causes.

[@AceTrainerX]

The algorithm decided to show me another small Poketuber, good content broski! I've been trying to make more investment videos as well, mostly talking about how competitive cards can drive the market just as strong as collectors can. Especially since competitive is blowing up right now.

[@JBTCG]

Ay thanks bro I just checked out ur account and dropped a sub!

[@AceTrainerX]

@@JBTCG Oh shit thanks man, what do you think about competitive players changing market prices? For example the new Dragapult ex.

[@JBTCG]

@@AceTrainerX I think it makes a lot of sense and I think the Pokémon company does a good job of not letting those cards get too expensive by reprinting them across different sets. I’m not enough into the player base to be able to predict when a playable card is about to jump unfortunately but I know some people are pretty good at making some money from that.

[@phantomask]

Thank goodness, I found your channel. another channel that talks about japanese booster box. I'm starting to convert my english holds to japanese since japanese typically grows faster than english. I just subbed and turned notif on. more content please. I might start talking about investing as well soon if I get a time.

[@2736492821]

most importantly japan has amped up their printing facilities, e.g., that's why they print 151 to the ground now

[@JBTCG]

Yeah they have, that’s why I didn’t focus on any of the 2023-2024 sets in this video. All of those are printed a ton more now. But even these 2021-2022 sets which weren’t printed into the ground are decreasing. I still think 151 will rebound even though the print run is insane

[@civicminim]

Good Info fam! Keep Pushing!

[@kedjfj798]

the real question is how did we get to those highs... i remember buying acouples lillies for 100$ each raw they all came back in a 10, was like 400 at the time, i check 1 week, later they at 2k+, this isnt organic growth at all

[@JBTCG]

Not 100% sure honestly. If it was back in 2020-2021, Japanese got a huge influx of people because English was super difficult to find and it kinda lead to a price spike in Japanese cards

[@bn5868]

As a Japanese collector this great for me. I can finally pick up cards I always wanted like Mew & Mewtwo GX Tag Team whereas before I was priced out.

[@Top_Loaded_JRGS77]

Japanese is dropping off because English is easy to get now. Waifu cards are losing steam as well. Snorlax Rainbow passed Marnie in Sword and Shield base and Magikarp passed Iono in Paldea evolved. The Gardevior and possibly the Miraidon will pass Miriam in Scarlet & Violet Base. As the Japanese market goes, so do the Waifu cards which shouldn't have translated to the English market but due to COVID buyers had to go the Japanese route and they brought the Waifu craze with it. Both are simmering down a lot.

[@JBTCG]

Yeah good points, I’m glad this is the route the Pokémon economy and community is going down tbh. Just means I can pick up vstar universe cards for super cheap

[@Top_Loaded_JRGS77]

@@JBTCG Love Vstar universe and its is so undervalued. Crown Zenith is moving a lot right now so I expect Vstar Universe to follow maybe in the next few months. I think it will be a good long term hold.

[@austpem]

@@Top_Loaded_JRGS77 VSTAR Universe is not undervalued at all. It was market manipulated to be as high as it was by the Japanese reseller cartel, that was their apex of market control. If you understood how much vstar universe got printed you'd understand how overvalued it STILL is.

[@Top_Loaded_JRGS77]

@@austpem I understand the point you are making. There is just so many good cards in that set and Crown Zenith was printed a lot but there is plenty of movement in the card prices because of how good it is. Yeah we should be getting all Japanese sets for $30 to $45 plus about $20 to ship so Vstar is right about that price now and its almost a year and 1/2 old but recently reprinted. Also Japanese cards are loosing some of its luster due to the fact that we can get English so easily now and at retail and below.

[@shuggnastee]

Loved the analysis. I live in Japan but am paid in USD, so I have benefited from the declining value of the JPY.

[@JBTCG]

Dang that’s pretty nice

[@brianpavelko792]

cool coverage on this, love JP cards bc they look so much better than english, collect both though, also you pull a tina its likely a 10 bc quality is 100x better than english, or was now prob only like 50x better lol

[@JBTCG]

Yeah I def prefer jp card quality. Also the vstar universe gold cards have slightly different Holofoil patterns which shine rlly nicely compared to the crown zenith ones

[@ScriptOCE]

I think for JP bbs speciality sets are the way to go

[@JBTCG]

I agree, the main sets aren’t great unless there’s some crazy chase card

[@Top_Loaded_JRGS77]

I agree. Fun to open too. My son opened 6 boxes of Shiny Treasures EX because it was his favorite rip of late.

[@roshifu]

Can get the Pokemon Japanese Classic Collection Box at an amazing price right now.

[@JBTCG]

Ooh good point, the cards from that look so nice

[@jasonyam6466]

I think great opportunity to buy! Will watch the video after the gym but a lot of the SV Japanese cards grade really well!

[@JBTCG]

True that is a big bonus with Japanese pokemon

[@pokene_pokemon]

Good video 🔥

[@JBTCG]

Thanks for checking it out and I’m glad you enjoyed!

[@shreklifeforever]

What website is this?

[@JBTCG]

Here’s the link to the article on japan’s economic outlook: www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/economy/asia-pacific/japan-economic-outlook.html And the name of the website with the graphs is pricecharting.com

[@DomingosHobbyShop]

Dope vid, subscribed!

[@PandaXDVAL]

Do you think people in 10-15 years will care about 151 as much as other sets printed in the 2020s? I saw a comment talking about how 151 is a nostalgia print for people born in the 90s-00s, and is inflated now because of how many adults enjoy the original 151 and the FOMO purchasing. In that case won’t there be more children growing up now, that look at their own generation’s sets more fondly than the original 151 Pokémon? If so, which set do you think (other than evolving skies) carry the most potential for the future? Also, I know you said in the video that you can’t determine Japanese prices a year from now, but would you say this is a good entry point regardless, if I’m planning to hold for the long term? 4-5 years minimum, ideally 10+ Thx again for the video, n good gym content bro, didn’t expect to see that in my shorts lol

[@JBTCG]

I think people will definitely care about 151 down the line especially since 10-15 years into the future people will have nostalgia to the 2023 151 craze. Personally my generation was 3-4 and I still love this 151 set. I think crown zenith is underrated for how amazing of a special set it is. I think 10 years down the line people will remember the amazing gallery and unique gold cards. Now is probably the cheapest time to buy Japanese 151 unless they just keep printing. Im going to buy a couple more boxes this week. I think In terms of a set that connects with the younger generation growing up with scarlet and violet id say temporal forces is the best we have so far and it’s nice and cheap rn. And thanks the shorts content is a little bit of a switch up from my regular content haha

[@2736492821]

kids today still love pikachu gengar etc

[@PandaXDVAL]

@@JBTCG Thanks for the advice man, I’ll look into getting more CZ and maybe a bit more of other SnS and the Temporal Forces. The vast majority of my sealed portfolio is English 151 right now, so I feel the need to diversify a little bit. And yeah man, keep up the fitness shorts, it’s a really cool way to integrate another genre of content into Pokemon. Waiting on Day X of deadlifting Wailord 🙏

[@phantomask]

@@JBTCG This is the perfect time to get cheap japanese booster boxes since you are holding long term. if you can get booster box at msrp or below, it's a win. Long tern, japanese booster box move faster in growth than english. japan's recession isn't for ever and we should take advantage of this.