I used to collect Pokemon with my friends a lot before Covid started and collecting was actually fun. Since Covid the demand for cards has just skyrocketed and every time I come to store it all gone. So I'm making this post to simply ask how do you guys get your cards?
by Middle-Rutabaga2748
27 Comments
I honestly just don’t bother buying the Pokemon cards or I just go to a card convention.
Either way, the scalper psychos are a problem regardless no matter where they are.
I stopped going to the machines .. was tired of seeing a bunch of bum ass grown men loitering.
Luck and not getting anything a lot of times.
There’s a lot of choices, but many of them aren’t great:
– Just don’t buy Pokemon cards at all.
– Only buy single cards (online or at card shows or from your local shop)
– Patiently wait until you do get something from those vending machines. It also helps if you check frequently. Some people will stop by after work every day.
– Wait in line before the store opens to get product on certain days when they restock.
– Pay higher prices than MSRP for sealed product. Whether that’s Gamestop (currently selling Perfect Order booster bundles for $49.99 at my local store), or your local card shop (sadly, my local shop is *also* selling POR booster bundles for $50), or on TCGPlayer (currently selling for about $40, but you have to also pay for shipping).
Unfortunately, if you remember collecting from 7+ years ago, it’s a very different thing now and you can’t have the same expectations for this hobby. I also remember a time when I could get two tacos, nachos, and a drink from Taco Bell for under $5, but that’s just not happening any more.
Walmart and Target have come through for me many times.
Find out when your local Walmart restocks. Check dollar generals (I just found AH mini tins tonight). DO NOT BUY FROM GAMESTOP
as unfortunate as it is i wait at these machines, its kind of easy to tell who are scalpers vs who actually want to collect. i just started my collection and i managed to get a couple of packs by waiting, i honestly dont care if i look like a dickhead because im a 21yo girl so i mean i hope people assume im not a scalper but theres no other option if i want to pay msrp..
I don’t. I haven’t bought anything since the 151 upc release at GameStop. I didn’t care much for all the terra sets. Now I’m selling my entire collection, these investor bro morons are exit liquidity. They are willing to pay so much money for even slightly older sets, it would be stupid not to take their money.
I go and check those vending machines everytime I go grocery shopping.
I find stuff probably once every 8 times. Sometimes I’ll check once more during the week.
It’s doable and it kinda saves me money.
You got to go at least 3 times a day to the machines or you’re just going to miss it. Once early in morning, once around 10:00-11:00, and then again from 1-3pm. During the weekdays. After 3:00 during the week people start getting off work and the machine gets bought out and there’s never stock.
So basically you can’t get anything 😊
Online drops. Follow the right X/Twitter accounts foreheads up notifications on those drops. Hope and pray you get lucky enough to be let into the queue and are able tk check out.
I got called a scalper with my 6 year old jumping up and down next to me because we actually found cards for once, it was cool and I really loved it.
Ripping packs never made sense financially anyway. Just buy the singles you want, you won’t regret it.
Dollar General has done me right many times. Just the other day I was able to find 3 Ascended Heroes mini tins while grabbing a few snacks
Barnes and Noble. They have a strict 1 limit policy and it’s worked wonders for making sure a lot of folk get cards!
It really depends on what you like and want. I’m the minority I enjoy stellar crown and journey together so I can regularly get sealed from grocery stores pharmacies etc for slightly above msrp, that extra 50 cents per pack I’m spending pays my gas and time to wait at releases. If you arent chasing a god pack and just want to enjoy the hobby, find a non hyped set like perfect order and try to master set it, you can walk into any big retail location and buy PO now. And if you have specifics from the other sets you want then buy them. I also have a card shop local to me that buys bulk, for me it evens out to every 4.5k cards I trade in I get a surging booster box at msrp. Thats my favorite set right now so I can rip a little of that every friday night all month and get some money back to start again after a few months of trading bulk in.
It’s actually pretty cool, I started doing this thing where I just don’t get Pokemon cards.
Make a deck
Go play at your local card store. You’ll get product. Frequent it, and they’ll give you releases for msrp.
So the vending machines are interesting. They drip release stock to combat scalpers. So the machine itself could be completely full, but say out of stock on everything, then you could go back 5 minutes later and one item will be stocked. At least that’s my understanding of it.
I deliver product to a grocery chain that is rolling out vending machines, leaving it up to the store manager to decide if they want them. None of my stores have them yet but a buddy/coworker has them in a couple of his stores and they’re in a couple stores near me or near my work route. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten lucky with it yet, but I walked up right behind a guy that managed to get a Black Bolt ETB the other day. When I walked up, it was sold out again.
As far as buying things that aren’t in the machines goes, I’ve managed to get Temporal Forces at MSRP recently from Walmart’s website, Target near me has consistently had Perfect Order single boosters. Sometimes you can get a decent deal on TCG Player.
Raw vintage
We check the machines frequently. My husband waits in the early morning lines for new releases and we’ve kind of figured out when our target, barnes and noble and five below get shipments.
I dont
Because no one wants to work anymore. Everybody got lazy and want easy profits
Gave up on the hobby, waiting for the crash.
Try harder
online
Simply don’t. If I can’t it for MSRP, I don’t buy any. This is the only time I prefer big corporate retailers than LCSs or vendors at cons.