Welcome back, trainers! After a brief hiatus, we are thrilled to announce that our beloved Pokémon newsletter is making a grand return. Get ready to dive back into the captivating world of Pokémon as we bring you the latest updates, stories, and deals every Friday. Whether you're a seasoned Pokémon Master or just starting your journey, our newsletter is here to provide you with all the information you need to become the very best. So, grab your Poké Balls and join us as we embark on this exciting adventure together!

MEME OF THE WEEK

Collecting: Vintage vs. Modern

A potentially daunting decision for Pokéfans, so let’s break it down!

Base set or Obsidian Flames? Gym Heroes or Sword and Shield? From new trainers to veteran champions, the decision to focus on the new or the old can be can be enough to admit yourself to the care of Nurse Joy! While on the surface of things this may be a relatively simple question, the world of Pokémon card collecting can be as varied and nuanced as the lovable creatures themselves. Considerations like availability, condition and that nasty four letter word all collectors love to hate, cost.

So you’ve decided to go Vintage huh? Old school is the best school and you wouldn’t have it any other way! As you set forth into the long forgotten worlds of Fossil sets and Deoxys, a few things become readily apparent. Firstly, there are precious few options out there! Secondly, the cost of these options is enough to make Meowth blush. How come? To put it bluntly, basic economics. Variables like scarcity and demand equal cost. Pokémon cards are no different, because of the fact that a great many of these sets are out of print and, I would argue, demand has gone up. So how to go about it? Save up and buy booster boxes as you can afford them, or buy individual cards?

The more affordable route would be to stick with buying individual cards as you come across them. When these vintage sets were new, almost everyone that bought them immediately tore through the packaging in pursuit of those sweet, sweet pulls! (Hence the price tags on sealed vintage product.) Leaving lone cards in different collections as they were sold and traded as time marched on. However, this leaves us with another problem. Condition! Some cards survived in pristine condition, while others look like a Scyther tried to juggle them. Time has a way of being cruel to most things, especially to pieces of thin cardboard that were originally meant to be played with. Opening the door to graded cards, is not only a great way to ascertain what shape your quarry is in, but stabilize its value for the future.

Dead set for the here and now? You most definitely aren’t alone! With amazing sets like the recently released Obsidian Flames and the upcoming 151, Pokémon shows no signs of letting up! The upsides are obvious, low cost and high availability, retailing between 100 to 150 USD. The only potential hang up to some trainers, is the fact that it could be quite some time to reach the value of their older brethren. But with the rise of GX, EX and VMAX cards, the sky’s the limit for the future!

Alas, we have a third option….

Why not both? Lots of collectors (myself included) opt for both worlds. I’m old enough to remember when Pokémon first came to American shores and being able to buy base set packs for 1 USD each! So naturally the soft spot of my heart will always hold the first sets dear. But with the expansion of Pokémon from 151 to over 1000, there’s lost of empty space in my PokeDex and card collection to fill! Happy hunting!

OBVIOUS ADVERTISEMENT OF THE WEEK

Our Partner, Mystery Poké Slabs has an amazing Giveaway this month! They are giving away a sealed Team Rocket Booster box to one lucky Person this month! All orders between October 1 - October 31 are entered to win!

🔽🔽CLICK THIS IMAGE FOR 10% OFF PRODUCTS AT MYSTERYPOKESLABS.COM🔽🔽

UNTIL NEXT WEEK👋👋👋