Losing Sight on Collecting
As a 90s kid, I wanted nothing more than to open Pokemon cards. My heart rate would spike the moment I entered our local Ames (if you remember Ames, then kudos to you), and seeing end caps filled with Base Set and Jungle packs. Whenever I had enough changed saved to buy just one pack, my excitement would continue to grow. I’m sure I angered every employee at the register when I brought out my ziplock bag of change that took at least three minutes to count out. To this day, I still remember some of the most memorable pulls from those packs. I remember the Poliwrath from a gas station parking lot. I remember the Zapdos from an Ames pack that I opened even before I got out the door. I’m sure there are more that I’m missing, but these childhood experiences were what made me stay with the hobby decades later.
Fast forward 25 years later, I’m starting to notice something…
As a kid, I only wanted to have all 151 in my binder.
I didn’t care about condition…
I didn’t care about price…
I didn’t even know buying singles was even an option…
All I knew was that the only way to complete my goal was to work hard, save money and buy packs myself. Working towards buying packs, regardless of the odds of getting what I wanted, was a very impactful experience that I’ve carried over into my adulthood. More specifically, when you receive a reward that you’ve worked hard for, the experience associated is very memorable.
Although working towards goals or saving money are good lessons, I also have learned several others along the way. As an adult, I only wanted to collect high value cards to treat them as investments.
I now care about condition to a meticulous degree…
I now care to look for the best price across multiple platforms…
I now know that buying singles is the best way to get what you want…
These new interests are not bad per se, but what is the difference between 8-10 year old me and now?
Power and influence of money…
It’s no secret that some older Pokémon cards can quite literally be used to put down payments on a house or start a new business. Since 2020, Pokémon, and how much money there is in it, has been a major topic of discussion within the community. If you have enough knowledge and education in the hobby, anyone can put themselves in a successful position in the long term…but at what cost?
Although I’m grateful for the opportunities that allowed me to start this brand, I’m starting to lose the spark that drew me into Pokémon in the first place. I’m not talking about the business spark. I’m talking about the collector spark.
So how do I get it back?
I decided to take a step back and view my current goals: both for my brand AND myself. My brand is in a good position. I have enough inventory to sell. I have enough to pursue collections belonging to interested sellers. So what about myself not associated with the brand? Looking at empty binders, I decided to start a new collection. Not to sell…but to appreciate.
This is where my business and brand side tries to take over. I understand that cutting into profits takes away from business potential, but there has to be a happy medium right? Well there is. It’s called Trainer Gallery.
Trainer Gallery, in my opinion, is one of the first modern sets that got me excited to collect again. Remember 8-10 year old me? That version was screaming, demanding that I collect each card in the set. The artwork pairing trainer to Pokémon is unlike anything I’ve seen in a very long time. The best part of Trainer Gallery cards, is that it also pleases the business/brand side of me. Why? Trainer Gallery cards are extremely inexpensive. So having a modern sub set that I want to complete AND at an inexpensive price point was the breath of fresh air I needed. I’m excited to get back into collecting what I want for myself and not worry about profit or condition. I’m excited to go back into a card store to buy a pack to pull a Trainer Gallery card. I’m excited to get back into collecting. I’m sure I would be making my 8-10 year old self happy doing so. Too bad Ames isn’t around anymore…
