I'm 1 week into this world. Bought a "base" etb at my local hobby shop at launch. $150. I get it was twice the price. And that's ok. It's a learning experience. Two weeks in and I'm learning that a sealed booster box (36) is superior to a base etb... Pokemon central is the place to purchase.
If I was you I'd be careful, definitely look and see what pack amounts and price per packs is. I got burned on all my old vintage singles in 2022 lost all my money pretty much. I did however manage to find evolving skies etbs in the wild for 40$ and some chilling rain and battle stiles I'm up on all because I bought them fairly cheap, just be careful I'm trying to get stuff from retail stores or retail prices
i have a whole room of product but i dont consider myself successful until i sell everything and realize those gains, right now im just hoarding cardboard
What you're doing is fine. But I can't do what you do and here's my reasons. I live in Cali where everything is high: gas, energy, taxes, mortgage, the list goes on and on. I just can't buy 5-7 cases at msrp or over. I'm limited to my funds. This is why you always hear me say, "wait". I have to wait. I have no choice. But if you can afford it, go for it.
Here's a a short example with stock instead, you don't get a million dollar portfolio by investing a million dollars once. You invest in what you think is a worthwile stock, either short or long term according to your risk tolerance. Same goes for Pokemon, you don't get to buy cases and cases of stuff if you don't have the money, but you can still make the same margins from a single ETB or BB, it just takes longer to grow your "portfolio".
I'll give an example of why I agree - and for the record, it working out for me isn't why I think this way, it's just evidence of this thought process having legs. I bought 151 Binder Collections for $25 per, and sold them 3 months later for $80 per. I used that to buy Surging Sparks for $120 per booster box, and then sold those for $220 per. Then I used that money and bought Prismatic cases for $900 per - and now those are already worth ~$1150. In that same time the 151 binders "only" went up 20%, while the pricing ladder I climbed since then went up ~100%. It's to the point where Prismatic could literally crash to MSRP and I would still be up over the original 151 binders. That being said, I would never reccomend someone to have more in Pokemon/collectables than in the stock market, even if it's just throwing money into VOO and never touching it.
@@NinJaTrainee Well yes, but I've been doing this for ~5 years. A lot of products react the same way, so it's easy to guesstimate the soft cap on them. Like I knew those Binder Collections were never going to 200 in that timespan. So basically worst case scenario was making x3 my money anyways, because Surging Sparks was obviously not going to drop to $40 a box.
@@Squidmoto3 Thoughts on the future of paldea evolved? Do you think it has hit your peronal soft cap? Thinking about selling 25-50% of my position for more 151, prismatic, team rocket & shrouded fable pc etbs at msrp.
@ With most booster boxes there's just a reliable increase. I would guess those other three options will all outpace PE, but that being said they have to do far more than just outpace it because you're going to lose 13% on eBay and then pay taxes on the new stuff. Let's say you go PE at $100 for example. Now it's at ~$200, so a safe bet you could make is selling off half of them, basically breaking even on your original investment and then the other half is "free". Then use the $100 profit from each to invest in newer stuff. That's a pretty easy way to limit risk and still expose yourself to the upside of new products.
@@Squidmoto3 Hey man ty for the long reply. Alot of people talk about the whole averaging down thing but im more worried about the opportunity cost of not taking advantage of these free innate gains from 151 & prismatic. I think the move is to try and sell half locally.
Could you buy a box for 100, sell it for 250, and buy back in at 180 on a reprint or after hype dies down? Sure, I suppose. But in my experiance it isnt worth it to try to "flip" in and out of long term investments. I get the concept, it just rarely is practical or worth your time and effort unless you just love being engaged and you have to be constantly doing somthing. I like the idea of buying sealed product with the houses money though, but thats what grading and selling cards is for. I can buy 500 bucks worth of singles, spend 300 to grade, and sell them all for 2000 after shipping and fees and get a free 1200 dollars to go buy boxes for free and sit on. This is much more practical, reliable, and within your actual control. Your not left to the whims of the market, on weather you will be able to buy it back at a reasonable price or not, or how long it will take. It will take 90 days for you no matter what, to get your cards back. You cannot make any sort of intelligible claims on when or if sealed product is going to move, or even in which direction with the same sort of confidence.
MSRP gang here! My collection cost me $5k, current market is $15k, I'm ok with MSRP mindset. Especially blended with the long term hold mentality, it's def working for me.
Vapor I think you should sell half when it doubles or more just like surging sparks so then it cost you nothing everything pure profit and prismatic is going to be mega in future 10,000 a set down to 7 maybe your the man if you do that in my mind if it cost you nothing at all pure profit
Love how you framed this video! Great points, you gained a new subscriber :) Do you have a discord by chance? Would love to speak investing in pokemon cards w/ you (I also do a lot of stock option trading if you're interested). Thanks again!
I'm 1 week into this world. Bought a "base" etb at my local hobby shop at launch. $150. I get it was twice the price. And that's ok. It's a learning experience. Two weeks in and I'm learning that a sealed booster box (36) is superior to a base etb... Pokemon central is the place to purchase.
What do you mean by base? Like base set sword and shield era etb or sv era base set etb??
If I was you I'd be careful, definitely look and see what pack amounts and price per packs is. I got burned on all my old vintage singles in 2022 lost all my money pretty much. I did however manage to find evolving skies etbs in the wild for 40$ and some chilling rain and battle stiles I'm up on all because I bought them fairly cheap, just be careful I'm trying to get stuff from retail stores or retail prices
@@omnipotencenurturingmalevo147I think he meant a regular ETB rather than a PC ETB.
@@omnipotencenurturingmalevo147 he prob means non-PC etb
@@smedspets695great point grabbing at retail stores is the worst.
the best way i keep at this is asking.. imagine the worth of everything you've opened in the last 2-3 years... puts a different prospective on this.
Buy 2, sell 1 when it double and let your free item grow long term
Vapor mindset
Vapor
Vapor
Vapor
i have a whole room of product but i dont consider myself successful until i sell everything and realize those gains, right now im just hoarding cardboard
What you're doing is fine. But I can't do what you do and here's my reasons. I live in Cali where everything is high: gas, energy, taxes, mortgage, the list goes on and on. I just can't buy 5-7 cases at msrp or over. I'm limited to my funds. This is why you always hear me say, "wait". I have to wait. I have no choice. But if you can afford it, go for it.
Here's a a short example with stock instead, you don't get a million dollar portfolio by investing a million dollars once.
You invest in what you think is a worthwile stock, either short or long term according to your risk tolerance.
Same goes for Pokemon, you don't get to buy cases and cases of stuff if you don't have the money, but you can still make the same margins from a single ETB or BB, it just takes longer to grow your "portfolio".
You’ve just described scalping 😂
I'll give an example of why I agree - and for the record, it working out for me isn't why I think this way, it's just evidence of this thought process having legs. I bought 151 Binder Collections for $25 per, and sold them 3 months later for $80 per. I used that to buy Surging Sparks for $120 per booster box, and then sold those for $220 per. Then I used that money and bought Prismatic cases for $900 per - and now those are already worth ~$1150. In that same time the 151 binders "only" went up 20%, while the pricing ladder I climbed since then went up ~100%. It's to the point where Prismatic could literally crash to MSRP and I would still be up over the original 151 binders. That being said, I would never reccomend someone to have more in Pokemon/collectables than in the stock market, even if it's just throwing money into VOO and never touching it.
Shits easy in a bull market huh
@@NinJaTrainee Well yes, but I've been doing this for ~5 years. A lot of products react the same way, so it's easy to guesstimate the soft cap on them. Like I knew those Binder Collections were never going to 200 in that timespan. So basically worst case scenario was making x3 my money anyways, because Surging Sparks was obviously not going to drop to $40 a box.
@@Squidmoto3 Thoughts on the future of paldea evolved? Do you think it has hit your peronal soft cap? Thinking about selling 25-50% of my position for more 151, prismatic, team rocket & shrouded fable pc etbs at msrp.
@ With most booster boxes there's just a reliable increase. I would guess those other three options will all outpace PE, but that being said they have to do far more than just outpace it because you're going to lose 13% on eBay and then pay taxes on the new stuff.
Let's say you go PE at $100 for example. Now it's at ~$200, so a safe bet you could make is selling off half of them, basically breaking even on your original investment and then the other half is "free". Then use the $100 profit from each to invest in newer stuff.
That's a pretty easy way to limit risk and still expose yourself to the upside of new products.
@@Squidmoto3 Hey man ty for the long reply. Alot of people talk about the whole averaging down thing but im more worried about the opportunity cost of not taking advantage of these free innate gains from 151 & prismatic. I think the move is to try and sell half locally.
Vapor! Thoughts on people trying to sell all their surging boxes due to the prismatic release? Or not really relevant in where you’re at?
Could you buy a box for 100, sell it for 250, and buy back in at 180 on a reprint or after hype dies down? Sure, I suppose. But in my experiance it isnt worth it to try to "flip" in and out of long term investments. I get the concept, it just rarely is practical or worth your time and effort unless you just love being engaged and you have to be constantly doing somthing. I like the idea of buying sealed product with the houses money though, but thats what grading and selling cards is for. I can buy 500 bucks worth of singles, spend 300 to grade, and sell them all for 2000 after shipping and fees and get a free 1200 dollars to go buy boxes for free and sit on. This is much more practical, reliable, and within your actual control. Your not left to the whims of the market, on weather you will be able to buy it back at a reasonable price or not, or how long it will take. It will take 90 days for you no matter what, to get your cards back. You cannot make any sort of intelligible claims on when or if sealed product is going to move, or even in which direction with the same sort of confidence.
MSRP gang here! My collection cost me $5k, current market is $15k, I'm ok with MSRP mindset. Especially blended with the long term hold mentality, it's def working for me.
come on vinnie, those are rookie numbers, you gotta pump those up.
Dark Vapor mindset
Done collecting officially an investor sorry kids
Sealed boxes and hand waiving. At least pull a 🐇 out of a hat. Maybe a card trick or something.
Generally a good idea to have your product/investment a few inches above
the floor, and not sitting on it directly. stuff happens.
Vapor I think you should sell half when it doubles or more just like surging sparks so then it cost you nothing everything pure profit and prismatic is going to be mega in future 10,000 a set down to 7 maybe your the man if you do that in my mind if it cost you nothing at all pure profit
I'm silently selling some products in small amounts, shh don't tell anyone 😶
There's 150 and more to see...
If u are in US...
Vapor is an Extremely Successful investor
Yes beyond all imagination
Hope u are paying taxes😂
Love how you framed this video! Great points, you gained a new subscriber :) Do you have a discord by chance? Would love to speak investing in pokemon cards w/ you (I also do a lot of stock option trading if you're interested). Thanks again!