(Part 2) Best products from r/pkmntcg

You've received some great advice. Here's my take (after watching countless hours of the Professor on Tolarian Community College youtube channel).

• The ultra pro deck boxes are a great start!
  
• For about the same price, try out the ultra pro 'pro-dual' deck box. It holds two decks (or one deck plus dice/counters) all in one convenient spot! (link)
  
• The elite trainer boxes are a great value, and the box is excellent for storing cards. You can put cards in directly (like the picture provided above) or you can even fit the Ultra Pro deck boxes inside. (link
  
• The elite trainer box also includes card sleeves that you can use to protect your kids' deck. These are not the strongest sleeves, but they look great and are much better than nothing. If the kids are yanking cards in and out of these they may get beat up pretty quickly, so you'll have to decide if it's worth using sleeves at this point.
  
• Inner sleeves (or penny sleeves) are clear transparent sleeves. These will provide a bit of protection and can be used permanently (no need to ever take them out of these). Cards sleeved with these can then be 'double sleeved' in the bigger outer sleeves (like the ones included in the elite trainer box) for maximum protection. Inner sleeves are slick so trying to use them without an outer sleeve may prove difficult as the cards will slide around and not stack well. (link)
  
  Good luck! Check out the Professor if you really want to go deep! His 'report card' is great!
  Card Storage Report Card
  
  
  
  

I played the TCG years ago and I'm still playing the 3DS games, but I've got a Christmas wishlist here that sparked some questions. Can someone help me?

• If a kid wants specific cards, where should I go about ordering them? I remember using eBay back in the day, but I found a bunch of other sites when I did a quick search. Is one more reputable than the others?
  
• If a kid wants to get into the game, which of the basic starter decks would be a good choice? I assume we'd stick with SuMo and not buy legacy stuff, but there's a dozen options within that. Ideally, I'd like to get two decks that don't precisely "counter" one another. Going by the VGC, I'd say Steel Sun + Bright Tide would be a good combination, but I'm not sure if the same rules apply.
  
• Is this playmat from 1999 still relevant? I haven't played the TCG in like 10+ years, but I remember the playmat being really helpful when I was learning the rules.
  
• Does the game still use coins and damage tokens? Anyone have links to some fun ones? Etsy, Pokemon Centre, whatever.

I went to office max (now also office depot) and bought a Case-It Binder (i'm using The Sidekick, but theres a ton of other options).
All major supply stores should have this (staples, office depot, office max)

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Sidekick-2-Inch-Removable-D-901-BLU/dp/B000SDWBA6

Theres a removable organizer that i'm using for my rulebook/erratta printouts

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has a carrying strap and i fit 40 pages of (crappy) sleeves in it, stacked with full playsets (4) of almost every card on both sides. I fit well over 2500-3000 cards in weight in it and it's perfectly fine.

It uses some kind of really hard plastic on the backs front and back cover that hurt a little when i did a punch test. :P Not the flimsy crap you see in the ultrapro binders.

http://imgur.com/a/4gPUj
(no, i didn't stack the Ex's haha)

Can't really beat this for only 20 bucks...

Good luck!

Edit: if you need any more pictures or have questions about this specific binder - feel free to let me know. This is by far the best budget card holder i've ever owned and is 2-3 times the quality as similar priced ones from the card shops.

Not a theme deck, but this is probably the best thing for new players to learn on. Theme decks are really crummy and slow and don't give a good "feel" for what the game is actually like. This Mewtwo vs. Darkrai pack is straightforward enough that new players can learn on it but also well-built enough that it won't be boring.

I would definitely, definitely suggest getting enough sleeves for the decks though since the cards that come in there are worth more resale than the $30 you'll spend on the decks. One pack of these for the Darkrai deck and another of these for Mewtwo would work if you like color-coordination :)

>can you maybe give me a resource to look at the champion decks from last year that you speak of and they're pricing?

Here's a listing on Amazon. If you live in the US I recommend buying through that link as it's a very good price. Their starting price point is usually $10-12 per deck at B&M stores when they're first released in November but after that their availability is a bit spottier and they usually run for closer to $15 a pop, so getting all four decks for under $50 shipped is a good deal.

One other thing: I recommend purchasing card sleeves to prolong the life of the cards you are playing if you haven't already. Even the most common staples like Pokemon Communication are still worth a dollar, and replacing a 5-cent sleeve is a lot easier than having to replace frequently-played cards for a dollar or more. If you really want to go cheap, you can get transparent sleeves that usually come in packs of 100 for $1, earning them the name "penny sleeves." If you're looking for something more substantial, see the recommendations in this thread.

Tins are a great option. You get a really cool 'flashy' card, and 4 packs to open up, PLUS an awesome looking tin to store the cards in. This one and this one have very popular, cool-looking Pokemon included. If it were my kid, and they weren't sure who their favorite Pokemon was yet, this would probably be where I'd start.

Kids love cool looking 'flashy' cards (heck, adults do too) and the tin just adds to the appeal.

Here's what we ended up doing. We talked a lot about the pros and cons of buying a pack where you don't know exactly what you'll get and individual cards where you do. In the end, I bought my son the Mega Powers Collection Box (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZXVMWNR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and a binder to store his cards (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y57AFCW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). My son loved this pack and the binder! My son also chose to use some of his own money to purchase four individual cards. He did a lot of research to decide on which cards he wanted to buy and to also make sure he was getting real cards, not fake ones (apparently this is an issue). It was fun watching him spend time searching around on Amazon to decide what to spend his money on. In the end, he picked four cards and is thrilled with them!

Good luck!

I believe your best option for a binder to hold the 4-slot sheets for top loaders with be double sleeved (perfect fit + penny) cards inside each top loader is Top Loader Binders: they are quite expensive though, even if your cards might be worth $400+. Example of the product.

However, if you don't plan on showing off your collection often and just want them to be safe, I'd recommend putting everything double sleeved in top loaders and storing them in regular cardboard boxes for top loaders. I think boxes are safer than binders, if both were kept in the same conditions.

I highly recommend trading on /r/pkmntcgtrades, just read up on the guidelines before you do.

Purchase some top loaders and penny sleeves. Place cards into penny sleeve into top loader, and use a bit of scotch tape to make sure they don't slide out.

You can either mail with (bubble mailer) or without tracking (plain white envelope). I always use some extra paper to make sure the envelope doesn't collapse on itself if I ship without tracking. If the cards are expensive, always use tracking and a bubble mailer.

For payment, I use paypal almost exclusively.

Good luck and have fun!

Nice! So the best deal I've gotten so far is still ongoing on Amazon. The price for the Zygarde Pin Box is at 8.99 (https://www.amazon.com/TCG-Zygarde-Complete-Forme-Collection/dp/B01N07HOZ7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502424086&sr=8-1&keywords=zygarde+pin+collection) as of right now (8/11/17 12:02 AM).

I bought it yesterday at 9.59, but nonetheless its been often around the $12 range so its still pretty good.

When I purchase singles online they almost always come in one of two sleeve types:

• BCW Topload Card Holders [Amazon Link]
  
• Ultra Pro Semi Rigid Card Holders [Amazon Link]
  
  The BCW ones are more expensive, but very sturdy. Definitely the best for card protection. I would absolutely use these for my most expensive cards.
  
  The Semi Rigid ones are a little floppy, but still durable. They have a little extra flap at the top. They are a lot cheaper than the BCW ones.

XY Ancient Origins has the reprints of the shiny Primal Kyogre Ex/Groudon Ex/M Rayquaza Ex. Last I checked it was ~$100 on Amazon, which is somewhat of a retail price. They're not any good without their Basic counterparts though, so if you got just an Ancient Origins box, it would be more for collecting.

XY Primal Clash featured the Kyogre Ex/Groudon Ex/Ray Ex first I think, but the boxes cost more than $100. Out of my price range.

If you like Blaziken consider getting the Blaziken tin:
https://smile.amazon.com/Pokemon-Blaziken-Summer-Collector-Sealed/dp/B00VSAUTI4/

or the Primal Clash Elite Trainer Box: https://smile.amazon.com/Pokémon-Trading-Card-Game-Trainer/dp/B00RW36O3U

Don't expect to get AMAZING pulls, but you will get an EX now and then. If you do get a large amount of boosters, ie from a booster box, you can expect to get a whole lot of commons/uncommons and an EX every now and then.

These are the only PSA case sleeves that fit that I've used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MEC9E47?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title

Keep in mind that these do NOT fit BGS cases but are nearly a perfect fit for PSA cases with very little space for movement.

I sell cards (Pokemon and sports) on eBay and TCGPlayer and use these team bags (Resealable plastic bags for toploaders): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JNZ4LB2?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title

Theme decks are not the way to go. More often than not, theme decks are, well, terrible. They're a great start for beginners, but its not a good thing to buy just to get energy cards. This box or this box is a good way for beginners to get into the game. They give you five energy of each type plus a bunch of packs and some other goodies.

If you're set on something Pokemon themed, you could try an Elite Trainer Tin. They're big enough for a full, double-sleeved deck, and have a storage compartment that holds a good amount of dice, your GX token and burn/poison coins, etc. Plus they come with 45 energy cards and 2 booster packs.

Here's one that is available with Prime shipping. None are super current, and some are pretty hard to get, but this one is $18.75. I have really enjoyed mine for League Cups/Challenges.

If you plan to double sleeve cards, here are some cheap inner-sleeves.

https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-Standard-Pro-Fit-Transparent-Sleeves/dp/B005HXLH3O

They are designed to fit the card snuggly, I've used these to sleeve some ex cards to keep them from warping. They are small enough though that then the cards should be able to fit in a regular sleeve.

The desiccant is a great idea. I would suggest keeping the cards in an area of the house which won't go through huge temperature swings. The warping occurs because the foil layer doesn't absorb moisture as much as the "cardboard" portion of the card.

Any card that you can buy in big stores like Target, Walmart, or Gamestop will be compatible with one another.

Even cards from a decade ago can still work with cards released today.

You'll probably want to look into products like Theme Decks or Trainer Kits for your cousin, since he's so young and just starting out.

The trainer kits come with two 30 card decks with cards in a specific order, so you can follow along with the instructions on how to play the game your first time.

They have half decks in a lot of stores it has 2 30 card decks which is half of a deck and they teach you the rules they are $12 the last two that were printed where a Raichu and lycanroc deck and a suicune and Pikachu 1 Amazon links to both below

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00T5UXY8G/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1521400296&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=pokemon+2+player+starter+set&dpPl=1&dpID=61RW7JaqmZL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N6TC9MD/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1521400430&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=pokemon+2+player

http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Black-White-Plasma-Trainer/dp/B00BBLDF36

I also saw them some at my local target for 35.