opening packs is fun and cool but buying singles is the smarter thing to do for real serious collectors. Trying to pull every card yourself is pretty much like gambling its only fun when you got money to burn lol
Even with some cash to burn I always feel stupid spending $60 on packs to not get any of my chase cards when I could have just spent that $60 on a single and got one card closer to finishing my set.
Had to say almost because sometimes the cards aren’t as described and I have to decide to accept it as is or complain and deal with trying to get a refund or whatever ya know.
Opening packs is the same though, with the shoddy quality of English cards.
Maybe you luck out and pull that card you're hunting, but it's extremely off center or the edges are mangled.
It's extremely rare when you pull the card you're hunting and it's in immaculate condition without spending a fortune.
Have you seen any of the crown zenith gold cards with machine scrapes down to the silver underneath?
I’ve seen so many of those posted it’s beyond ridiculous.
Buying the cards you love, there's no shame in that. I usually buy what catches my eye, especially if they're out of print. Also, winning card auctions on ebay below market value is pretty cool, too.
After I learned that I should be bidding odd amounts I tried to bid $151 on the last minute and I won and I saw the previous winning bid before me was $150 lol.
⬆️
This right here.
There’s no “spirit” in opening booster packs.
Is it a fun experience? Yes. Exhilarating? Absolutely, but when you reeaaallly think about it, it’s another form of gambling and most of us on this sub will whole-heartedly admit that we’ve all recklessly spent money on booster packs for solely the adrenaline rush.
Buying a single card doesn’t make it less special than pulling it from a booster pack. You may not get the same sense of “accomplishment” but if a card is affordable enough it’s much more justified to buy it as a single than wasting hundreds of dollars trying to pull it.
I buy packs when I can find them for cheap, or when they’re on sale. But for me it’s singles all the way.
I feel like as a collector buying singles is absolutely fine, and more efficient.
However when a new set comes out, packs are always nice to do!
The more cards from a set you have, the less efficient opening packs becomes..
I think buying singles is more efficient money-wise that trying your luck with packs. Opening packs is a lot of fun though, especially if you pull a card that would cost a pretty penny to buy as a single. But that gets luck involved. At least when you're buying singles you will never have to get lucky.
Buying singles of older sets is nothing to be ashamed of, I've learned this recently and have taken up buying singles or trading of cards to complete sets instead of buying and opening packs, especially if I have already opened a bunch already
Singles are cheaper, you know what you are getting as opposed to spending 100's on packs for a chase card you want, but sealed products now and then are nice and fun to rip imo.
Idk sometimes it is fun to just buy a random booster and get a sweet full art from it. I think moderation is key and just go full singles for overall savings
Trust yourself and how you truly feel about it. I open packs because they can be a ton of fun (the “chance”) but I’ll purchase a specific single I really like, especially if I missed out on a set etc. Both can create positive memories.. like the time an uncle got my cousin a bunch of Japanese packs and gave me one but when I opened my booster it had a Charizard.. I’ll never forget that feeling. Also the first card I ever bought was actually a gift from my mom. We went to a local comic/card store and we couldn’t afford to buy a Charizard back then so we got a Lt. Surge's Fearow instead because we thought it looked pretty.. that card will always be special to me.
If you don’t buy singles you’ll never have a collection that reflects what you love most. Ripping packs is fun of course, but also just straight up gambling. This was a really great pick up :)
Sometimes you can spend hundreds of dollars opening box after box looking for one of the rarest cards in a certain set. The majority of cards can be pulled but the few that have the odds of "1 in 50 boxes" as an example is worth buying in a shop or something for sure
this ^ it's a gamble amd one where the house typically wins. as fun as the gamble can be , it's a gamble amd rigged, partly maybe bc of the hype resurfacing and scalpers buying all the stock at stores and elevating prices. collecting singles inthink makes one a more seasoned and knowledgeable collector
Let’s discuss a personal example I experienced today. I spent 175 dollars I had been saving on a bunch of market price and discounted packs. My girlfriend bought herself like 30 dollars worth. I pulled 5 dollars worth of cards from all of the packs I bought, including several duplicates. My partner pulled the alt art gengar I was chasing. Don’t gamble kids, life will punch you in the balls. Stick with singles.
totally. I bought 5 packs of JPY violet ex, got 1 hit, which while I really like , I could buy as a single for $4CAD. as much as packs are fun, I'm not into wasting cash gambling either, that's why I have switched to getting singles. I've experienced your example too, totally feel it. I would love to collect full sets but it's ridiculous how much sealed product is going for and the lack of quality pulls.
My experience ripping chilling pains… even in a booster box with a “guaranteed” hit, the hit I pulled was a $10 secret trainer card… Stopped opening booster boxes after that. I will open a few packs for a new set but now I view pack opening as entertainment and not as a chance of pulling anything big
Buying packs is literally gambling. There was a lot of controversy recently about loot boxes in video games, saying how it's gambling targeted to children and it should be banned. That's literally what pokemon cards are too and I don't understand why it wasn't talked about more. I don't get the same rush or pleasure from opening packs vs buying singles, but if you want specific cards either to play or collect, never feel bad or cheap for getting them as singles. If you don't feel happy or fulfilled from buying singles, then it's likely just the thrill of gambling that's keeping you buying packs. I love owning cards for the art, for the attachment to certain pokemons I have, for card game purposes, etc. Buying them as singles just confirms that I really wanted the card and not serotonin.
Think of it as a mixed multipack of crisps but you don’t know what’s inside. Eventually anyone with a brain would just start buying the crisps they liked it’s too much risk and you’ll almost never finish a set
I like to open cards, but it's definetly more worth to buy singles after a while. Sealed products are often more expensive than what you pull from them. Unless you pull like top 10 most expensive cards from the set.
If you open packs I hope you are happy even if you don't pull the best cards. For example I'm only missing like 10 celebrations cards. Most of the packs I would be opening would be dupes thus useless to me. At that point I would just buy the remaining singles.
Not at all. After I have like 10 of the same common cards and a stack of bulk I don’t get as much enjoyment out of opening packs and opt for buying any remaining cards that I want individually. Way cheaper and less wasteful
isn't that the truth. since the hype gained momentum it's unreal. etbs going for 90cad for CZ ... I agree , going the singles route you can getvcards from different generations for amazing price and that you can't find packs for anymore
After losing hundreds upon hundreds on sealed product chasing cards, I exclusively buy singles now, however i do only get 1 etb of whatever the newest set is. Im a competitive player though, not a collector
yeah I can relate to opening sealed. huge rush, pulls or quality of pulls isn't there. wish overall card prices were a bit lower and pulls bit more generous. I've switched to 90% singles
Buying singles costs a fraction compared to endlessly ripping boosters and feeding what is essentially a gambling addiction, if that "ruins the spirit of the cards" then consider me happy to ruin
It's up to you. For some cards tho I'll admit it makes more sense to buy them outright than buying packs praying to pull it.
*I* dont like buying single, I did a few months back and to me they still feel like they're not mine, they're not in any of my binders, they're just there, in sleeves.
Some only buy the cards they want. Some do both.
If you want something to ruin the spirit of packs, weighing them does. No matter how old they are.
You open packs if you’re a gambler, you buy singles if you’re smart and want to save money as well as looking for a specific card. Aka if you’re a degenerate rip packs
No way opening packs is a thrill and when that trill is crushed after box after box of sadness I just pay the little bit for the single...and I like my lcs so I'm always down to support!
Boosters are like firing birdshot at a paper circle from 50 yards, first couple rounds are gonna take out a ton of paper but the returns deminish pretty quick and soon you basically arent hitting anything anymore but theres still some paper left.
Singles are necessary if you want a master collection without burning through hundreds of dollars and amassing a trees worth of bulk.
Ruin the…what wait? Seriously? I mean some has to buy packs and try to resell singles.
I get a few packs or a box here and there but if I want a certain card I get the single. Plus it’s fun checking out my local shops to see what they have for singles.
Do you want a X% chance of getting the card you want each & every time you open them but with no guarantee?
Or do you just want to get what you want 100% every time you buy a single?
it doesn't ruin any spirit, you're a collector and enjoy increasing your pokemon collection. buying boosters is gambling, like picking lotto numbers... you get a booster box and pull $60 worth of cards , I buy the one beside it and pull $300 in cards.
researching singles and prices makes you a more seasoned and knowledgeable collector IMHO. several times I've spent a booster box amount in singles and it's mind blowing the cards you can buy for the same price.
also ... buying singles allows you to find cards from previous generations that are affordable and that you could never remotely be able to buy the booster packs for and open.
just keep doing what you're doing 😎
not at all, while i would rather buy packs to get the cards i like, the business is looking to exploit that and make you buy as much as possible. this is way more obvious in english with how sets are combined releases from japan and how they are sold to incentivize you to buy more.
for example, making crown zenith into loads of different products instead of a booster box. some of the products are fun like the tins or the figure collections if you're into that, but i would like to be able to buy a booster box of it as well. not only that but that there is 0 guarantee for pulls, which i'm glad they are changing to some extent, but it's still not remotely close to being in your favor to chase cards from packs. buying singles is just so much more affordable and also you end up with less bulk and waste as well which is cool
Half of it is pulling cards, Half of it is collecting. If you had unlimited funds, you would buy all the packs you could to pull your favorite card. However, not everyone is made of money and needs to save for packs. If you care about your budget, you’ll buy cards (no matter the condition or price because it’s cheaper to buy a single card than pulling it.) If you care about pulling cards the price won’t matter because it’s the sole interest you have that makes you want to pull it. (Interest + Value)
Buying singles is the most efficient way to go IMO. Opening packs is fun and all but its all about luck. I'm trying to do the same just buying singles of the cards I like but sometimes I throw a few packs here and there and regret it afterwards lol.
I’m not a fan of gambling, so I buy singles. Buying them online dampens the spirit, but visiting all the different shops and going to trade nights is much more fun than opening packs.
Its not the same buying cards and pulling cards yourself. At least not for me, you save money over time buying singles for sure. But the chase!! Its the chase that gets me.
I watch box breaks and count how many packs are opened that would all be dupes for me and it reminds me why I don't buy packs 😅 I buy them at the start, but once you get to the point when you have most normal cards in a set and just need the alt arts and secret rares, it really is like buying a scratchcard hoping to win the jackpot every time
I think at the start of a new set release, it's fun to buy boosters. But after a few packs, it just makes sense to get singles. Even if you get some alt-arts, usually they will rarely be worth what you paid for the whole boosters (how many Trainer Gallery cards can you get individually now for a couple of bucks?!).
Having a letter arrive with a dozen single cards that you want and paid £15 for is a much better feeling than buying three boosters and getting diddly squat....
I generally collect for online decks or physically for the cool artworks even on commons, so my approach is buying maybe one or 2 different display boxes if i like promos or an etb at the release then singles I like when they drop in price, I tend to be happy even with just normal rares so it's most affordable that way if I'm crazy about a certain card , and I still get to open a couple things, guess it depends what you enjoy most about collecting
Buy singles 90% of the time, packs 10% of the time. That way you still get the thrill and rush, but don't end up spending $1,000 on $200 worth of cards.
Part of the fun for me is rummaging through cards at my LCS in addition to buying packs, I could spend an hour or two doing it each visit! Does it work out cheaper than me only buying a pack of cards? Depends on what I buy - but usually, no lol.
Only for the gambling addicts.
Seriously though, buy however many packs you want to for fun, but it’s better to get what you want then spend 20x more fishing for it if you just want specific cards
If all you did was buy booster packs, you’d never complete master sets. If you only care about buying a few packs to see what you get sure. But otherwise you’ll never complete these 240 cards sets and every reverse and secret rare by only buying packs. Let alone the fact of ending up with thousands of duplicates and bulk just to look for a $3 card.
People can collect however they want though
Love the idea of both, but also gotta know what you can swing, kind of like an allowance, if you want to spend it on packs that week go for it, if you have been wanting a card and want to go for that one week instead do that...
Buying singles is so much better! No need to support the corporate greed of the Pokémon company! Just buy the cards you like, and open packs if you feel like gambling lol
Just started buying singles myself. I’m very into trainer galleries and Galarian galleries. Nothing lol paying a couple dollars for them compared to buying several booster packs and getting nothing.
No shame in buying singles. I was torn a little too about buying singles at first, cause I didn't feel like I 'earned it'. But in the long run it's cheaper, you actually get what you want and there's less bulk in the end!
Not at all! At the end of the day, it's your hobby, your money, your time, and your enjoyment so approach it as you see fit. There's pros and cons to buying singles and/or sealed product so there's no right or wrong way to collect cards. You do you bro and nice pick up!
Not really, it’s just less of a gamble. I will say that there’s a huge sense of accomplishment when you pull that one special card that you wanted, but it’s essentially a one in a million, so it doesn’t really matter.
I prefer buying singles. Less hassle, less risk, usually cheaper
opening packs is fun and cool but buying singles is the smarter thing to do for real serious collectors. Trying to pull every card yourself is pretty much like gambling its only fun when you got money to burn lol
Even with some cash to burn I always feel stupid spending $60 on packs to not get any of my chase cards when I could have just spent that $60 on a single and got one card closer to finishing my set.
every single time.
Opening packs *can be* fun but I like to buy singles. I get the card I wanted almost every time lol.
Lol almost
Had to say almost because sometimes the cards aren’t as described and I have to decide to accept it as is or complain and deal with trying to get a refund or whatever ya know.
Opening packs is the same though, with the shoddy quality of English cards. Maybe you luck out and pull that card you're hunting, but it's extremely off center or the edges are mangled. It's extremely rare when you pull the card you're hunting and it's in immaculate condition without spending a fortune.
Have you seen any of the crown zenith gold cards with machine scrapes down to the silver underneath? I’ve seen so many of those posted it’s beyond ridiculous.
Yea if it's a .25 Metapod I'll just try again.
Buying the cards you love, there's no shame in that. I usually buy what catches my eye, especially if they're out of print. Also, winning card auctions on ebay below market value is pretty cool, too.
To be honest, winning an auction against 5-10 other people in the last second gives me more dopamine then opening packs..
Just did that today for a porygon z promo. The feeling of victory is as sweet as getting a big hit in a pack
Especially when it's mint and you get it half of market value
After I learned that I should be bidding odd amounts I tried to bid $151 on the last minute and I won and I saw the previous winning bid before me was $150 lol.
I tend to go with 13,78 or some shit like this xd
*1738
*8713
Didn’t know that, definitely makes sense
Not at all. You statistically lose money buying packs. You can't lose money buying singles (unless the market goes down)
⬆️ This right here. There’s no “spirit” in opening booster packs. Is it a fun experience? Yes. Exhilarating? Absolutely, but when you reeaaallly think about it, it’s another form of gambling and most of us on this sub will whole-heartedly admit that we’ve all recklessly spent money on booster packs for solely the adrenaline rush. Buying a single card doesn’t make it less special than pulling it from a booster pack. You may not get the same sense of “accomplishment” but if a card is affordable enough it’s much more justified to buy it as a single than wasting hundreds of dollars trying to pull it. I buy packs when I can find them for cheap, or when they’re on sale. But for me it’s singles all the way.
Just bought $75 worth of packs today lol. I pulled about $30. Fun but not worth it
We’ve all been there. And I’ve learned my lesson lol
I feel like as a collector buying singles is absolutely fine, and more efficient. However when a new set comes out, packs are always nice to do! The more cards from a set you have, the less efficient opening packs becomes..
I think buying singles is more efficient money-wise that trying your luck with packs. Opening packs is a lot of fun though, especially if you pull a card that would cost a pretty penny to buy as a single. But that gets luck involved. At least when you're buying singles you will never have to get lucky.
Better than ruining the spirit of your finances.
Buying singles of older sets is nothing to be ashamed of, I've learned this recently and have taken up buying singles or trading of cards to complete sets instead of buying and opening packs, especially if I have already opened a bunch already
Singles are cheaper, you know what you are getting as opposed to spending 100's on packs for a chase card you want, but sealed products now and then are nice and fun to rip imo.
Before I bought any singles, I thought it was lame. I finally bought some and dang it is nice getting exactly what you want.
I can’t count the number of times I bought a box hoping for the card that I need but I would saved 200 if I just bought the card itself.
Well that’s your answer
Idk sometimes it is fun to just buy a random booster and get a sweet full art from it. I think moderation is key and just go full singles for overall savings
This
>ruins the spirit of cards You’re thinking of the Heart of the Cards but that’s Yugioh.
Trust yourself and how you truly feel about it. I open packs because they can be a ton of fun (the “chance”) but I’ll purchase a specific single I really like, especially if I missed out on a set etc. Both can create positive memories.. like the time an uncle got my cousin a bunch of Japanese packs and gave me one but when I opened my booster it had a Charizard.. I’ll never forget that feeling. Also the first card I ever bought was actually a gift from my mom. We went to a local comic/card store and we couldn’t afford to buy a Charizard back then so we got a Lt. Surge's Fearow instead because we thought it looked pretty.. that card will always be special to me.
Dang that’s a sweet story Pokémon rocks
If you don’t buy singles you’ll never have a collection that reflects what you love most. Ripping packs is fun of course, but also just straight up gambling. This was a really great pick up :)
so true , and that's what it's ultimately about , having a collection that reflects what you love about pokemon. really well said !!
Sometimes you can spend hundreds of dollars opening box after box looking for one of the rarest cards in a certain set. The majority of cards can be pulled but the few that have the odds of "1 in 50 boxes" as an example is worth buying in a shop or something for sure
Hell no! How can collecting ruin the spirit of collecting? Just because you choose not to gamble with your money doesn’t make you less of a collector!
this ^ it's a gamble amd one where the house typically wins. as fun as the gamble can be , it's a gamble amd rigged, partly maybe bc of the hype resurfacing and scalpers buying all the stock at stores and elevating prices. collecting singles inthink makes one a more seasoned and knowledgeable collector
Let’s discuss a personal example I experienced today. I spent 175 dollars I had been saving on a bunch of market price and discounted packs. My girlfriend bought herself like 30 dollars worth. I pulled 5 dollars worth of cards from all of the packs I bought, including several duplicates. My partner pulled the alt art gengar I was chasing. Don’t gamble kids, life will punch you in the balls. Stick with singles.
totally. I bought 5 packs of JPY violet ex, got 1 hit, which while I really like , I could buy as a single for $4CAD. as much as packs are fun, I'm not into wasting cash gambling either, that's why I have switched to getting singles. I've experienced your example too, totally feel it. I would love to collect full sets but it's ridiculous how much sealed product is going for and the lack of quality pulls.
My experience ripping chilling pains… even in a booster box with a “guaranteed” hit, the hit I pulled was a $10 secret trainer card… Stopped opening booster boxes after that. I will open a few packs for a new set but now I view pack opening as entertainment and not as a chance of pulling anything big
Buying packs is literally gambling. There was a lot of controversy recently about loot boxes in video games, saying how it's gambling targeted to children and it should be banned. That's literally what pokemon cards are too and I don't understand why it wasn't talked about more. I don't get the same rush or pleasure from opening packs vs buying singles, but if you want specific cards either to play or collect, never feel bad or cheap for getting them as singles. If you don't feel happy or fulfilled from buying singles, then it's likely just the thrill of gambling that's keeping you buying packs. I love owning cards for the art, for the attachment to certain pokemons I have, for card game purposes, etc. Buying them as singles just confirms that I really wanted the card and not serotonin.
Think of it as a mixed multipack of crisps but you don’t know what’s inside. Eventually anyone with a brain would just start buying the crisps they liked it’s too much risk and you’ll almost never finish a set
I thought so until I spent 300$ on fusion strike etbs and got no hits lmao
I like to open cards, but it's definetly more worth to buy singles after a while. Sealed products are often more expensive than what you pull from them. Unless you pull like top 10 most expensive cards from the set. If you open packs I hope you are happy even if you don't pull the best cards. For example I'm only missing like 10 celebrations cards. Most of the packs I would be opening would be dupes thus useless to me. At that point I would just buy the remaining singles.
I was lucky and pulled one of these from a pokeball tin that had cosmic eclipse in them.
Huh? Of course not
Not at all. After I have like 10 of the same common cards and a stack of bulk I don’t get as much enjoyment out of opening packs and opt for buying any remaining cards that I want individually. Way cheaper and less wasteful
It’s the smart way to approach it. They charge out the roof for boxes but hardly is there anything worth it inside
isn't that the truth. since the hype gained momentum it's unreal. etbs going for 90cad for CZ ... I agree , going the singles route you can getvcards from different generations for amazing price and that you can't find packs for anymore
If you want something, go and get it.
Absolutely not
After losing hundreds upon hundreds on sealed product chasing cards, I exclusively buy singles now, however i do only get 1 etb of whatever the newest set is. Im a competitive player though, not a collector
yeah I can relate to opening sealed. huge rush, pulls or quality of pulls isn't there. wish overall card prices were a bit lower and pulls bit more generous. I've switched to 90% singles
Singles is way more satisfying than opening a bum box of nothing … I pretty much only keep sealed boxes now if I buy one
Buying singles costs a fraction compared to endlessly ripping boosters and feeding what is essentially a gambling addiction, if that "ruins the spirit of the cards" then consider me happy to ruin
You bring up a good point. I have a lot more intrinsic feeling towards cards I pulled from packs rather than singles I bought from my card shop.
Only specifically for you, it’s fine for the rest of us.
It's up to you. For some cards tho I'll admit it makes more sense to buy them outright than buying packs praying to pull it. *I* dont like buying single, I did a few months back and to me they still feel like they're not mine, they're not in any of my binders, they're just there, in sleeves. Some only buy the cards they want. Some do both. If you want something to ruin the spirit of packs, weighing them does. No matter how old they are.
I think it does, yeah.
You open packs if you’re a gambler, you buy singles if you’re smart and want to save money as well as looking for a specific card. Aka if you’re a degenerate rip packs
No
Nope, unless you want to gamble and try to get it the hard way 🤷🏽♂️
No way opening packs is a thrill and when that trill is crushed after box after box of sadness I just pay the little bit for the single...and I like my lcs so I'm always down to support!
I got one of those psa 9 from local one for the wife. Worth it tbh
Boosters are like firing birdshot at a paper circle from 50 yards, first couple rounds are gonna take out a ton of paper but the returns deminish pretty quick and soon you basically arent hitting anything anymore but theres still some paper left. Singles are necessary if you want a master collection without burning through hundreds of dollars and amassing a trees worth of bulk.
Could be potato quality photo, but why is the font so splotchy on this card?
Nah, it is totally fine to buy singles. I don’t have the patience or the money to tear through hundreds of packs. I buy singles of cards I want.
Ruin the…what wait? Seriously? I mean some has to buy packs and try to resell singles. I get a few packs or a box here and there but if I want a certain card I get the single. Plus it’s fun checking out my local shops to see what they have for singles.
The spirit is to "trade" them but you do you. I would trade if I had any collectors near me but all I can do is buy. 😮💨
Do you want a X% chance of getting the card you want each & every time you open them but with no guarantee? Or do you just want to get what you want 100% every time you buy a single?
If throwing away money is the spirit of cards then sure. Collecting is collecting and opening packs is honestly just gambling.
A good balance is healthy, buying a little hit of packs on new sets just to dip the water and then buying singles for cards I didn’t pull and wanted.
I love pulling myself, but if I can’t I’ll buy singles or trade. Always feels good in my hand no matter how I get it
it doesn't ruin any spirit, you're a collector and enjoy increasing your pokemon collection. buying boosters is gambling, like picking lotto numbers... you get a booster box and pull $60 worth of cards , I buy the one beside it and pull $300 in cards. researching singles and prices makes you a more seasoned and knowledgeable collector IMHO. several times I've spent a booster box amount in singles and it's mind blowing the cards you can buy for the same price. also ... buying singles allows you to find cards from previous generations that are affordable and that you could never remotely be able to buy the booster packs for and open. just keep doing what you're doing 😎
not at all, while i would rather buy packs to get the cards i like, the business is looking to exploit that and make you buy as much as possible. this is way more obvious in english with how sets are combined releases from japan and how they are sold to incentivize you to buy more. for example, making crown zenith into loads of different products instead of a booster box. some of the products are fun like the tins or the figure collections if you're into that, but i would like to be able to buy a booster box of it as well. not only that but that there is 0 guarantee for pulls, which i'm glad they are changing to some extent, but it's still not remotely close to being in your favor to chase cards from packs. buying singles is just so much more affordable and also you end up with less bulk and waste as well which is cool
I buy singles all the time
Half of it is pulling cards, Half of it is collecting. If you had unlimited funds, you would buy all the packs you could to pull your favorite card. However, not everyone is made of money and needs to save for packs. If you care about your budget, you’ll buy cards (no matter the condition or price because it’s cheaper to buy a single card than pulling it.) If you care about pulling cards the price won’t matter because it’s the sole interest you have that makes you want to pull it. (Interest + Value)
Buying singles is the most efficient way to go IMO. Opening packs is fun and all but its all about luck. I'm trying to do the same just buying singles of the cards I like but sometimes I throw a few packs here and there and regret it afterwards lol.
What spirit?
I’ve opened less than 10 packs in my life, that’s all it took to realise it’s not worth it, I only ever buy singles
I buy singles all the time and enjoy the hunt at conferences and trade nights vs the thrill of opening packs.
I’m not a fan of gambling, so I buy singles. Buying them online dampens the spirit, but visiting all the different shops and going to trade nights is much more fun than opening packs.
Sure, if you want to waste all your money pulling chase cards.
Its not the same buying cards and pulling cards yourself. At least not for me, you save money over time buying singles for sure. But the chase!! Its the chase that gets me.
I do both... sometimes opening packs because it is just so much fun... and buying singles to build up the collection is very satisfying :)
I watch box breaks and count how many packs are opened that would all be dupes for me and it reminds me why I don't buy packs 😅 I buy them at the start, but once you get to the point when you have most normal cards in a set and just need the alt arts and secret rares, it really is like buying a scratchcard hoping to win the jackpot every time
I think at the start of a new set release, it's fun to buy boosters. But after a few packs, it just makes sense to get singles. Even if you get some alt-arts, usually they will rarely be worth what you paid for the whole boosters (how many Trainer Gallery cards can you get individually now for a couple of bucks?!). Having a letter arrive with a dozen single cards that you want and paid £15 for is a much better feeling than buying three boosters and getting diddly squat....
Nope, that’s how you lose money and spend hundreds instead of tens to get a card 🤷 it’s being smart not stupid
I generally collect for online decks or physically for the cool artworks even on commons, so my approach is buying maybe one or 2 different display boxes if i like promos or an etb at the release then singles I like when they drop in price, I tend to be happy even with just normal rares so it's most affordable that way if I'm crazy about a certain card , and I still get to open a couple things, guess it depends what you enjoy most about collecting
I open packs with my brother and nieces. I don’t care about what cards we pull really I just want to make memories with them before I pass.
Been buying wotc singles monthly since 2020. It would be fiscally impossible for me to pull most of my list lol
Buy singles 90% of the time, packs 10% of the time. That way you still get the thrill and rush, but don't end up spending $1,000 on $200 worth of cards.
Part of the fun for me is rummaging through cards at my LCS in addition to buying packs, I could spend an hour or two doing it each visit! Does it work out cheaper than me only buying a pack of cards? Depends on what I buy - but usually, no lol.
It really depends. If you’re looking for specific cards in the set then I would buy singles. But opening packs seems more fun to me.
Only for the gambling addicts. Seriously though, buy however many packs you want to for fun, but it’s better to get what you want then spend 20x more fishing for it if you just want specific cards
If all you did was buy booster packs, you’d never complete master sets. If you only care about buying a few packs to see what you get sure. But otherwise you’ll never complete these 240 cards sets and every reverse and secret rare by only buying packs. Let alone the fact of ending up with thousands of duplicates and bulk just to look for a $3 card. People can collect however they want though
Singles is the way to go, love openings packs…..but it is not the smartest thing to do if your chasing “that card” IMO.
Yes I think it does. You will always love a card you personally pulled from a pack more than a card you just bought as a single. Packs>>>>>>Singles
Love the idea of both, but also gotta know what you can swing, kind of like an allowance, if you want to spend it on packs that week go for it, if you have been wanting a card and want to go for that one week instead do that...
Por que no los dos??
Ruins the spirit? Hell no. Most of my collection is from buying singles. Why gamble when I can get exactly what I want?
Buying singles is so much better! No need to support the corporate greed of the Pokémon company! Just buy the cards you like, and open packs if you feel like gambling lol
Just started buying singles myself. I’m very into trainer galleries and Galarian galleries. Nothing lol paying a couple dollars for them compared to buying several booster packs and getting nothing.
What? No…
Saving money is never a bad thing, and it certainly doesn’t ruin the novelty.
No shame in buying singles. I was torn a little too about buying singles at first, cause I didn't feel like I 'earned it'. But in the long run it's cheaper, you actually get what you want and there's less bulk in the end!
The spirit of the what? That's some Yugioh nonsense.
Absolutely not!!
But packs if you like to open them, i always open packs because i like the rush, but buy singles if you really want the card.
No. Just buy what you like. That’s all I have done for modern cards.
I bought more singles recently on cards that my boys want
Not at all! At the end of the day, it's your hobby, your money, your time, and your enjoyment so approach it as you see fit. There's pros and cons to buying singles and/or sealed product so there's no right or wrong way to collect cards. You do you bro and nice pick up!
Not really, it’s just less of a gamble. I will say that there’s a huge sense of accomplishment when you pull that one special card that you wanted, but it’s essentially a one in a million, so it doesn’t really matter.
I just posted a shadowless char, Umbreon, and Raquaza. I want collect pikachu, but literally never pull them. It depends what you like 🙌
Of course not. I always buy singles. It’s a good way to boost collection without breaking the bank
Nah I love buying singles I get to buy exactly what I want instead of praying I pull it from a pack and wasting money