Here at Red Panda Gaming, we are both collectors and players - but collecting a full set is a big reason that we started the store. Some cards get more love than others, and in a few cases the love (cost) is significant! When starting a collection it is important to make sure you fully understand what you are getting yourself into. Here are a few points that might help you if you are preparing for the journey to a master set:
- Decide how much you are going to collect - just the base card set? Including reverse holos? The secret rares? Deciding this early on will give you an understanding of what lies ahead.
- Prepare for storage! There are plenty of binders around, and depending on how much you are collecting will help you decide what type of binder you should get.
- Look after your cards - value of cards varies based on condition, so keeping them mint (or near mint) is essential. Sleeve your cards, and do it as soon as you pull them! We love Palms Off Gaming for sleeves and binders.
- Research the cost of the high value cards - some sets have several secret rare cards that can run into the hundreds of dollars as soon as the set is released. The market can be volatile though, so be prepared for the value to go up or down!
- Check the total number of cards that you are going to collect - some sets can exceed 200 cards in the base set, and that number goes up if you are collecting the reverse holos and secret rares!
- Be prepared to be collecting for a long time - if you don't want to throw all of your money at this hobby, you could be waiting to get those final cards to complete your master set!
There is no greater feeling than when you slide that final card into your master set binder - a feeling we at Red Panda Gaming are still looking forward to for Paldea Evolved (Iono Special Illustration Rare anyone?!)
If you are trying to complete a set, or you have just finished a set you have been working on - let us know! We love to share success and help others getting that final card feeling!