Collecting Seeking Advice as New Collector/Investor

nebulus

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I'm a new collector/aspiring investor and have a bunch of questions to bear with me.

My ultimate goal is to create master sets for each set, including all card variants. My strategy now is to work on the newest sets as it will be cheapest in the long run to complete them before they go out of print. So far I have purchased 1 Roaring skies, XY Evolutions, and Sun and Moon Booster Box. I also recently purchased about 6000 cards in mint condition from a kid who was liquidating his collection for $40 (Had a ton of UR cards so it was a huge steal). So that is where I stand at the moment.

Questions:

1) Is there a good resource that lists every card variant in each set? The ones I've come across so far say will list normal rare and rare holo but not reverse rare holo in being in the set. I'm most familiar with the newer sets so its hard to know when things change.

2) Do you usually keep all your set cards together in binders or do you keep the holos ect. seperately in more secure storage?

3) Are Holo rares more valuable than reverse holo rares I assume? You can only get holos rares in the rare slot, but reverse holos in the holo slot.

4) I'm starting to amass a huge amount of common duplicates. What is the most cost-effective way to liquidate them? I see bulk prices at about $0.06 a common/uncommon but I have seen people on ebay selling common/uncommon sets for about $13 on ebay which depending on the set is $0.12-$0.15 per common.

5) Do the online TCG codes sell well? If so what price?
 
1. Any set list that I know of won't distinguish between reverse and normal cards. But as far as recent sets go, every common, uncommon, rare and holo rare is printed in reverse as well as normal.
2. I keep my commons/uncommons in a card box, sorted by set and everything else in a binder. If there are any cards that you want to really make sure are safe you could always put the card in a sleeve and put that in a toploader .
3. It depends on the card. Usually the reverse is worth a little bit more than it's regular printing.
4. You can sell your bulk on ebay or some companies, like Derium's CCG's, CCG Castle or others will trade 1400 of your bulk into a booster box of your choice if that works better for you.
5. Depends on the set. On ebay Roaring Skies codes <$1 Sun and moon ~ $0.5 Evolutions aren't worth much
 
1. Any set list that I know of won't distinguish between reverse and normal cards. But as far as recent sets go, every common, uncommon, rare and holo rare is printed in reverse as well as normal.
2. I keep my commons/uncommons in a card box, sorted by set and everything else in a binder. If there are any cards that you want to really make sure are safe you could always put the card in a sleeve and put that in a toploader .
3. It depends on the card. Usually the reverse is worth a little bit more than it's regular printing.
4. You can sell your bulk on ebay or some companies, like Derium's CCG's, CCG Castle or others will trade 1400 of your bulk into a booster box of your choice if that works better for you.
5. Depends on the set. On ebay Roaring Skies codes <$1 Sun and moon ~ $0.5 Evolutions aren't worth much


Basic Energy typically don't have a Reverse Holo version. (Evolutions and Generations are the only sets that had Reverse Holo versions of Basic Energy. Well, and Call of Legends, but in that case, they ONLY came in Reverse.) Secret Rares, even Common/Uncommon ones such as Imakuni's Doduo from Evolutions, also don't have Reverse Holo versions. Goes without saying, but Ultra Rares also don't have a Reverse Holo form. ;p
 
My biggest advice to you is to buy singles. You will save tons of money in the long run when attempting to complete sets. Booster boxes are good initially for gathering a vast majority of the commons and uncommons, however you will not get all the holos from the set, and you will not get all the ultra rares. It will cost less than a box to purchase most of the ultra rares unless there are specific one (cough* Shaymins) that would cost a majority of the box in the first place. As for collecting placement, I have mine from when I used to collect in set order in binders. I did not attempt true master sets because of the spacing and finances I had, however to go from base set up to call of legends takes up 3 Binders that are 3 ringed and 3 inches thick. I stopped collecting after that. If you would like, I could sell you my collection so that you will have a very good amount of older cards. Send me a message and let me know!
 
My biggest advice to you is to buy singles. You will save tons of money in the long run when attempting to complete sets. Booster boxes are good initially for gathering a vast majority of the commons and uncommons, however you will not get all the holos from the set, and you will not get all the ultra rares. It will cost less than a box to purchase most of the ultra rares unless there are specific one (cough* Shaymins) that would cost a majority of the box in the first place. As for collecting placement, I have mine from when I used to collect in set order in binders. I did not attempt true master sets because of the spacing and finances I had, however to go from base set up to call of legends takes up 3 Binders that are 3 ringed and 3 inches thick. I stopped collecting after that. If you would like, I could sell you my collection so that you will have a very good amount of older cards. Send me a message and let me know!

Thanks but I highly doubt I could afford a collection that big. It would definitely save me money in the long run but I'm a graduate student and can't afford such big expenses all at once.
 
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