Is Pokémon Even Fun Anymore?

Sure, this was an important meeting, but the notification hit my phone like a goddamn thunderclap and my attention hard-shifted to my sudden new priority:

A new drop just hit the Pokémon Center.

The release was anticipated, and I was prepared. I was already logged in, and just needed to reload hit the site, load the product page, fill my cart with the maximum order, and make it through checkout.

As my colleagues droned on in the background, my actions were precise. I had been practicing.

Homepage: loaded without a hitch.

Now the product page.

Loading…

And I’m in. The “Add to Cart” button is active. I’ve managed to stay ahead of the crowd for now. (Thank God for notifications services…)

Let’s not lose the pace: 4 boxes. Add to cart. Click to checkout.

Fuck: why am I not signed in?

Panic sweeps over me. The whole reason I signed into the site earlier in the day was to avoid this point of failure!

But I’ve been through this before and it’s time to lock in: my fingers fire across the keyboard with mechanical precision. I need to be fast, but perfect: I can’t afford wasted time on even a single failed login.

Submit.

Success! We’re in.

My shipping address is still saved to my account from past failed checkouts: jackpot, select and confirm.

My payment method needs to be entered in full. It’s ok: I’ve memorized all my details.

Faster now, we’re almost there. The final boss of Pokémon Center checkout looms before me: the Review Order step.

This step seems simple enough: click a checkbox to agree to the terms, and then click “Place Order” to have your card charged and lock in your purchase.

And yet, more orders have been lost here than any other. Right at the finish line.

Right when you want it the most.

Without even thinking, I click the button.

The spinner turns…

And turns…

And turns…

With each moment my anxiety grows deeper: I’ve lost too many purchases at this final step.

Suddenly, the page refreshes…

Success. With a confirmation email too!

Everyone knows: an order confirmation email is practically a guarantee your order went through.

In 2025, the scramble to secure an MSRP Pokémon purchase is all too familiar. But this wasn’t in 2025.

It was 2021.

And it fucking sucked.

I hated being put “on call” by an anticipated drop. Forced to keep my eye on my phone at all times, and doing everything I could to not miss that critical notification. And then there was the race to checkout before the crowds crash the servers.

I’ll admit, it could be a bit thrilling.

But the moments of victory were rare against all the failed attempts I accumulated. All the times when I was a couple minutes too late. Or in a meeting I couldn’t step away from. Or I just encountered some stupid technical error that kept me from completing my purchase.

And each missed opportunity came with a brutal wave of FOMO that was hard to bear.

Over time, trying to get a decent deal in Pokémon became a chore: a frustrating, high-stress errand that was forced on me just to avoid the feeling of being ripped off.

So, in 2025, I decided I wasn’t going to play this game.

Sure, I’ve hopped into the Pokémon Center queue from time-to-time. Still: I haven’t been able to successfully checkout once.

But I’ve been telling myself: it’s ok to miss out.

I don’t need these new sets today. If I decide I really want them, I should be able to get them for a better price in the future. And, even if I can’t get it cheaper, I can decide if the market price is worth it to me when the market has settled and price is more established.

This is the stance I’ve taken this year: a sharp contrast from the last boom when I chased every deal.

And it’s worked: I don’t feel taken advantage of by the market. I’ve saved myself the stress of chasing every deal, monitoring the market price at any given moment, and tolerating the wild price swings that come with it.

2025 has been more relaxing than 2021.

But it hasn’t been fun.

I’ve been forced to come to terms with the consequences of this path: it feels like I don’t collect Pokémon cards anymore.

After years of dropping pre-orders on every new set, it’s been months since I’ve opened a single pack. I don’t want to overpay for the new stuff. And everything in my collection has grown too valuable to open.

So, I do nothing.

Through the lens of collectibles finance: I feel great about the decision to miss out during this Pokémon boom.

But, as a collector, I feel more disconnected from Pokémon than ever. I forget about new releases. I don’t know the new chase cards. I certainly don’t know which ones are playable…

And I know a lot of collectors feel the same.

This is the double-edged sword of the collectibles market: there’s always bad that comes with the good. When we have high prices, and our collections are suddenly valuable, we can’t get our hands on any new product.

But, when the market finally turns and product is cheap and widely available again, our collections values will fall as short-term participants leave the market, and fear and doubt dominates the conversation.

It’s just that, right now, I’m dying for that cheap market. I’m ready for cheap products and the experiencing of opening packs over a booming market.

In the meantime, I’ve been focusing on taking advantage of the market the best I can while it’s still booming: I’ve been focusing on selling into the hype.

That way, when the market turns, I’ll be prepared.

As usual,

Thank you so much for reading the TCG Buyers Club newsletter. My name’s Grey, I buy cardboard, and I’m on a mission to make collecting and investing in Pokémon simple.

Cheers 🍻

P.S. Once a year, I put on a show with some co-workers. This year: we covered the Pokémon Theme Song and it’s one of my favorite performances ever: