You don't need to spend a fortune to start your Pokemon card collection or find those rare cards you've been searching for. With some savvy shopping techniques, patience, and luck, you can find great deals on amazing cards, even some of the rarer and more coveted ones. Check out these three essential tips for finding reasonably priced Pokemon cards to help you get the most for your collecting budget.

1. Look Locally

Some of the best deals can be found right in your hometown at local hobby and comic stores. These smaller retailers are often more flexible on pricing and more likely to negotiate or offer discounts, especially to repeat customers. You can uncover some diamonds in the rough browsing through discount boxes and clearance items. Building relationships with owners of local stores can lead to first dibs when special card shipments arrive or when an especially valuable collection comes up for sale.

2. Search Strategically Online

Of course, the internet opens up a huge world of Pokemon card purchasing possibilities too. Avoid getting ripped off by doing your research. Check seller ratings and reviews closely before purchasing. Sort search results by lowest price first, but read item descriptions carefully to avoid cheap counterfeits. According to Dexerto, as of March 2023, the Pokemon company has produced 52.9 billion cards. The safest bet to get the card you want online is to look at your local store's website to see what they have and contact them with any questions you have.

3. Time It Right

Timing is everything when shopping for affordable cards. Avoid the height of new release hype when prices will be the most inflated. Reprint sets and older generations of cards tend to come down quickly after the initial scramble. Consider holding off on completing a full set right away too. According to our experts, you should give it three to six months for supply to catch up to demand and for prices to normalize. Promotional sales around the holidays, retailer clearance events, and fan appreciation sales can offer brief windows of buying opportunity as well.

The hunt for the perfect card doesn't need to leave your bank account empty. With the right timing, retailer relationship building, and strategic search techniques, you can be the very best, reasonably priced, Pokemon card collector there ever was. Visit Old World Games today to see our current selection of new and used cards.