By the end of this short article, you will know everything you need to know in order to start a Pokemon card business in Canada now. Everything I recommend is based on my years of experience buying and selling Pokemon cards with a current inventory of over $125,000.
This will be a surface-level analysis of everything you need to know. If you want to go deeper into the nuance of Pokemon products and which ones are the best investments, read this.
Key Takeaways
- Start small
- Find your niche
- Sourcing is crucial
- But brand is everything
Just Start
Many people reading this article are going to want everything to be perfect. To have the best logo, to have the best equipment for photos, videos, and social media, to have the best inventory and contacts, etc.
If you strive for perfection before selling your first card, you’ll never start.
Like anything in life, starting a Pokemon card business is a journey.
My journey into investing and developing a business around that has been over three years in the making.
I started off small, buying the WRONG products, slowly learning as I went what products were a good buy, at what price, and how to sell them.
Other aspects, like social media, I started much later. For example, my YouTube channel is only a year old and even in just 12 months, I have learned so much and adjusted my content strategy to better serve my audience.
My advice: think of a business name, buy something to sell, then post it for sale. Post it on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, eBay, it doesn’t matter. Once you do that, start building things out slowly, but you will have at least got the ball rolling.
Find Your Niche
We shouldn’t put ourselves in a box, but it’s important to have a specialty. For some, that may be selling singles or slabs. For others, that might be selling sealed product.
I made a name for myself as a sealed investor on YouTube. I specialize in sealed product like booster boxes and elite trainer boxes.
Now, if you want to start a Pokemon card business in Canada, you can (and probably should) sell both, but when you initially are starting out, develop some level of expertise in a certain part of the market and become known for that.
Learn to Source
There are only a couple of official Pokemon distributors in Canada such as Prince Distribution and Grosnor Distribution. It’s also 2025, so if you want to get a distributor, you’re going to need a physical storefront. However, even if you get distribution, your allocations are going to be terrible, especially considering the current market we are in and how difficult it is for even big spenders to get product.
If you are starting out, you are going to have two options:
- Pay very well
- Be scrappy
Paying well could mean paying over 90% of market value just to get some boxes. Your best bet is going to be sourcing on Facebook Marketplace to build connections with local sellers who are willing to give you a better deal if you are paying in cash and they don’t have to pay fees.
Personally, I have multiple stores in my area that buy product from me, where I make close to market, but also get to move some of my less desirable inventory.
Being scrappy could be done in multiple ways. You can spend time sourcing on eBay, constantly refreshing new listings to snipe undervalued items. You could also try to source at retail stores like Walmart or Costco, whether online or in-store, to pick up some good deals at MSRP. If you live in a big center, thrift stores and garage sales can be great for finding card collections that you can get for a good price, then break down and sell individually.
This will be the hardest part. Everyone is trying to find inventory, but if you want to start a Pokemon card business in Canada now, without distribution, this is what has to be done.
Your Brand is EVERYTHING.
There are lots of scams in the Pokemon hobby:
- Resealed packs
- Resealed booster boxes
- Fake cards
- Fake PSA slabs
- Taking payment then not shipping product
- Weighing and scanning packs
The average consumer knows this and will always be on high alert when buying, especially from someone they haven’t done business with before. As a seller, it is your job to build a brand and reputation as an honest and reliable seller who is someone people want to do business with.
When I list product on Facebook Marketplace for sale, the only form of payment I accept for shipping items is E-transfer. For those of you who live in Canada, you know E-transfers are non-refundable. That said, there is a reason I have had customers send me over $10,000 up-front for orders. I have built my brand and established a very good reputation as an honest seller. I have a YouTube channel as well where people can check out what type of person I am to get a better idea of who they are buying from.
I always recommend you be the face of your brand in some capacity. That doesn’t mean you have to do YouTube, but if you have Facebook or Instagram for your business, have photos or videos of yourself associated with the brand. Let people see you and build a relationship with you as a person, not just as a business owner.
Some Random Useful Tips
- If possible, try to negotiate bulk deals with sellers
- Be willing to accept trades on your items (somewhere around 80%)
- If possible, use a 2% cash-back credit card when making purchases
- Source online stores like Hobbiesville that offer you 1% in-store credit and 1% in Shop Cash
Conclusion
If you wish to start a Pokemon card business in Canada now, the best thing you can do is start. Buy something to sell, then try and sell it. Along the way, everything else can be learnt and built. It will be a long process, with lots of ups and downs, but I promise you it’s worth it.