Pokemon investing can be a profitable endeavor, but it’s important to avoid the pitfalls many dive into. In this post, I am going to tell you some of the WORST Pokemon investing mistakes you can make. Many of these I have made myself. I hope that, by reading this post, you will avoid making them and save yourself both time and money.
Mistake #1: Buying the Wrong Products
This is one of those Pokemon investing mistakes almost everybody makes when they start out.
Many people jump head first into this hobby and start buying every product they see on shelves. The problem with this is that, each product performs differently. Firstly, booster boxes, elite trainer boxes, and Pokemon Center ETBs, tend to perform much better than collection boxes or blister packs.
Buying underperforming products is one of the biggest Pokemon investing mistakes that catches up to you eventually..
What’s more, these products are also MUCH easier to sell. Meaning, when you eventually want to offload your investments and take profits, you’ll be more likely to sell everything in a timely manner and for closer to market price.
If you are interested in learning more about certain products and their returns/sell through rates, I recommend checking out my TCG market spreadsheet.
Mistake #2: Being Overleveraged
This mistake is not one you want to make. As a wise man once told me, the market can be irrational longer than you can be solvent.
There are many people who invest on margin. They open 0% interest credit cards and expect that they will be able to buy product, flip it fast, then pay off their credit cards before interest accrues.
This is one of the Pokemon investing mistakes that could end your entire time in the hobby. Not only that, it could ruin your life and force you into debt. Therefore, do not go into debt over Pokemon cards, or any investment for that matter.
Mistake #3: Not Focusing on the Best Sets
I have said for years, one of the worst Pokemon investing mistakes is not going heavy into the better sets.
What do I mean by this?
For years, the best sets, across multiple eras, have outperformed the weaker, less desirable sets.
Now, there is an argument to be made for diversification. A lot of people argue that sets viewed as “strong” or “weak” will inevitably change. This is why I now recommend buying a little bit of every set upon release. Then, wait a couple of years. This allows for the market to tell us which sets are stronger and which sets are weaker. At that point, it becomes obvious which sets we should focus heavier on.
For example, in the Sword & Shield era, Evolving Skies, Fusion Strike, and Lost Origin are the no-brainer investments. From the Sun & Moon era, Team Up and Cosmic Eclipse are the clear winners.
If you want to see what this looks like for the newest generations, I recommend going back and watching my old video.
Mistake #4: Thinking You’re Invincible
Everybody is a genius in a bull market. In short, when things are going up, people tend to have a much higher level of confidence than they should have.
Believing you’re better than everyone else could lead to other Pokemon investing mistakes like becoming overleveraged, taking too many risks, or not continuing to learn and improve.
My recommendation: stay humble.
You need to constantly be evaluating your decisions and learning from mistakes you make. Even if you do end up making mistakes, if you are able to apply those lessons moving forward, you will grow and become a better investor.
The Worst Pokemon Investing Mistakes
The worst Pokemon investing mistakes are the ones you don’t learn from.
Far too often, I see people get burned in this hobby, and rationalize the outcome as something that was out of their control. If you are unable to stay humble, patient, and a student of the game, Pokemon investing is not for you.
That said, if you’re willing to put in the work and learn, there is a very likely chance you will succeed in this hobby and see your Pokemon investments grow into something beautiful.
Shameless Plugs
If you want to become a better Pokemon or One Piece investor, I recommend checking out my YouTube channels (I upload daily) as well as my market spreadsheet.
Poke Profit YouTube channel
Straw Hat Speculator YouTube channel
Pokemon/One Piece market spreadsheet