Missing Out on Pokémon is Good

Did you miss out on the Destined Rivals Pokemon Center exclusive ETB drop?

Good.

I also missed out.

Good.

Missing out on a hyped Pokemon release is actually an opportunity…

That was how I started a post on X last week that quickly got thousands of views, when my typical posts might only get a couple hundred.

It clearly hit a nerve across the Pokémon community.

And: I get it. I wrote that post because I was feeling down about missing out on the drop! I desperately wanted to find some positive takeaways from missing out, and I think I did a pretty good job. (I’ve embedded it at the bottom of this newsletter if you’d like to see it in full.)

But…

The truth is: it still sucks.

I bought some PC ETBs during the Sword & Shield era, but with the addition of the exclusive promo card starting with the Scarlet & Violet era was when I really became a collector of this type of product.

I maxed out my pre-order of every new SV era set and, for the couple sets I particularly liked, I would grab an extra order of 4 if I could.

It was the only English product I collected, and it became a big part of my identity as a Pokémon card collector.

So, when I was suddenly not able to get a pre-order for upcoming releases, starting with Journey Together and now continuing with Destined Rivals… it shattered that identity.

It sucked.

And, until the promised reprints come and I can see if I’m finally able to continue building my collection of PC ETBs, I’ve had to come to terms with losing that identity as a collector with every SV era PC ETB.

In my X post, I tried to logic my way through the pain of losing this identity.

But logic isn’t enough.

At the end of the day, the pain of navigating the forced loss of an identity is just part of the experience of a booming collectibles market.

And, it’s unfortunately the reason so many collectors will leave the hobby during this time. If you’re also feeling the sting of missing out: I hope my original X post can help.

And, if it doesn’t: maybe this follow-up can show you you’re not alone.

I believe, more than anything else in the Pokémon hobby, that the best thing we can do to secure the future of Pokémon is to help make sure as many people as possible can continue to enjoy and participate in it.

I’m just doing my best to do my part 🫡

Here’s my original X post if you’d like to read it:

As usual, thanks 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 🍻