How does Pokemon work?

[CatNamedEaster]

DS wants to start collecting the cards. I thought it would be like football cards: you buy an album, buy packs of cards whenever and you swap doubles with your mates.

It's not though is it? I can't seem to find cards anywhere in shops and when I looked for local stockists they only sold games, toys, console games etc.

So how do we buy cards, apart from on ebay/marketplace (which we will probably do on going but he wants his first pack and something to store it in to be new), and where do you keep them?

The cards seem to be out of stock in a lot of places, I dont understand what you do with it, but DS does and when he is good we go hunting for them, normally in independent shops though

Chaos cards sells tins, boxes, packs.
I've seen tins in the supermarket too
WHSmith used to sell individual packs but not many of them exist now

My daughter and my husband are Pokemon mad! They have a joint collection.

You use the cards to play battle games. Kinda like a cross between top trumps and uno

There’s a really good game to buy that teaches you and comes with loads of cards - I’ll find the link in a min - would highly recommend buying this

You can buy cards and smyths. Smyths also sell a folder to put al your cards i

Pokemon is on our tv all day- lots on Netflix

We can get cards in Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's - on the full £15 decks though. They sell smaller packs in B&M but the decks are better value if you have a child with the patience to save! If you've got anything like a gaming cafe or comic shop nearby they're usually good for cards too.

Asda and wilko usually have them. In the toy asked, in foil packs of 10, about £4.99.

It's a trading card game where you amass a deck of 60 cards I think, then use that to battle your opponent. If your child gets into collecting the cats but you're still wondering what the point is - I know I was! - see if you can get your hands on the trading card board game (Smyths had it last time I checked). It takes you through a game and explains how to battle, what all the different numbers and symbols on each card mean.

The game is actually very good for building maths, reading, and comprehension skills.

www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/action-figures-and-playsets/pokemon/pokemon-trading-cards-game/pokémon-trading-card-game-battle-academy/p/207860

It's a game, but my son just liked collecting them. They're more expensive than collecting card and come in big packs.

It’s out of stock at the moment but due more in March - you might find it somewhere else

I'd start with pokemon battle academy as it comes with three starter sets and shows you how to use them. I am a fan of the games but never used the cards so my husband bought it for me. Its very fun. My version has, however, now been comendeered by my 7 year old nephew

www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/action-figures-and-playsets/pokemon/pokemon-trading-cards-game/pokémon-trading-card-game-pokéball-portfolio-9-pocket-/p/161893

You can buy decks. My daughter puts the packet ones in these folders

Thanks all. He did explain it to me and I when I asked if it was like Top Trumps he gave me The Look and said "sort of" in that voice you hear when they can't believe they are having to teach you.

If he just wants to trade with friends buy bundles second hand off ebay. Some of the cards will be fakes but it won't really matter. (The only time it mattered was when a child at school took his treasured real pokemon cards in and swapped all his best ones with bolder boys for fakes....mum was very unhappy. She hadn't actually said he could trade any.....I think there was a ban at school on pokemon cards for a while.)

If he actually wants to play the board game shown is a good way to learn. Or look out for a local games workshop where they play pokemon (they usually do other TCG and roleplay activities).

My son seems to find the small packs in Waterstones. He hasn't actually played with them he just likes looking at them and collecting them.