Pokemon cards please tell me what to buy!

[treeeeemendous]

Want to buy Pokemon cards but don't know where to start. There seems to be so many types. Is it a game or collectors cards? Have just spent 20 minutes in Smyths utterly confused by what to get. He is starting from scratch.

If he's starting from scratch then any will be fine! I think you can play a sort of battle game with them but it goes straight over my head!! My DS10 has all his in various folders. Think they sometimes swap them at school as well

DS is a mega Pokemon fan here! Is your son more interested in trading or learning to play the game?

For trading a good place to start is a theme deck:

Magic Madhouse Theme Decks

I've linked to Magic Madhouse which are a specialist store, they have the latest ranges and are better value than places like Smyths. You should be looking to pay about £12ish for a theme deck which comes with 60 cards, plus play mat, coin, deck box etc. There will be a few on there with high prices, they will be geeky special editions!

If your son wants to focus more on learning the game, this set would be excellent:

Academy Game

My son got into Pokemon age 6, and it's quite complicated to learn. Although the theme decks have a play mat in it, I'd suggest getting the Academy Game to help teach you step by step.

Any other questions, just ask. Between my DH and I we can help.

Sorry, second link didn't work, try again

Academy Game Set

www.amazon.co.uk/Pokémon-POK80789-Pokemon-TCG-Academy/dp/B08B44G363/ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Third time lucky!!!

Tins can be good too as it gives you somewhere to put the cards

www.amazon.co.uk/Pokémon-POK80789-Pokemon-TCG-Academy/dp/B08B44G363/ref=mp_s_a_1_1

So sorry, the Amazon link doesn't want to work so here is a picture!

tin#/embedded/query=pokemon tin&filter%5Bavailability%5D=In stock&filter%5Bbrand%5D%5B0%5D=Pokemon&session=1603905382339&lang=en&skuFld=id&queryname=matchand Chaos cards tins

Links aren't doing too well tonight!
Chaos cards is good for pokemin tins and theme decks

My Dd has collected them ears but never played with them. The tins are often on offer in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and occasionally smyths, they usually bring out a collection of 4 tins every year when they release a new game on the ds/switch, same with the card packs and the bigger card collections.

Thank you. It's actually for my nephew, he doesn't have anything yet, so this will be to start him off.

I saw that academy game earlier but wasn't sure if it was something totally different as it looked like a board game. Maybe I'll get that and then one of those theme decks?

I get confused by it too, my ds likes them to collect and makes up his own games with them.

I have a question though if anyone knows, I bought 2 boxes of trading cards online from an assortment and they’ve sent me 2 identical boxes, the trading card they show is the same does that mean the packs inside will be identical or will they be Random? Just trying to work out if I should keep them both or send one back for a replacement.

@treeeeemendous I would get him that Academy Set and this Pokemon Handbook

I've bought numerous ones for presents, it's full of over 800 Pokemon and all the facts for each one

Lovely, thank you @ritzbiscuits

Oh yes, you need the handbook.

It's actually a really good game. We went to a comic book store for ours. They were very helpful and gave my dds lots of tips. They played for about ten years. (Not constantly😂)

My son plays the card game competitively so Pokémon is a big thing in our house

@Thisisthifewehavebeengiven which box is it? The packs inside will have different cards in but the promos are the same.

The battle academy sets are good for people that want to learn. The theme decks are also good but you would need two. The basics of the game are quite easy to learn.

Lots of kids like to just collect and it's handy to get a folder for them to keep their good cards in .

And please be careful with getting cards from eBay their are so many fakes about

Thank you GhostTypeEevee I don’t know if you can see the picture but it was 2 of the top left that we were sent. Don’t mind so much if the packets inside (I think there are 4 ) will be different characters because he is more interested in building his collection than anything at the moment I think.

He’s got the handbook which he loves and I’m getting the encyclopaedia and the trivia game for Christmas, I may look at getting that battle academy set also based on this thread. Appreciate the help guys

@Thisisthelifewevebeengiven

The packs inside will have different cards in he will just have two copperajah V cards and two of the jumbo ones. The pack arts will be the same but the actual cards are different

A different box would have a different V card promo so it depends how easy it is to send back and if he minds have two V cards the same.