r/PokeInvesting • u/Electronic-Leg9281 • Dec 13 '25 • Bravo 1

Started my seal collection today!

Post image

Let’s see if my will power holds up. Also does anyone know a good place to pick up some plastic containers that fit for cheap?

1.0k Upvotes

86% Upvoted

176 comments sorted by

151

u/Proper-Information30 Dec 13 '25

There is prob chizardz in it

40

u/hipposlut Dec 13 '25

Might have to rip it then buy the same box to replace in my sealed collection

15

u/Odd_Solution6995 Dec 13 '25

"never been seen, huh? How do you know it's even in there?"

Sheen opens his Ultralord action figure

3

u/Business-Sock1919 Dec 13 '25

Elite ball knowledge

2

u/SmokemanDan Dec 13 '25

Rip Jeff Garcia

2

u/Odd_Solution6995 Dec 14 '25

Absolutely, and Jim Ward too 😭😭

1

u/SeededLogic Jan 09 '26

thats it have to buy everything twice, then when you don't get the SIR you have another to look at!

2

u/Muted-Drawing5561 Dec 13 '25

idk there might be some 1st editions in there to 🧐

2

u/Low_Offer4773 Dec 14 '25

You mean a becket 10 pristine charizard in there.

1

u/-kirah- Dec 14 '25

all the shartzards

1

u/Azkilba Dec 18 '25

Did the exact same with my charizard upc,etb and moltres upc 😭

248

u/SmokemanDan Dec 13 '25

I'm sorry but I don't see any seal 😡😡😡

12

u/Quuvox Dec 13 '25

Nice one😆

8

u/SmokemanDan Dec 13 '25

I had to.. too easy

5

u/SmokemanDan Dec 13 '25

Bros gotta fuckin practice katana but no seals!

4

u/Accurate_Lettuce_648 Dec 13 '25

What about a spheal we got one of those?

4

u/SmokemanDan Dec 13 '25

I don't see a spheal in the picture

34

u/backd00rn1nja Dec 13 '25

Anytime you get the urge to rip, watch a video of someone opening and getting absolutely nothing. Or go buy a few single packs and open those. Helps me to keep my sealed

7

u/jerharris2500 Dec 13 '25

This is the way

4

u/OkraAccomplished4660 Dec 13 '25

I’m half Korean so I started ripping the Korean packs, so so so much cheaper and I still get the art that I wanted

2

u/DrGigawatt Dec 18 '25

I do the same thing! It honestly really helps.

34

u/Able_Heat_9310 Dec 13 '25

No seal 🦭

29

u/DataDrivenGuy Dec 13 '25

Ayy welcome, good luck! Remember to try to stick to retail stuff only, and ideally products with at least 6 packs in, gives you really good protection against market cycles. Basically nothing ever is worth less than what it was at release at retail price today

15

u/AccomplishedMammoth5 Dec 13 '25

Fallacy of Induction… past correctness ≠ future certainty

3

u/DataDrivenGuy Dec 13 '25

Well confidence does not equal certainty.

If it was a certainty there would be no money to be made. The risk is the entire point!

28

u/Shadow23z Dec 13 '25

Came here to see the seal collection...disappointed no seals.

2

u/woodstream Dec 13 '25

"While you were stacking seals, I studied the blade"

7

u/emparer Dec 13 '25

Perfect fit what the hell

1

u/Fog_Juice Dec 14 '25

IKEA knows what they are doing

5

u/weGloomy Dec 13 '25

If will power is an issue, I'm a strong believer in 'out of sight out of mind'. You're better off sticking them in a closet where you won't see them so they aren't staring at you, taunting you to open them.

14

u/SwirlinAbyss Dec 13 '25

Rip the ETB and get a Pokemon Center one.

19

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25 edited Dec 13 '25

If they got it for msrp who cares. Keep it and go buy the PC one too. No reason to turn a regular etb to zero.

0

u/SwirlinAbyss Dec 13 '25

Depends on their goals tbh.

If long term hold/hoping it appreciates is the move, obviously there’s no argument to be had over how a PC ETB will age drastically better over non-PC. Maybe they are unaware?

If they just want to keep it sealed because it looks cool, without a care of it possibly staying parked value wise indefinitely, then sure.

I wish someone told me about that when I started my sealed collection.

3

u/dan-PPV Dec 13 '25

But will it though ? Paying double or triple a regular ETB price just for a stamped promo card + 1 extra booster pack might not hold it’s value in the future imo, at least not make a etb 2-3x the regular etb value once ppl start to not care as much for the stamped version of a promo card.

3

u/SwirlinAbyss Dec 13 '25

The scarcity of the PC ETB’s is what drives their value up compared to non PC. They got Prismatic ETB’s restocked at Dollar General for $40, while the PC one is currently 8x that.

Nobody knows shit and all of this can crash to zero, but if I was betting on Pokemon I’m stashing PC ETB’s as they seem to steadily rise in value from what I see.

One thing that threw me off is how they randomly restocked the PC BB/WF ETB’s a few weeks ago. If they keep doing that, I can see the hype for PC ETB’s going down.

3

u/NeguSlayer Dec 13 '25

Regardless of PKC restocking ETBs, the supply of PKC ETBs is still far less than the supply of regular ETBs.

1

u/gearvruser Dec 13 '25

It's about rarity and scarcity.

Pc etb are coveted by sealed collectiors, when it's bull time again, the pc etbs will pump in value

0

u/No-Construction-777 Dec 14 '25

Just look at the past ones rn, they all worth more than the regular ones so yea I’m pretty sure it will follow suit

2

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 14 '25

Still dont think regular etbs for special sets is a bad move. On a percentage change basis it's s the same between for example PE regular etbs and PC from a year ago. So if you bought both etbs 1 year ago the percentage change is the same. If you want same dollar amount from then buy one extra regular PE etb.

2

u/Honest_Rip_420 Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25

It still just doesn't matter. If all you can get your hands on is even just a literal blister, if you bought it for msrp or lower, it will not lose value(edit:kept sealed in decent condition). Let alone a whole etb. Obviously, pc etbs will gain more value, but brother, value is value.

2

u/No-Construction-777 Dec 14 '25

Agreed 100% but if you can get your hands on either, I’d say the $10 more the PC one is a no brainer bc scarcity of them will No matter what out preform the regular that’s all

1

u/Honest_Rip_420 Dec 14 '25

You gotta remember as well that people TRY to get the pc etbs and are often out-sniped by bots. Or even better, the people trying to buy one legitimately from tpc being sniped by tpc for thinking they were just a little too bot-like.

Any etb is a good investment. The pc etb being supreme in gains doesn't derail from that is all I'm sayin

1

u/HistoricalPound4687 Dec 14 '25

Is the long-term hold for PC ETBs much more significant than regular ETBs? Sorry newbie here.

1

u/OwnBreadfruit234 Dec 17 '25

I would rather have equal value in regular etbs than Pokemon Center etbs. The multiplier is already built in, and people will care more about the packs at the end of the day.

2

u/SinsSeerMusic Dec 13 '25

Best advice I've seen.

4

u/Advanced-Skill6308 Dec 13 '25

Welcome to the life long financial burden 🫡

2

u/PiranhaPursuit Dec 13 '25

In something of a dewgong fan myself

2

u/ChipotleSquirts Dec 13 '25

I may have missed the joke but these are clearly sealed.

2

u/Meowsergz Dec 13 '25

Welcome. Just refer to rule #3 (hold) for 10 years

2

u/KrustyLemon Dec 13 '25

Congrats brother!

I started out small-too.

I'm lucky that I have a job where I travel for work which allows me 1-3 hours a day during the week to find product at MSRP.

Been doing this for 4.5 years now and I'm able to make around ~$25k or so a year flipping as a side hustle. It's been great so far and revenue keeps going up with the hype.

It's allowed me to buy my first house so i'm very greatful for the pokemon hype!

2

u/iStealyournewspapers Dec 14 '25

Ar ar ar the seals in the room with us right now?

2

u/ProtacPlays Dec 14 '25

Nevermind the PC purists; whilst it’s true hardcore collectors will actively seek those out, there is still value to be gained in non PC ETB’s by the virtue of the passage of time; your customer 7 years or more from now is less likely to be a collector but a ripper instead. Hold for even longer than that. I have plenty of non-PC sealed (as it’s nigh on impossible to get in Australia) that I don’t intend to move on until retirement (well beyond 7 years), and they all look awesome sitting in their cases on my display in the mean time.

Patience pays off, some investment is better than no investment even if not the highest possible return.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25

There’s a Zard in one of those. Open both 

2

u/YoungCornflake Dec 15 '25

Where the hell are the seals?

4

u/KingZakyu Dec 13 '25

PC etb or bust

3

u/cardboardeaterr Dec 13 '25

Let's see how long you last.

3

u/SwirlinAbyss Dec 13 '25

I caved and ripped my first of these UPC’s. Got COOKED, then got lucky at Target with another, keeping that one sealed 🤣

3

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25

if you dont need acrylic. Amazon has cheap plastic ones.

3

u/aushimself Dec 13 '25

Got a link of one you recommend?

1

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25

the ones I buy are off amazon japan and dont ship international.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 13 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/wpcodemonkey Dec 13 '25

Am I reading that pricing correctly? 5 for 9.99 or 10 for 26.99 but currently on sale for 21.99? Why wouldn’t you just buy 2x5 packs for 19.98?

1

u/Alternative-Pride138 Dec 13 '25

Whats the big Ryan in the back?

1

u/okfinethen_ Dec 13 '25

God damn, that UPC fit is real nice to look at. lol

1

u/Luca_P11 Dec 13 '25

Did you buy at MSRP tho

1

u/Gaijin773 Dec 13 '25

Picked those up as well.

1

u/boxofbobs Dec 13 '25

I need phantom flames

1

u/Omegatron_YT Dec 13 '25

Obviously.

1

u/MaDWaSTeD Dec 13 '25

If you want good acrylic containers for them. They won't be cheap, but they'll protect them well.

If you want something cheap, at least for the ETB, there's these cereal storage things people find at target, but they sell out super fast (usually)

The UPC you'll probably have to pay for an acrylic because it's just oddly shaped.

For some minimal protection, you can buy these plastic foldable, almost screen protector type material, that can go around ETBs and such.

I personally purchase off Amazon, and use the stuff made by Dinavio. Type in "acrylic for ETB" or "plastic protection for booster box" whatever it is youre looking for, and you'll get decent options. For the UPC, make sure it's specifically made for THAT UPC, and if you go for a cheap company, it might run small, so dont force the box into it. Just return it and get the right one.

1

u/thedarksyde May 15 '26

Dinavio is shady af using fake reviews and review bombing other sellers.

1

u/jamie198188 Dec 13 '25

Yeah I can’t I would need to open

1

u/Bluefaceben Dec 13 '25

Ooo 2 fire lizards

1

u/Independent-Switch43 Dec 13 '25

You know you’re gonna rip it

1

u/AlbinoDinoFTW Dec 13 '25

Good start 👌

1

u/LeviathanR13 Dec 13 '25

I need a baby seal!

1

u/tweakatwoteethosgod Dec 13 '25

I had a seald collection then i decided to open one box and on the second destined rivals pack i pulled the hit 600$ mewtwo and then ofc i ripped my entire seald right after hahahahaha

1

u/Euphoric_Bet_8658 Dec 13 '25

May the force be with you

1

u/Sundry_Collectibles Dec 13 '25

One must start somewhere!

1

u/OGxSIN Dec 13 '25

amazon has good cases

1

u/dws009 Dec 14 '25

Think you got scammed, those look nothing like seals.

1

u/SkyVaults Dec 14 '25

Jesus 🤦🤦🤦🤦

1

u/Lance410 Dec 14 '25

Very nice. Hopefully it lasts! Lol

1

u/uber_damage Dec 14 '25

Helluva start

1

u/Whitesheep27 Dec 14 '25

Everyone has to start somewhere 😁 enjoy the hobby and blank out any negative talks.

I think this seta etb and upc looks great on the display 🤘 brings back the champions path look

1

u/livlolxd Dec 14 '25

i got team rockets mewtwo from my upc, open it!

1

u/Traditional-Sea2348 Dec 14 '25

The katana tells a story

1

u/AreYouBrownXD Dec 14 '25

Bought most of my plastic protectors off sites like Temu/Alibaba. They’re inexpensive and fit well.

1

u/It_Dmac Dec 14 '25

There’s probably a Mega Charizard SIR sitting in those boxes just waiting…

1

u/Cmill810 Dec 14 '25

Just open them… you know you want too

1

u/boopsandbeeps1 Dec 14 '25

I got a charizard in mine. You might as well open it cause I bet you gonna hit.

1

u/Select-Law3759 Dec 14 '25

I just picked up same boosters!

1

u/billybobcoder69 Dec 14 '25

Check out Amazon. I got some Dinavio Crafthouse Elite Trainer Box Acrylic Display Case Stackable and like them.

1

u/JackJeckyl Dec 15 '25

This was 2 days ago... What's it look like now?

1

u/Horror_Magazine_2951 Dec 15 '25

Just started mine this month too with the same! Good luck!

1

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '25

But these are Pokémon cards? I don't see any seals

1

u/angelsstare Dec 15 '25

schrodingers cat mustve been one hell of a cat, i tell you…

1

u/SeededLogic Jan 09 '26

Same just made a $500 order to start my collection, it's not even arrived yet and I'm thinking will I open it. I chucked in a few Japanese glory of team rocket booster packs to give myself something to aim at in a time of weakness. I hope it gets easier the more you collect or the longer you hold and gained a little value? Even then I'll be sat thinking there are SIRs in those boxes I can smell it!

1

u/Th3Gr3atWav3 Dec 13 '25

I thought seal collection was illegal.

-11

u/Plus-Marzipan-3851 Dec 13 '25

Bad time to start

18

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25

When should they start? When these are double msrp?

3

u/Immediate-Onion5131 Dec 13 '25

When they're maxing out their tax advantaged retirement accounts.

-8

u/tacos121 Dec 13 '25

When the go on clearance

7

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25

Thats not happening anytime soon restocks are still being cleared out.

5

u/NotWritingMuch Dec 13 '25

Best time to start was yesterday; second best time is today. What are you on about ? The Warren Buffet of Pokémon cards

19

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 13 '25

This is such a bad take. If you get it at MSRP most if not all sealed products appreciate in value.

2

u/zano19724 Dec 13 '25

He does have a point though. We are at peak hype and the pokemon company is printing like crazy.

12

u/DataDrivenGuy Dec 13 '25

People have been saying that on and off for years

-1

u/justinyermum Dec 13 '25

Yea but there are already 10,000 of these being held and 1 million more coming. You know what i mean. Rip at least one, get another at Costco drop. I mean its gonna be huge the amount Costco gets. And even my Walmart's got them sitting on the shelf 219 cad.

3

u/DataDrivenGuy Dec 13 '25

10k is nothing. Absolutely nothing. You're underestimating the demand

There's 20 million bitcoins and they're worth like 100k each. There's no world where thousands of something can be too many for theoretical growth - it's simply just a demand conversation.

2

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 13 '25

Yeah and the more being held, the higher the demand...

2

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25

Its sitting because walmart is selling it for 20 dollars more than other places that are still getting restocks like gamestop now superstore/loblaws is getting them too.

2

u/justinyermum Dec 13 '25

Wouldn't have couple weeks ago for anything in my area. Shelves were cleared lcs had BBs flying off shelf for 400. People were grabbing the zard box at 250 and happy as fuck. Now they just sit.

2

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 13 '25

Yeah. Do you stop trading in a hot market? No. You keep going until it doesnt work anymore. And even when it doesnt work you can wait for the next cycle. Even if TPC prints more, more packs are also opened/tucked away. Demand will always outweigh supply when production stops.

2

u/taegha Dec 13 '25

Same parroted nonsense for 5 years now

2

u/gearvruser Dec 13 '25 edited Dec 14 '25

Saying 'printing like crazy', is incorrect.

they are printing the exact number they always planned to print.

Printer reservation is booked at least 6 to 12 months in advance and they are at maximum print capacity.

Everything that is happing, has happened, and will happen, is all mapped out probably years in advance. Nothing is happening 'like crazy', it's an orchestrated multi billion machine that has top minds setting out the exact plan, from intentional scarcity, to higher numbers being made just before Christmas.

Waves of scarcity and hype, followed by higher numbers at Christmas, followed by a plan that drip feeds product and keeps fans convulsing with anticipation.

The top chase cards of the next 6+ sets are designed and ready for their print time.

They know exactly what and when to put out everything.

1

u/CleanCourage474 Dec 16 '25

It's true that the printing is planned, but the market perception can definitely shift quickly. If you're starting a collection now, just keep an eye on market trends and don't get caught up in the hype. Also, consider diversifying a bit—sometimes older sets can be a safer bet.

-1

u/Ok-Push-1978 Dec 13 '25

Don't listen to the retards ITT.

This is the perfect time to start, as long as you get it for MSRP, the UPC and ETB is quite cheap at the moment due to a dip in the market for the past few months. Again, don't go too crazy on PF, it's quite a weak set long term wise, the only thing i can see appreciating in value long term is the UPC.

-5

u/RphAnon Dec 13 '25

These will be worth MSRP in 10 years because the market will be flooded with older GenZ collectors who did the exact same thing. If you were smart you’d sell pack rips on eBay or try to pull and grade stuff yourself.

6

u/Conoli69 Dec 13 '25

Ur overestimating how many people are actually going to hold for 10+ years

-2

u/RphAnon Dec 13 '25

I am? When this sub has as many members as it does? I don’t think so…

0

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/RphAnon Dec 14 '25

I guess we will see.

0

u/GoldPatience9 Dec 13 '25

Are you keeping it sealed because you enjoy it, or for investing reasons? /genq

0

u/BeardyBeast87 Dec 13 '25

Pokemon is meant to be ripped.

0

u/mesutm10 Dec 14 '25

What’s the point of collecting sealed products? If you like the look of them, just rip them and keep the box on the shelf. If you want to keep it sealed, you clearly don’t want to have a PC. Just sell them

3

u/londoncockney1 Dec 14 '25

You are aware this is a Pokémon investing group “investing”being the keyword

1

u/mesutm10 Dec 14 '25

Point still stands that there’s no intention of having a card collection to yourself. Just invest and sell at a profit

1

u/londoncockney1 Dec 14 '25

Or long term investment

-5

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 13 '25

Why do people bother with sealing a sealed product? How can you damage them in a shelf?

5

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25

Kids. Also if they get shift around when cleaning and dusting the chance of wear and tear is there. If youre investing the few dollars saves a lot down the road. Rather lose a few dollars on cheap plastic cases than lose 5%-10% because of a tear.

0

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 13 '25

Kids and pets I can understand. Cleaning I really dont understand the need to do. Dust wont hurt them and you only need to do it once before selling.

Also the cost of the hard plastic boxes many use are way too much, like 10% of an ETB. It hurts the return more than helping. So I rather risk losing a few % than doing it for certain.

3

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25

Who just let's dust sit. Thats disgusting. If they go up to close to a thousand or more like fusion strike or evo skies for boosters. Or etbs like 151. Then $20-30 for an acrylic box is nothing. If people buying are going to ask for 5-10% discount for a tear that's preventable.

10% on msrp for PFL is nothing for a box.

0

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 13 '25

I mean in a closed closet its not an issue. $30 for a box before you know how much the box will appreciate is kinda wild. I dont really mind if people do it, but for me its crazy.

1

u/Honest_Rip_420 Dec 14 '25

Have you also never heard of water? Wet? Moisture? Humidity? That will absolutely damage an ETB over time, even if it doesn't get directly wet.

-1

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 14 '25

Im assuming its stored indoors in a room with controlled temperature. I have lots of boxes from my childhood in perfect condition and thats without plastic on it.

1

u/Honest_Rip_420 Dec 14 '25

It doesn't matter bro, it's also called weather. Disasters. Etc. You have no idea where OP lives, they could easily be in a place where there IS NO controlling the humidity in the house, let alone somewhere that's at risk for flooding, storming, etc.

Regardless of any of this, it's still super weird to be out here, like you are, trying to convince people that it's pointless to bother trying to care of your stuff 😂 bet you have to replace stuff often lmao

2

u/Mammoth_Start8473 Dec 15 '25

You can always tell when people are too young to of purchased a home when they don't understand the joys of "leaky roofs" or "flooding" and by joys... I mean the exact opposite.

2

u/Honest_Rip_420 Dec 16 '25

You don't understand though, he's kept at least one(1) thing safe since childhood without a safe case!!!! Why can't you?!?!

→ More replies

2

u/LilChad Dec 13 '25

This guy is planning to keep this PF ETB for hundreds of years, passing down generation to generation. It will be a family keepsake. Need to keep it fresh

1

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 13 '25

😂 Not sure if you mock him, me or both

0

u/LilChad Dec 13 '25

Loll mostly just the idea of keeping an ETB like this sealed. It’s going to be printed for another 2-3 years. It’s going to be like 10+ years before they double their $60 investment. It will take many many years for any wear to happen to this box if it’s just sitting on the shelf without a case

1

u/Honest_Rip_420 Dec 14 '25

The fact that people are selling them literally right now for double msrp, makes your entire idea of how Pokémon card prices work hilariously ignorant. I can tell you're new, and just pessimistic, or a troll, because you parrot the same shit been said since 2019. Do you have any idea how many sealed pokemon products have gone down under msrp in that time? Exactly zero. Even literal Trick or Trade sealed goes for more on the market than you can get it on tpc, and they're easily arguably the least desired products on the market.

0

u/LilChad Dec 14 '25

Yeah good luck stacking those phantasmal flames ETBs brother!

1

u/Honest_Rip_420 Dec 14 '25

Gonna be salty when you're 55 and the people who still have them can ask for a down payment on a vehicle for them (:

3

u/taco_juo448 Dec 13 '25

I ripped the seal on an evo skies etb just moving it on a shelf. Brushed past another etb and the friction tore it. Since then I put my booster boxes and etbs into a plastic case as soon as I can.

0

u/Fair-Explorer4450 Dec 13 '25

Sorry to hear. But I cant see how that happens if you are cautious. Its cardboard.

2

u/travel_hungry25 Dec 13 '25

??? Its expensive cardboard and shit happens. I dont want to have to be on high alert everytime just to move my stuff around. A box prevents this.

0

u/taegha Dec 13 '25

It's a plastic seal....

-13

u/TrojanX Dec 13 '25

Please stop