Should You Buy Pokémon Cards or Rip Booster Packs? Pros and Cons Explained

When building a Pokémon card collection, many collectors face a common question: is it better to buy specific cards you want, or to purchase sealed packs and try your luck pulling those cards? Both approaches have their advantages and drawbacks, and the best choice depends on what you value most – guaranteed results or the thrill of the hunt. Let’s break down the pros and cons of each strategy to help you decide.

Buying Single Cards (Singles)

Buying singles means purchasing specific individual cards directly from a seller or store. This way, you know exactly what you’re getting with no randomness involved.

Pros of Buying Singles

• Targeted choice: You get the exact card you want for your collection. There’s no guesswork – if you need a particular rare card to finish a set, buying it outright ensures you have it.

• Cost-effective: It often costs less to purchase a desired card directly than to spend money on many packs hoping to find it. For example, if a chase card sells for $50 but only appears in about 1 in 50 packs, you could easily spend well over $50 on packs without ever pulling it. Buying the single saves you money and prevents ending up with piles of unwanted duplicates.

Cons of Buying Singles

• Less excitement: There’s no surprise element. Some collectors miss the fun of ripping packs open. Buying a card directly can feel like a simple transaction rather than an experience, so you might lose out on that excitement and nostalgia.

• High upfront cost: A sought-after card can be expensive to buy outright. Paying a large sum at once for one card can be daunting.

Opening Booster Packs

“Ripping” booster packs refers to buying sealed packs (or boxes of packs) and opening them to see what cards are inside. Each pack is a mystery: you could find anything from common cards to an ultra-rare pull. This method is all about chance and excitement.

Pros of Opening Packs

• Thrilling experience: Opening packs is exciting. Each foil wrapper holds a surprise, and that anticipation is a big part of the hobby’s appeal. Many collectors also enjoy the nostalgic rush of cracking packs. Plus, any given pack could hold a rare treasure, which adds to the thrill.

• Set building: Opening multiple packs (or an entire booster box) gives you a wide variety of cards quickly, which is great for building up a set. You’ll fill in lots of common and uncommon cards and maybe pull a few rare hits along the way. Extra duplicate cards can be used for trading or for playing the game.

Cons of Opening Packs

• Uncertain payoff: Results are unpredictable. There’s no guarantee you’ll get the card you want, even after opening many packs. In fact, most packs won’t contain a card worth the pack’s price. It’s easy to burn through money chasing a specific pull with no certainty of success.

• Duplicates and waste: Buying many packs means you’ll end up with a pile of duplicate cards and other cards you don’t need. This can feel wasteful, and dealing with the excess (by storing, selling, or trading them) can be a hassle. If your goal was very specific, you’ll have a lot of cards you didn’t really want.

Deciding Based on Your Goals

Which approach makes sense for you depends on your collecting goals and personal enjoyment:

• If you’re after one or two particular chase cards, buying those cards as singles is usually the smartest move. You obtain exactly what you want without the uncertainty, which often saves money (especially for older, hard-to-pull cards).

• If your aim is to build a complete set or you simply love the process of opening packs, then buying booster packs (or booster boxes) is a fun way to go. You’ll get a broad range of cards and enjoy the journey of discovery. Many collectors open packs to get most of a new set, then switch to singles for the last few cards they couldn’t pull.

• Some collectors use a mixed approach: for example, open a few packs for fun and to jump-start a collection, but purchase singles for specific high-value cards or to finish off a set. This way you can enjoy pack opening while still ensuring you eventually get those must-have cards.

So, what type of collector are you – someone who prefers a sure thing, or someone who lives for the excitement of the unknown?