I’m 29 and started getting into Pokemon cards earlier this year.
Since I’ve learnt about the hype and monetary value associated with them, I’ve gone into it as an investor/scalper.
Ask me anything.
[AMA] I Scalp and Invest in Pokemon Cards
idonteven on 27/08/2025 - 20:48
closed Comments
Where do you buy from?
My kids likes pokemons
Looking at the numbers shown in your answers, looks like a good side gig for early 20s. Low skill and a bit of extra money. Outside of that your hours would be better spent on more lucrative opportunities.
The profit I make is just going back into making more profit. You gotta spend money to make money or something like that.
This venture doesn't scale very well. So your profit growth on profit made won't be awfully higher than an average paying job, and without the security. The time would likely be better spent upskilling towards a high paying job.
Will you stop it please?
There’s no incentive for me to stop though.
Turns out I now have 10 negative votes per 24 hours. What a fun way to find out.
Will be back in 24 hours….Why?
I don’t know why, I used to have five negs per 24 hours and now I have ten.
How many kids do you disappoint on a weekly basis?
Is it your kink to be hated
How to buy off you if interested?
Scalp the labubu dolls
I feel bad for OP for being honest here but the reality is, such practice are widespread across all fields and OP is just being upfront about it. People buy (Borden) items on ozb all the time and you could argue not allowing others a bite of the cherry. Buying Qantas points here and reselling on eBay for a profit happens. I don’t condone such practice but OP puts in a lot of effort for some profit so I’m not in a position to fault his/ her motivation. I would rather this than someone stealing or shoplifting for a living.
You can sell Qantas points???
People do them on classifieds here and also on eBay. It’s against the rule but are still done.
I think people here are just bitter they didn't think of it first, they don't actually care about any kids being upset.
From what I'm reading, seems like people have an issue with flipping Pokemon cards but don't have a problem when it comes time to sell their property and expect to "flip" for at much as the market allows? One's frowned upon while the other seems like a "smart" move. How are these 2 any different? Would people who have a problem with this be fine with selling their properties for how much they had bought for? We live in a capitalistic society don't we? I'm not into Pokemon, but lots of these comments seem very hypocritical to me.
I think the issue is that, with pokemon cards, you're competing directly with kids.
That's fair. I don't think it'd be appropriate when it affects kids. From what I understand many Pokemon collectors are adults though. If OP could make thousands from this I would like to think the majority of people who buy from him would be adults.
Adults collect them, kids play with them?
Yeah but the kids don’t care if the cards are printed by the Pokémon factory or else where, kids I see at school are more than happy with the worst fakes.
Only the adults care about the genuine cards and only the adults drive up the value of the cards.
Let’s not pretend this is hurting the kids.
It is. My boys don't understand why it's so hard to buy them just one booster each. They play the game and also collect the cards.
It's so sad that scalpers ruin the enjoyment.Kids who play TCG care about real vs fake because anyone can buy fakes and make a God deck full of EXs etc. that are crazy over powered. Removes the fun of the game
Kids who play TCG care about real vs fake because anyone can buy fakes and make a God deck full of EXs etc. that are crazy over powered. Removes the fun of the game
As opposed to the kids who have the most money who can spend the most wins. Like myself back in my day, its disgusting being the kid who had responsible parents who didn't let me spend $1000 a year on pieces of paper so I can win the lunch time game.
It's even worse now days, the money you can spend on it is crazy as the drops are so much more frequent and the cards are more and more OP.
As someone who played the game as a kid and have kids who now play, what pokemon TCG is doing is much worse than the scalpers.
I think with flipping something like Pokemon cards/Labubu/sneakers, the 'harm' is much more direct, in that you are creating a loss for someone behind you in the line. Also there's no hard work involved other than spending your time waiting in line. With property, not everyone was able to get that property in the first place - you had to have saved up a certain amount. So people who didn't have the requisite deposit can't really complain about missing out.
I'd like to go on the record to say that I'm against both of these things
out of all your investments… which one brings the highest returns for time vs rewards?
Crypto currency is the fastest way to make big wins or losses
Elon Musks combined businesses investments is faster.
Satoshi Nakamoto is close though.
Bitcoin. Definitely bitcoin.
I bought put $40k into it back in 2017. And well, you know the rest.
This is by far the most loathsome AMA in the history of this site.
My kids are also into Pokemon, how can you tell the value of the cards? They have a few cool looking, shiny ones but when I check what they sell for on eBay, they only seem to be worth a few bucks? How do I find a 'Pokemon investor' to sell these cards to?
There seems to be lots of packs being purchased from retail stores, but not many cards actually changing hands?
For serious money you need to get them PSA graded which I think costs $50aud per card. And then you only get top value if it's graded at 10 and you can find a buyer.
We just put aside our kids valuable cards for now and will give them back when they turn 18.
But just teach them how to play and it'll be much more enjoyable than spending hundreds of dollars trying to collect cards.Each set might only have a like 5 or so ‘chase’ cards which are worth hundreds.
Download the Rare Candy app, has a card scanner that adds the value
Lol, great rage bait
Have you ever fought over stock with another scalper like in America?
No, this doesn’t happen here in Australia. We have quantity limits in place.
DM me I still have my collection from the late 90’s. All mint condition in sleeves make me some offers after I send you photos - been sitting in my closet for 30 years.
Base set and jungle, some from the original Pokémon movie.
I have a couple of first editions but nothing special for a 1st edition.A lot of the base set and 1st edition cards are near worthless. It’s only the chase cards that command huge figures.
It’s cheaper to complete a master set of base set than some modern sets.
I have no idea what that is and also don’t care. Had no idea. Stuff it - can stay where it is charizard isn’t worth what I thought.
50 years time someone else can have them.I'm happy to dm but you'll need to open up your dm in settings
I don't really get the hatred OP is copping. He isn't forcing people to buy these things. He isn't buying up medication that would help babies with cancer. It's pokemon cards. Same thing with those stupid lebubus. If people stop buying at silly prices, scalpers will lose all their money and not do it.
You are only saying that because you are not an 11 year old kid.
I am sure if people were scalping the things you want but not need, you wouldn't be so happy about it. No one is happy to pay above rrp for stuff due to scalpers. Scalpers also often don't play the rules and use bots, bribes etc.
Yeah, I wouldn't buy it. If my kids wanted to pay some stranger off Facebook marketplace above retail for pokemon cards, I would tell them that's a stupid thing to do.
If you stop buying from them, they have no one to sell to. What they have is then worthless. Don't give in to fomo and stupid fads.
So you would not go to see your favorite band if all the tickets were scalped and then say well "If you stop buying from them, they have no one to sell to".
Scalpers are always going to exist in a free market. OP is copping hatred because he is clearly trolling and no one likes scalpers anyway. Clearly OP is scalping because they like money and obviously buying and selling things for a profit isn't actually a "hobby". Only a hobby if the ATO asks.
So you would not go to see your favorite band if all the tickets were scalped and then say well "If you stop buying from them, they have no one to sell to".
Nope, I'd jump onto ticketek and get the tickets myself. Same as these pokemon cards, go early and get them yourself if you want. I've never purchased scalped tickets or products in my life. I don't think any bands I would want to see would even have ticket scalpers.
Clearly OP is scalping because they like money
That's why all scalpers do it. The can do this because people pay stupid prices for trinkets. Don't pay stupid prices for trinkets, no one will scalp them. You can also blame the people selling this junk, as they release them in tiny bits to create this kind of demand, they have the ability to print a billion of these things a day if they want, they choose not to.
@brendanm: My example is hypothetical. It is nice that you haven't had issues getting concert tickets etc, but I am more asking if there was a thing that you really wanted would you be happy to pay 100% extra or go without due to scalpers. As an adult it isn't surprising that you don't value Pokemon cards.
@Aureus: I would go without. It's a concert, not food or water. However as I've said, most issues can be fixed by doing the hard yards yourself.
As an adult it isn't surprising that you don't value Pokemon cards.
As an adult I'm surprised you don't teach your kids not to pay stupid amounts of money to people who are ripping them off.
@brendanm: Okay, but the concert is still a hypothetical, as I don't actually know you.
If you are saying you will do without everything except the bare minimum required to be alive, then congrats you have reached true enlightenment.
@Aureus: You seem to be missing the point. I will not pay scalpers. If something I am interested in has scalpers, it has likely been artificially hyped and/or had it's supply artificially restricted.
This is a perfect time to teach your son about supply and demand, and how these days massive corporations control both. Viral "organic" social media stuff "discovering" these products is not organic. It is manufactured. Just wait until the next "viral" product comes out and get in early.
@brendanm: Yeah I get your point, but I feel your missing mine, but either way I don't care enough to continue
@brendanm: You got it! It's easy money with zero education or skills needed to do it. A lot of scalpers if they're not money laundering which is a huge problem these days are doing it because they have little to poor education, have no expertise or skills to offer employers, and have no other means to support themselves except low skill low I.Q. reselling/scalping. It's the bottom of the barrel economics, morals and ethics, control supply and set prices, repeat and rinse every 6 months for new trend.
@GardenGnome: I never said any of that. The ones paying more than RRP to some grub off Facebook marketplace are the dumb ones.
@brendanm: Yeah, I know you didn't, but I did though…But my comment relates to your point about paying more than RRP & scalpers. It's not just about people paying 'stupid prices' and fueling the market.
The problem with people and the OP is not that they resell /scalp consumer goods, it's the way they 'cheat' the system in order to control supply by using underhanded tactics such as bots, automated checkout software, notify software/subs/groups, actually paying people (students, uber drivers, people on pensions) to stand in line and buy retail.
And people do buy up 'life saving' items such as medication, look at the lack of supply of ADHD & anti-psychotic medication currently in Australia and you have desperate people pharmacy shopping every day.
The problem with people and the OP is not that they resell /scalp consumer goods, it's the way they 'cheat' the system in order to control supply by using underhanded tactics such as bots, automated checkout software, notify software/subs/groups, actually paying people (students, uber drivers, people on pensions) to stand in line and buy retail.
Same as the manufacturers artificially reducing supply. Same as the 20 middlemen that are between the factory and the consumer. I don't agree with the bots, but anything else is available to anyone else. It also all circulates back around to my main point, if people stop buying above RRP from dodgy sources, the market collapses, and the scalpers are out of business.
And people do buy up 'life saving' items such as medication, look at the lack of supply of ADHD & anti-psychotic medication currently in Australia and you have desperate people pharmacy shopping every day.
How would this be happening when you have to have a script for these things, and you can only buy so much at once? Seems like a supply issue, or an over prescribing issue.
@Aureus: Something too many don't understand…
For taxation purposes
If a painter sells one $50k painting in a year, but not one the next year, it is a hobby.
If Mary Housewife holds 2 garage sales three months apart or grandma sells a second hand item on eBay every month for three months, they have both now traded consistently with frequency and have traded in business. Thus any revenue generated is to be reported to tax man, Centrelink etc…
Guess you don't have an issue with PS5s being expensive and scalped and not available when they first launched.
Or music concert tickets also being impossible to get.
Or many other things which are artificially high not because it's legitimate but because some (profanity) wants to buy and resell them in bulk.
You obviously didn't read anything I wrote. There's a super simple fix. Don't buy scalped items. The scalpers are then stuck with stuff they can't sell, they then can't sell it over RRP. They then stop.scalping. but instead people will continue paying stupid prices for stupid things.
Sucks when I can't get a new GPU or whatever, but they're just entertainment. Medicine / baby formula and other things people need are a different story.
Are the buyers and sellers all freaks and geeks?
i dont get why you have so much hate. youre buying and selling and arbitraging and everything is based on the market. Nothing unethical when the whole global economy is based on arbitrage for efficiency.
Are you just sticking to pokemon or expanding into other TCGs as well?
Additional side question, have you backdoor'ed stock through Target?
Man I’m just trying to get back in the hobby I’ve still got a pretty good collection but now I’ve gone to a few Ebgames and kmarts and i enquired about some pokemon product and they acted like they Never get anything in so frustrating do I need to call stores up daily and ask if there has been a restock until I can actually get my hands on something? Like please help me figure how to get product for retail? I live in Sydney btw 🙏
Get an EB+ membership and keep an eye on emails they usually drop Friday morning
That’s pretty much the way, or you get a discord membership to be notified of when drops happen. Eb membership helps but it’s still chance because you’re stuck in a virtual queue.
Scalpers are the devil's spawn
Yes and no, its only the people stupid enough to pay over inflated prices for their product that allows them to exist. Like the morons who paid $1,500 for ps5's when the first came out
Do you report your earnings to the ATO?
I do actually
how much did you report last FY
Everything I earnt.
You and people like you who resell, and scalp consumer items are a sad indictment on our current society. I imagine a large % of scalpers and resellers have zero skills, limited or no education or training, poor job prospects with any hope beyond mindless retail, terrible work ethic and various other social & developmental problems. I get it it's easy money; there is no mystery to it.
No one has an issue with people making money, that's capitalism! It's the way you go about it (using bots, stock notifiers, paying people to line up for you) and the mark up you charge. People wouldn't be so upset if you charged 10/20 hell even 30%, but when you ask 200/300% you lose your social license and your humanity card.
I’ve gone into it as an investor/scalper
It's called speculation. you're not an investor.
in another reply you said you've "made $8k in profit". How much time did you spend on that? I reckon you're overstating your position here and in reality you will struggle to make above minimum wage.
How much younger than you is your wife/partner?
any Snorlax ?
What questions am I not answering?