Pokémon cards in Singapore

Unless you’ve been living under a rock since the turn of the century, you most likely know a little about the global phenomenon that is Pokémon. From video games to animated series, the Japanese media franchise is ubiquitous and still going strong even after 20-odd years.

In recent times, interest in Pikachu and friends has reached a fever pitch, and this can be attributed to the rising popularity of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), or Pokémon cards. In fact, you’ve probably swiped past a pack opening or TikTok, or come across headlines reporting about massive crowds queuing up for Pokémon TCG products.

If you’re intrigued and would like to dip your toes into the card-collecting hobby yourself, but don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered. Here’s all you need to know about collecting Pokémon cards in Singapore, from the best locations to shop at to tips on how to properly store your precious pulls.

P.S. We’ll only be talking about the English release of Pokémon TCG products in this guide, for the purpose of simplicity.

What are Pokémon cards?

Image credit: Caleb Oquendo via Pexels

Like its name suggests, the Pokémon TCG is a trading card game based on the massive Pokémon franchise. Apart from simply collecting them, you can actually play with them because it’s a full-fledged card game, by building a 60-card deck and battling it out with another player.

Image credit: Japan Figure

However, it is the popularity of the “collecting” aspect of Pokémon cards that has been on a meteoric rise as of late. In case you didn’t know, some of the most valuable cards are worth quite a hefty amount of money, with the most expensive Pokémon card being sold at a whopping USD$5,275,000.

Of course, modern cards that you can easily purchase today don’t come anywhere close to fetching millions, but it’s not uncommon to see prices for some of them breaking the $1,000 ceiling. That’s why people still buy packs to open for a shot at getting them, or purchase coveted cards in hopes of them appreciating in value, much like stocks.

How do I start collecting Pokémon cards?

Getting into collecting Pokémon cards can be daunting, especially once you know how expensive the card collecting hobby can get. However, you don’t have to pour hundreds of dollars all at once when starting out to immerse yourself in the hobby; if you know what you’re doing, that is.

Image credit: Getty Images

You’ll first want to identify which kind of collector you are. Are you in it solely for the thrill of ripping open packs of cards in hopes of pulling a valuable card? Then you’d be better off spending your money on products that give you the most amount of packs for the least amount of money.

Some fans even only collect cards of their one favourite Pokémon; this collector has a whole binder dedicated to only Mew.
Image credit: @caiterpi via Threads

Perhaps you like the artwork on some of the cards, and you’d like to fill up your binder with certain cards you find pretty; that’s a completely valid reason to collect too. As such, you can keep an eye out for cards that you particularly like and buy them individually, instead of blowing money on packs and potentially getting a card that you don’t find aesthetically attractive at all.

The bottom line is, if you know what your goals in the hobby are, the easier it is to set aside money to spend on specific products that align with your interests.

Where to buy Pokémon cards in Singapore?

With the Pokémon franchise being as big as it is globally, it’s not hard at all to find Pokémon cards in sunny Singapore. But, it is finding products for the right price that’s tricky, AKA not paying exorbitant mark-up prices set by scalpers and certain retail stores.

For starters, probably one of the best places to begin your Pokémon card collecting journey is the Pokémon Center in Jewel Changi. Other than the plethora of Pokémon merch they sell here, they also unsurprisingly stock Pokémon cards. The best part is, they price their products according to MSRP, or Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, which means you won’t be paying through the nose for your cards.

Image credit: Spearing Collectibles

Another popular place to buy Pokémon cards is at local card shops. These are all scattered throughout Singapore, and here’s a list of some of the more popular ones that die-hard collectors frequent:

Although prices for Pokémon TCG products at local card shops are typically priced above RSRP, you’ll find that their prices can fluctuate from time to time, so check in with them regularly and you might find steals.

An advantage of shopping at local card shops is that they often sell single cards, usually kept in a binder for customers to leaf through, and this is perfect if you’re hunting for a specific card. Some shops even accept trades and may buy your cards as well, typically for 80% of the card’s market value.

Other common places to shop for Pokémon cards include Toys”R”Us and Toy Or Game (TOG) outlets.
Image credit: Toys”R”Us Singapore via Facebook

You can also use the store locator on the official Pokémon TCG Singapore website to locate Pokémon card retailers near you. Surprisingly, shops like 7-11, Challenger, and even Popular bookstores stock Pokémon cards, so with over 589 current locations you can shop at, you’re bound to find one in your vicinity.

Pokémon Centre Singapore even has an official Shopee store which you can buy products from.
Image adapted from: Shopee

You can purchase Pokémon cards through online shopping platforms like Shopee, Amazon SG and TikTok Shop. Of course, you’ll want to do your due diligence when it comes to buying products from unofficial sources, like checking the store’s rating and reading user reviews. Pro tip: do read listing descriptions carefully before placing your orders, as stores might use misleading pictures to lure buyers in.

Carousell and Facebook Marketplace are also great options when you’re looking for deals for Pokémon cards, especially single and graded cards. However, you’ll only want to shop from reputable sellers in order to avoid scams. Remember, if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.

Best Pokémon TCG products to buy

From booster boxes and packs to mini tins and ETBs, there are a ton of options to consider when it comes to building your collection. Below is a list of some of the more popular Pokémon TCG products collectors buy, and what’s actually inside them so you know what you’re spending your money on.

If you do the math, you’ll get the most bang for your buck by buying booster boxes, should you be looking to rip the most amount of booster packs for the least amount of money. Unfortunately, these are pretty hard to come by if you shop at the Pokémon Center at Changi Jewel; local card shops are your best bet but be prepared to pay slightly above MSRP for them.

Image credit: Alkaramah Dough

However, the other Pokémon TCG products are great for casual collectors too. In particular, the Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs) are great for beginners to kick start their foray into the hobby. They come with additional goodies like card sleeves to protect your cards, dividers to sort everything out and also doubles as a storage box to keep your cards safely.

How to store your Pokémon Cards?

Speaking about storing your cards, you’ll want to keep them safe from the moment you pull them from a pack. After all, Pokémon cards are essentially flimsy pieces of cardboard, so it doesn’t take much to scuff them up if you keep them exposed to the elements.

A Pokémon card stored safely in a sleeve and toploader.
Image adapted from: Erik Mclean via Unsplash

At the very least, consider putting your treasured Pokémon cards into a penny sleeve, which are thin sheets of plastic that shield your cards. If you’re a bit kiasu, slip your sleeved cards into a toploader afterwards; it’s a solid, plastic encasing that’s used to further protect your cards.

There are even toploader binders that you can opt for that are big enough to accommodate cards stored in toploaders.
Image credit: Danireon Cards & Games

Should you wish to display your collection neatly and safely, you can also put your cards into binders. We recommend getting side-loading binders, so even if your cards do fall out of their pockets, they will still remain in your binders.

Keeping your cards in tip-top condition is paramount if you wish to sell them off or get them graded in the future, because even the smallest of scratches can cause your card to depreciate in value.

How to know the value of my Pokémon cards?

When you finally do pull a card that’s worth a pretty penny, you may want to know how much it’s worth. There are a couple of resources you can rely on when you’d like to appraise your cards; one that’s most convenient for collectors is the Pokéllector app (App Store | Google Play) that you can download on your phones.

Image adapted from: Pokéllector

This handy app lists down all the current sets that have been released in the Pokémon TCG, every single card in those sets and individual prices for all of them across multiple card marketplace websites. Log in with an account, and you’ll be able to use it as a checklist to keep track of what cards you own in your collection.

Image adapted from: TCGplayer

If you want a more in-depth look at card prices with stats such as market price history and price volatility – yes, it’s starting to look a whole lot like stocks now – you can visit sites like TCGplayer and PriceCharting.

However, do note that the value of your Pokémon card heavily depends on its condition, which is why we emphasise once again to sleeve them as soon as they leave the pack. The price difference between a card that’s deemed as near mint versus one that’s in mint condition can amount to hundreds of dollars.

What are graded Pokémon cards?

What professionally graded cards look like.
Image credit: Poké Trainer Nic

When it comes to appraising Pokémon cards, the best way of getting the most out of your pristine cards is to get them professionally graded. You can get your cards professionally graded by sending them to a third-party company which specialises in evaluating and authenticating cards.

They’ll check if the card is genuine or not, and assess the overall condition and quality of the card by looking at factors such as the card’s centering, corners, its surface, and back. The thing is, some aspects are completely out of your control even if you take all the precautions to keep your cards safe, as factors like centering are determined by the standard of quality control when the card is actually printed.

As such, sending your cards to get graded can be a gamble, because some cards are worth more when they’re ungraded, AKA raw cards, as compared to one that’s graded but gets an undesirable rating.

Collectors usually send cards featuring popular Pokémon like Charizard and Pikachu to get graded, as those fetch a higher price.
Image adapted from: GradedExchange via eBay, Bitz & Button

There are a few companies you can send your cards to to get them graded, such as PSA, BGC, and CGC. Once your card gets sent back to you after grading, you’ll receive them in a hard, plastic casing, also known as a slab, with grading details plastered right above the card.

Typically, grading companies use a scale from 1-10 to determine the condition of your cards, with a grade of 10, or gem mint, being the best condition your card can be in. Also, grading companies like PSA also give each graded card a serial number which you can key into their website to check if your slab is legit; helpful if you’re looking to buy authentic slabs directly from another collector.

Where to grade Pokémon cards in Singapore?

Unfortunately, since the most reputable card grading companies are based in America, you’ll have to ship your cards across the globe from Singapore to get them graded. If you wish to get your cards graded on your own, you can visit the website of the card grading company of your choice and follow their detailed instructions to send over your cards safely.

Alternatively, the more popular choice that collectors here in Singapore opt for is to engage card grading service providers to help them prepare and ship their cards to the States, for a fee of course.

Image credit: Oxley Grading

One of these card grading service providers is Oxley Grading, and they’re located in Singapore Shopping Centre just a few minutes walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. For a fee of $33/card they’ll conduct pre-grading checks to help determine if your card is worth sending for grading or not, before packing them up securely to send over for grading. The whole process will take around 45 business days.

Everything you need to know to start your Pokémon card collection

Now that you know the basics, you’re all set to kick start your Pokémon card collection. As with any hobby, collecting Pokémon cards can be as expensive or as affordable as you choose. Just spend within your means, and you’ll soon understand why the whole world’s obsessed with these pretty pieces of cardboard.

For more hobby-related reads:

• Cardboard Collectibles in Orchard Gateway
• Splurging money on video games
• Dueller’s Point in Hougang

Cover image adapted from: Danireon Cards & Games, The Card Collective