I absolutely love going through my local card shop’s Pokemon bulk bins at least once per week. There are so many cards to discover and rediscover every time. However, bulk bin hunting also puts me on the path of new Pokemon to collect, artists to watch out for, and sets to try and find. You never know what tomorrow might bring, after all!
Bulk Bin Hunting is Educational
One of the best aspects of sorting through a Pokemon bulk bin is the sheer discovery of new things. Not only in terms of Pokemon knowledge – who is THAT? Why do they look like this?!?! – but it also gives you a new appreciation for the art. To be clear, these bulk bins only contain common, uncommon, and holographic cards. The latter type is quite rare, though.
During my first 2 bulk bun hunting trips, I have found several Pokemon I didn’t even know about or forgot about. Think of Elekid, who has not received a Pokemon TCG appearance since Future Flash/Paradox Rift. Even so, I managed to find one card 4 times in the bulk bin last week. Obviously, I brought one home!
I also stumble upon new artists, or work from existing artists I never expected. One example is Ken Sugimori, a renowned and beloved Pokemon TCG artist. Did you know they also designed over half a dozen trainer cards? I grabbed one of each I could find, but will continue to look out for more!
Other artists now on my radar include KYUPIYAMA – who did 3 total card designs, I have 2 of them – and DemizuPosuka, and a few others. The Pokemon TCG has over 500 artists who have contributed to date. Moreover, new ones are making their debut on a regular basis. I love to see all of their work!
Pacing Yourself is Key
The excitement of bulk bin hunting is a very real thing, but also poses a real problem. Not for your wallet, as these are all cheap cards. More in terms of “quantity”. When your mind thinks ‘oh, it’s 25 cents per card”, you are way more eager to keep adding cards to the pile. After all, it’s 4 cards for 1 euro, so there’s no harm in adding 4 more, right?
Well, that’s part of the danger of bulk bin hunting. Last week, I went in looking for a few specific cards. I found none, yet still walked out with 146 other cards. A hundred and forty-six. Cards I didn’t really NEED, but I do like a lot. It allowed for some of the discoveries mentioned earlier, so it serves a purpose.
However, getting through 146 cards in a week is no easy feat. Not just ordering them, but also turning them into binder pages, using them for content pieces, etc. It is a LOT of fun, but pacing myself will be necessary. That said, a new bulk bin hunting trip happens tomorrow, so let’s see what that brings….
