Common collecting goals: Nostalgia: Cards from your childhood or favorite Pokmon Artwork: Collecting based on illustration style or artists Sets: Completing full Pokmon TCG sets Value & investing: Holding cards long-term Grading: Submitting cards to PSA, CGC, or BGS There is no right reason to collectbut having a focus prevents overspending and regret
By far the best way to deal with the former is Aetherflux Reservoir
Others use cases for bigger openings, events or case breaks, where you open the whole case at once to chase the most sought-after chase cards like Pikachu ex SIR, Charizard ex or Iron Valiant ex
The rest is just playing the game.
this is pretty much useless for formats like Commander, but it can be particularly useful for formats like Modern, Pauper, or Standard
High-end cards deserve extra photos, provenance, grading checks, and a slower decision