Buying Pokemon Cards Switzerland – Boosters or Singles? The Ultimate Collector's Guide

Anyone starting to collect Pokemon cards or looking to specifically expand their collection will sooner or later face one of the most important questions of all:

Should you open Pokemon booster packs or specifically buy individual Pokemon cards?

This discussion has accompanied the Pokemon collecting world for years and continues to spark differing opinions even among experienced collectors. For some, opening booster packs is an emotional experience – the thrill, the hope for a rare card, the dream of the chase pull. Others pursue a much more strategic approach, consciously focusing on specific individual Pokemon cards.

But what is truly worthwhile?

The honest answer is: It depends on your goal as a collector.

Do you want to experience the thrill? Build a high-quality collection? Invest? Only own your favorite cards? Or, over the long term, assemble a premium collection with rare Alternate Arts, Secret Rares, or PSA cards?

In this comprehensive guide, we explain the advantages and disadvantages of buying individual Pokemon cards and booster packs, what collectors should look out for, and why, especially for many Swiss collectors, the targeted purchase of Pokemon singles often turns out to be a significantly smarter decision.

Why this question is so important in the first place

Many new collectors make the same mistake:

They invest hundreds or even thousands of Swiss Francs in booster displays, Elite Trainer Boxes, or individual booster packs – only to later realize they never pulled the desired cards.

The reality in the Pokemon TCG is simple:

Rare cards remain rare.

The spectacular pull videos on social media often convey a false impression. You see God Packs, perfect Alternate Arts, or valuable Secret Rares – but rarely the countless boosters that contained nothing valuable.

Especially on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, it quickly seems that big pulls happen more often than they actually do.

The truth is different:

Many of the most sought-after Pokemon cards have extremely low pull rates.

Especially with:

• Alternate Arts
• Special Illustration Rares
• Gold Cards
• Hyper Rares
• Secret Rares
• Chase cards of specific sets

collectors can spend hundreds of Swiss Francs and still never pull their desired card.

This is precisely why the decision between opening boosters or buying individual Pokemon cards becomes so crucial in the long run.

What exactly are individual Pokemon cards?

Individual Pokemon cards – also called "singles" – are cards that are specifically purchased individually, instead of hoping for them randomly through booster packs.

For example, instead of opening dozens of displays, a collector directly buys the specific card they truly want.

Examples:

You want:

• Umbreon VMAX Alternate Art
• Charizard Special Illustration Rare
• Pikachu Promo Cards
• Vintage Cards
• PSA Graded Pokemon Cards
• specific Full Arts or Trainer Cards

Then you specifically buy exactly that card.

No gambling.
No randomness.
No thousands of duplicate bulk cards.

For many experienced collectors, this is ultimately the most efficient way to build a high-quality Pokemon collection.

The emotional side: Why boosters are still so popular

Despite all rationality, booster packs still hold incredible fascination.

And for good reason.

Opening Pokemon boosters evokes emotions:

• Excitement
• Surprise
• Nostalgia
• Hope for the chase pull
• Shared experience with friends
• Social media moments

Many still remember their first Pokemon boosters as a child.

The sound of opening a pack.
The hope for a holo.
The dream of Charizard.

This feeling often never completely fades, even as an adult.

For many collectors, opening displays or booster packs is simply part of the hobby.

And that is completely legitimate.

It's just important to understand:

Opening boosters is primarily entertainment – not efficiency.

This difference is crucial.

If you open boosters, you should do so with the mindset:

"I am paying for the experience."

Not:

"I will definitely make a profit."

Because that's where frustration often arises.

The Math Behind Booster Packs – Why Many Collectors Lose Money

This is where it gets interesting.

Let's take a realistic example:

A Pokemon display costs, for instance, between CHF 140–220, depending on the set and demand.

Now many hope:

"Maybe I'll pull the Chase Card!"

But the probability is often much worse than expected.

Some high-end cards sometimes only appear in very few displays.

This means:

You can easily invest several hundred Swiss Francs and still never pull your desired card.

A classic example:

A collector wants a specific Alternate Art worth CHF 200.

Instead of buying the card directly, they open:

• 1 Display
• 2 Displays
• 3 Displays
• individual Boosters

In the end, perhaps CHF 600–900 was spent.

And the card was still not pulled.

In addition, there often remain:

• Bulk Commons
• many duplicates
• cards with low market value
• little demand
• storage problems

Suddenly it becomes clear:

The targeted purchase of an individual Pokemon card would have been cheaper.

When Pokemon Singles are Clearly the Better Choice

There are situations where singles are objectively the better decision.

1. If you want a specific card

This is the biggest point of all.

Do you want a specific card?

Then buying singles almost always makes more sense.

Example:

You want:

Charizard ex Special Illustration Rare

Why open hundreds of boosters and hope?

If your goal is clearly defined, buying directly saves you:

• Money
• Time
• Disappointment
• unnecessary duplicates

2. If you want to build a high-quality collection

Many serious collectors today pursue a targeted approach.

Instead of owning huge quantities of random cards, they build:

curated premium collections

Focus on:

• Alternate Arts
• PSA Cards
• Vintage Holos
• Trophy Cards
• Promos
• High-End Chase Cards
• iconic Pokemon

Quality over quantity.

A high-quality collection often appears much more impressive in the long run than thousands of random bulk cards.

Especially for collector-grade collectors, this is often the better strategy.

3. If you want to manage your budget consciously

Many underestimate how quickly boosters add up.

"Just a few packs quickly."

"One more display."

"Maybe the card is in the next one."

Almost every collector knows this line of thinking.

A budget of CHF 300–500 can be used extremely differently.

Option A:

Random boosters.

Option B:

Targeted premium singles.

With the same amount, you can often buy several strong cards that you genuinely want to keep.

4. If you want to grade cards (PSA)

Anyone who wants to send cards to PSA should be particularly selective.

Not every card pulled is suitable for grading.

Many experienced collectors already buy:

• well-centered cards
• high-quality Near Mint specimens
• clean surface quality

specifically.

This saves time and increases the chances of high grades in the long run.

When Booster Packs Still Make Sense

Of course, there are situations where boosters absolutely make sense.

1. For the experience

Boosters are fun.

Period.

Especially with new sets, events, or together with friends, the experience can justify the price.

After all, the hobby should bring joy.

2. At Set Release

New sets are particularly exciting.

Here, opening boosters can make sense because:

• Cards are not yet consistently valued
• Prices fluctuate greatly
• Surprises are possible
• Pulls feel particularly emotionally valuable

Many collectors combine both strategies here:

Open some boosters → then specifically buy singles.

3. For Master Sets

Anyone who wants to collect a complete set often opens boosters as a basis.

Missing cards are then specifically added.

This is often the most efficient mixed strategy.