Trading card games might remind you of your childhood. One of the best pastimes in school at lunch would be exchanging trading cards with your friends. Much of the playground rivalry would be based around trading cards. Nowadays, trading cards are more of a collectible.
Some trading cards are sold at auctions for thousands of pounds. A set of retro Pokémon cards sold for over $400,000. Just recently, articles published have highlighted how those who still have their childhood trading cards are turning it into a side hustle, making $4,500 for just one card. Are you considering checking your old cards now?! If you want to relive your youth, or perhaps if you’re an avid trading card fan, here are some of the trading card games you have to try.
Pokémon
Pokémon is the best place to start. Most trading card collectors will have a complete set of Pokémon cards. They’re simply iconic. When you think of trading cards, Pokémon is likely the first thing that comes to your mind.
Every single millennial will have played Pokémon. If not, they had brothers, sisters, and friends who had at least one card. Out of all the playground rivalries over trading cards, Pokémon would be at the top.
There are 53 cards in total to collect. Naturally, some are rare and therefore have a higher value. The Pikachu Illustrator Promo Card is considered to be the rarest Pokémon card there is. The card that holds the record for the highest price to be sold for is the Edition Shadowless Charizard, which sold for $399,750. You can still purchase Pokémon online or in games stores. You can also buy rare and collectable Pokémon through auction websites.
Yu-Gi-Ho!
Yu-Gi-Ho! is another classic that deserves a mention. Yu-Gi-Ho! was similar in popularity to Pokémon. The trading card game originates from the nineties anime TV show.
Players have to take turns putting down a monster, spell, and trap cards to try and beat their opponent. Each card has its own ability, and much like with Pokémon, some cards are more powerful than others.
It’s a great game to play if you love trading card games. If you love collecting trading cards, then Yu-Gi-Ho! should be in your collection. You never know; you may get your hands on a rare addition and be able to sell it at auction.
Beware, if you are going to play, there are a lot of rules to learn. There are thousands of card combinations to discover and an insane amount of rules.
There are different views as to what Yu-Gi-Ho! is the rarest. Some would consider Tyler the Great Warrior to be the rarest. The most valuable trading card is the Tournament Black Luster Soldier, which is reportedly worth a whopping $2,000,000. That’s a card that the average person can’t just pop to the shop and buy! It’s a beautiful card printed onto stainless steel, making it a true one of a kind.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones (GoT) is one of the biggest TV shows in history. 8 series of blood, gore, and war kept the world begging for more. Although some would agree the last season wasn’t the best, it’s still one of the most-watched TV shows in history.
It’s no wonder there is a successful trading card game created from it. It’s another trading card game to play that actually feels like a game, rather than just throwing a card down and pretending to cast a spell. Players take on the role of one of Westero’s seven houses. Players have to use their military power and political tactics to try and win the game.
New packs of cards have been released regularly. However, there is talk that expansion packs will soon cease to exist. Soon they could cost a fortune to buy! GoT cards are pretty inexpensive, and there are not necessarily rare cards as of yet. Some people are selling the cards on eBay for upwards of £200.
Considering the trading cards have only been in circulation since 2002, they haven’t had time to gain their retro value. As far as trading car games go, however, this is a great one to add to your collection. It’s easy to play and the rules are far simpler compared to the likes of Yu-Gi-Ho!. If you want to buy your first GoT pack, try looking on Amazon to find a good deal. Expansion packs are easily purchased online.
Above are some of the most popular trading card games in circulation at present. Trading cards are still very niche, but that doesn’t stop them from being popular amongst collectors. Even if you don’t want to play the game, it’s worth considering investing in collectable cards from trading card games such as Pokémon because of the value they hold.