TCG-Completist
·
Guides
Practical how-tos and basics for collectors of Magic, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana, One Piece, Star Wars: Unlimited, Riftbound, Flesh and Blood, Digimon, Gundam and Dragon Ball Super Fusion World, from your first checked-off set to buying missing cards the clever way.
Trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Disney Lorcana, One Piece, Star Wars: Unlimited, Riftbound, Flesh and Blood, Digimon, Gundam and Dragon Ball Super Fusion World have a language of their own: rarity levels, foils and reverse holos, first editions, card languages, condition grades from “mint” to “played”. Newcomers quickly face a wall of terms, and long-time collectors kick themselves over avoidable bad buys or cards that lose value through poor storage.
That's exactly what these guides are for. They explain the basics of card collecting in plain, practical terms, free to read and with no account needed, from deliberately completing a set, through spotting fakes and storing cards properly, to the honest question of whether boosters or buying singles pays off more. Every example ties back to the three big games and the tools TCG-Completist gives you for collecting.
The best way in is to read across them once. Each article stands on its own, and they link to one another so you can hop from topic to topic. Just pick the question below that's on your mind right now:
What rarities, languages, finishes and condition grades mean.
Card collecting for beginnersWhich game suits you, where to start and how to set a budget? Getting into collecting Magic, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! without expensive beginner mistakes.Understanding card languages: English, German & co.Why the same card in different languages is its own collectible, and when which language is worth it.Foil, Holo & Reverse: card finishes explainedNormal, foil, holo, reverse holo: what sets the shiny variants apart and how to collect them separately.Rarity levels explained: Common to MythicCommon, Uncommon, Rare, Mythic, Secret Rare & co.: how rarities work in Magic, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!.How to tell Yu-Gi-Oh! rarities apart: Rare, Super Rare, Ultra Rare & co.Yu-Gi-Oh! cards don't print their rarity. Here is how to recognize Rare, Super Rare, Ultra Rare, Secret Rare, Collector's Rare and more by the foil.Card condition & grading: NM, EX, GD made simpleWhat Mint, Near Mint, Excellent, Good and Played mean, and how to pick the right condition when buying.Completing sets, buying cheaply, recording, trading and storing cards.
Completing a set: step by stepHow to get a whole set together with TCG-Completist: check off, find missing cards and buy them the clever way.Buying singles or opening boosters?The honest comparison: when opening boosters is worth it and when buying singles on Cardmarket is clearly cheaper, with one simple rule of thumb.Buying cheaply on Cardmarket: save on shippingHow to buy missing cards cleverly on Cardmarket: use the list, bundle with one seller, read the condition right.Scan your collection instead of typing itCapture cards with your phone or webcam: single scans, series mode for whole stacks, and the tricks that make recognition reliable.Putting duplicates to good use & tradingWhy duplicates are worth it: record how many you own, show your spares and find trade partners for your wishlist on TCG-Completist.Storing & protecting your cardsSleeves, toploaders, binders and the right room climate: how your collection stays in top condition for years and keeps its value.What your cards are worth, how prices come about and how to spot fakes.
Working out what your collection is worthHow to realistically find out what your cards are worth: market prices, condition, foils and the difference between catalogue value and actual sale.How we calculate pricesWhere the prices on TCG-Completist come from, what trend, “from” price and 30-day average mean, how the price to complete a set is calculated and why some prices are flagged as unreliable.Spotting fake cardsThe key signs that expose fakes of Magic, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, from the light test to the print pattern.Step by step to your first own deck, for beginners and returning players.
🔮 Build your first Magic deck: step by stepNever played, or out of the game for years? How to turn your cards into a playable Magic deck: colours, 24 lands, mana curve and the most common beginner mistakes.⚡ Build your first Pokémon deck: step by stepNever played Pokémon, or out of it since childhood? How to turn your cards into a playable deck: 60 cards, evolution lines, Trainers, Energy and common mistakes.🐉 Build your first Yu-Gi-Oh! deck: step by stepOut of the game since the 2000s or never played? How to turn your cards into a playable Yu-Gi-Oh! deck: 40 cards, archetypes, Extra Deck, traps and common mistakes.✨ Build your first Lorcana deck: step by stepNever played Disney Lorcana? How to turn your cards into a playable deck: 60 cards, 2 ink colours, the inkwell, cost curve and common mistakes.🏴☠️ Build your first One Piece deck: step by stepNew to the One Piece Card Game? How to build a playable deck: Leader, 50 cards, DON!!, counter values, cost curve and common mistakes.🚀 Build your first Star Wars: Unlimited deck: step by stepNew to Star Wars: Unlimited? How to build a playable deck: leader and base, aspects, 50 cards, cost curve and common mistakes.🌀 Build your first Riftbound deck: step by stepNew to Riftbound, the League of Legends card game? How to build a playable deck: legend, champion, 40 cards, runes, battlefields and common mistakes.⚔️ Build your first Flesh and Blood deck: step by stepNew to Flesh and Blood? How to build a playable deck: hero, equipment, the red, yellow and blue pitch system, 60 cards and common mistakes.🦖 Build your first Digimon deck: step by stepNew to the Digimon Card Game? How to build a playable deck: 50 cards, Digi-Eggs, digivolution lines, memory and common mistakes.🤖 Build your first Gundam deck: step by stepNew to the Gundam Card Game? How to build a playable deck: 50 cards, resource deck, units and pilots, 2 colours and common mistakes.🐲 Build your first Dragon Ball Fusion World deck: step by stepNew to Dragon Ball Super Fusion World? How to build a playable deck: leader, 50 cards, energy, combos, cost curve and common mistakes.All deck guides on one page →Hands-on reports with real numbers, matching our videos.
Is a Play Booster Box Worth It? Testing My Hobbit Box€140 paid, 30 packs opened, every card logged: what was really inside the Magic box “The Hobbit”, why I still buy Play Boosters and what I would do differently today.What Does a Complete Magic Set Really Cost? The Hobbit in Four TiersFrom €300 to €8,000: using The Hobbit as an example, I work out what each tier of a set costs and show how I fill the gaps cheaply on Cardmarket.Found Old Magic Cards? How to Find Out What They Are WorthA forgotten moving box full of cards from 1996 to 2001, including one worth €60: how I sort, value and log old collections and what you should watch out for.