You know, it’s really kind of a shock to see just how much staying power Pokemon has really had. When the guys at Nintendo came up with the idea, they probably new they had a hot property on their hands, but had no idea how popular it would really be.

For reference, the whole Pokemon thing started back in 1995, so at the time of this writing, Pokemon, or “Pocket Monsters” (if you’re wondering how in the heck you get Pokemon from Pocket Monsters, it actually comes from the Japanese spelling of POKetto MONstua) has remained around the top of the heap of kid’s entertainment for about fourteen years.

The whole thing started as an idea for a video game that would help to get kids outdoors and conversing with one another. Video games have long been criticized as a hobby that keeps children indoors and isolated from friends, so the original Gameboy Pokemon games actually required the player to trade with friends by linking their Gameboys together if they ever hoped to catch every last Pokemon. That philosophy has actually remained with the franchise, with items like the Pokemon ex cards being essentially a two player card game.

Pokemon ex card tournaments are held at toy stores, comic shops and shopping malls, further encouraging kids to get out of the house and interact with one another. These events help connect kids into not only a hobby, but something of a cultural zeitgeist, and even while Pokemon’s many spin-offs, inspired-bys and out and out knockoffs have had their day in the sun, Pokemon remains one of the most inspired, and most popular, series of games, shows, toys and movies amongst children, attracting kids of all ages from three to sixteen.

It comes down to a few basic components…

Not only do the Pokemon themselves have iconic, eye-catching visual designs and a degree of personality, but throughout the many iterations of the series, effort has actually been made to give the human characters some personality and history as well. This adds a human element to the collecting, where most of the Pokemon knockoffs tend to focus solely on the “nuts and bolts” of collecting, with the characters largely reduced to compulsive pack rats.

Get kids out of the house and playing with each other. The original Gameboy games and the Pokemon ex card game are an excellent example of this.

This is the lure that gets kids into the game in the first place. The Pokemon are cool, who wouldn’t want to collect them all?

Now… we’re going to take a leap of faith and assume that the reader of this article is either an adult making an attempt to understand the Pokemon ex card game at least well enough that your son or daughter won’t have to force a smile when they open their birthday gift. If we were to try to explain the rules of the Pokemon ex card game itself to you, we’d both develop a headache after the first couple paragraphs. What we can do is let you in on which of the Pokemon ex cards are considered to be amongst the most valuable and sought after based on rarity and “In-game powerfulness”.

One of the most valuable Pokemon ex card sets is the Ex Emerald Rare Cards deck. Most of these cards go for at least a couple bucks each, with the “Groudon” card selling for as much as fifteen bucks or higher depending on where you’re shopping around. A lot of the Emerald cards are going out of print, making them a collector’s item, but they’re also valued for the edge they give the cardholder in the game.

Fair warning, some of the Holofoils go for as much as twenty bucks or higher. Not all of them are all that powerful in a game, either, but rather, they’re prized largely as collector’s items.

When it comes to the game itself, uncommon Pokemon ex cards is where the action’s at. They tend to go for a bit cheaper, usually around a buck or two per card, and can be really useful in padding out a well rounded gaming deck.

If you really want to get your hands on a few dozen uncommon, rare, valuable, or just plain powerful Pokemon ex cards, your best bet is probably going the “grab bag” route. Look around for retired Pokemon gamers selling off shoeboxes of cards at a time.

Remember, Pokemon’s been around for fourteen years. That’s long enough for a ten year old kid to get into Pokemon, and then turn twenty four and lose interest. When that happens, they’re likely to hit eBay or the used comic shop to pawn off their old collection, which usually includes about a hundred common cards, a handful of uncommon cards, and at least one or two rarities.

Buying the cards “in bulk” tends to turn up plenty more valuable cards than simply seeking each card out individually.

Pokemon still remains Nintendo’s second biggest ticket, only coming behind Mario himself, and by the way, a recent survey of schoolchildren around the world found Mario to be a more recognizable cultural icon than even Mickey Mouse.

In all likelihood, Pokemon is likely to remain one of those classic kid’s things, like Looney Toons and Felix the Cat, and there’s a good chance that our great grandkids are going to be enjoying Pokemon just as much as today’s children do.

by Julie-Ann Amos, professional writer, and owner of international writing agency www.ExquisiteWriting.com

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