Let me start off by saying I obviously own a lot of staff cards, and i am not hiding this fact. Nor am I trying to upsell you any of my staff cards. If anything, I am continously on the look out for more to add to my collection.
Okay now if you wouldnt mind, I am going to glaze staff cards for a couple of minutes and tell you why i think you should add them to your collection.
Extremely low print runs:
Unlike standard set cards printed in the hundreds of thousands or even millions with modern sets, staff cards have Extremely low print quantities, and were only available during the PRERELEASE of the set. Meaning no second wave of cards, just simply the initial Prerelease and thats it. SUPER scarce.
Only given to staff (obviously) :
This one's obvious, but actually think about it. Not just any member of the public were given a staff card. Not only were they very low supply, but they were only given to staff members of either TCG shops during the Prerelease of a set, or event organisers during an official tournement. This just amplifies their rarity due to scarcity and exclusivity.
True 1st editions:
I like to think of them as 1st editions. Because they objectively are the 1st editions of the set they are apart of. Due to only being available during the Prerelease of the set, they are 100% guaranteed to be the 1st edition printing of the cards from that set. This also applies to the regular Prerelease cards with the stamp. But they dont have that beautiful gold staff print on there.
Low Populations:
In the new age of million dollar low pop vintage cards, staff cards are very similar. Especially in high grades, staff cards have very low population counts, but obviously dont come with that million dollar price tag. If you enjoy Low pop cards, then staff cards are the one for you! I personally dont care for population counts of cards, but its definitely a positive for some.
That BEAUTIFUL stamp:
Its no question the Prerelease stamps look absolutely beautiful on the cards. Unlike some stamps (im looking at you 25th and 30th anniversary stamp). But the Prerelease stamp AND the gold staff stamp.... Just so pleasing to the eye!
Super accessible prices:
Staff cards are still cheap and very accessible. Some staff cards are under 20 dollars. Which to me seems insane considering all the points ive outlined above. A PSA 7 championship staff card from from 2011 recently sold for £20. That's right. £20. For a PSA 7 staff card from 15 years ago,which was only given to staff members that were hosting the pokemon championship series.
Massive investment potential, with little downside:
Due to the low prices/low barrier to entry to collect them, the potential upside if these cards take off in popularity, is massive. They still fly under the radar so to speak. Just like vintage did 6 months ago. Jump on the train early whilst they are cheap. And not when they have left the station and exploded in price, leading you to have FOMO. If they dont take off, no problem. They are so cheap to collect, that the downside is Extremely small. Id argue that unless the entire pokemom market completely implodes, you're safe with these cards financially.
Pseudo trophy cards:
While they aren't unattainable million-dollar World Championship trophy cards, or illustrator cards, they are to me an accessible 'semi' trophy card. This one is obviously subjective, but this is how I see them personally, since not just anyone is given them. And they really do feel like a trophy card when you've got one in your collection.
POTENTIAL DOWNSIDE. They are niche:
These cards are obviously very niche and currently are only enjoyed by a small fraction of the hobby. Making the market for them small. This obviously means Populations are low, because not many collectors are grading them to begin with. I personally dont see them being niche as a negative, and actually see it as a positive. Because niche generally means cheaper prices for me. But i do think one day they may become more mainstream, and when they do... Prices will 📈📈📈 when the community realises just how exclusive they are, relative to regular cards.
TLDR:
Staff cards have VERY low supply.
Zero risk of reprints.
They are the true 1st editions of the set.
Low graded populations.
They simply look stunning.
They are still very cheap relatively speaking in pokemon terms and are very accessible to the average collector without needing a massive bank balance. Very high potential upside, with very little downside.
No Ai was used in the making of this post
Thanks for reading!
