This summer, The Pokemon Company is once again teaming up with Japanese artist Yu Nagaba for a special collection of Pokemon cards. The minimalist artist has previously worked with Pokemon to create Ed Sheeran’s Celestial music video, and now he’s developing a collection of cards and accessories featuring Eevee and its eight evolutions drawn in his signature style. The collection looks fantastic, but unfortunately it will only be sold on the Japanese Pokemon Center site, so I’ll probably never get my hands on it.
As a Pokemon collector, I’m not surprised when something cool and unique like this is region-locked to Japan. The Japanese version of the Pokemon Center routinely gets merchandise, apparel, and special cards that aren’t available anywhere else in the world. One of the most coveted cards I never got a chance to buy is the Mario Pikachu promo from 2016. Back then you could have walked into any card shop in Japan and picked up a box set for only $50. It was never released outside of Japan, and those box sets go for over $10,000 today. I’ve never understood why some of the best Pokemon cards never get released in the States, and it’s only gotten more frustrating ever since the introduction of Magic: The Gathering’s Secret Lair.
Related:It’s Impossible To Come Back To Pokemon Go These Days
If you’re not a Magic fan, Secret Lair is a service created by Wizards of the Coast that sells limited-time, print-to-order collections of Magic cards. The sets you’ll find on the Secret Lair site are not the regular Magic cards you’ll find opening packs. Instead, they’re all small, themed batches of cards, based on a popular IP, aesthetic theme, or created in collaboration with an artist - just like Pokemon’s Yu Nagaba collection.
When a new Secret Lair collection goes on sale, you only have a few weeks to place an order. Right now, the site is offering a set of six cards based on the new Dungeons & Dragons movie - but only until the end of the weekend, when we’ll get a new batch of Secret Lairs inspired by the new March of the Machine set. For all but a handful of specific ‘drops’, Wizards will print as many sets as it’s able to sell, so there’s usually no concern that a collection you want will sell out.
I’m not a Magic player or collector, but I’ve bought a few Secret Lair sets for myself. They’re affordable, typically only costing $40 for non-holo and $50 for a holographic collection, and if you find one that matches your interests, they’re a great collectible to have. My favorite one is last October’s Junji Ito collection, which featured original art from the horror artist. At the time, you could also pick up a collection based on Warhammer, one that featured exotic pets, a set drawn by Yoji Shinkawa, and a collection of Lands featuring Post Malone’s tattoos. There is quite literally something for everyone in Secret Lair.
I know Wizards gets a lot of criticism for over-monetizing Magic, and I’m aware that local card shop owners aren’t particularly fond of Secret Lair either, even if you’re able to often find older Secret Lair drops on their selves, but I appreciate the way it makes special collection cards accessible. You don’t have to fight scalpers on eBay or camp overnight outside Comic-Con to get them, and they don’t cost a fortune either. I know there’s prestige in the exclusivity surrounding Pokemon’s special sets, but making them so hard to get does a disservice to the community.
Pokemon has the experience, and the infrastructure through the Pokemon Center, to create its own version of Wizard’s Secret Lair. I’m tired of seeing amazing Pokemon cards I’d happily buy that will never be available to me. While Secret Lair has turned Magic into the Fortnite of TCGs, there’s unlimited potential for Pokemon to do imaginative things with their own version, from Nintendo crossovers to artist series to themed collections that wouldn’t fit in the normal TCG. If they wanted to sell me five Pikachus with different hats on, I’d buy it. Ash’s team reimagined as The Avengers? Sounds cool. A bunch of Pokemon with Post Malone’s tattoos? Well, I’ll at least take a look at them. Come on Pokemon, help me help you take my money.
Next:Pokemon Infinite Fusion Is The Most Fun I’ve Had With Pokemon In Years
