Completing a set is the most satisfying project in the hobby and the easiest to get wrong. Decide what counts as complete before you start buying, or the finish line keeps moving.
Key takeaways
- Define your target first: base set numbering, all secret rares included, or a full master set with every variant.
- A master set typically means one of every card including reverse holos and the numbered cards beyond the printed total.
- The last 10% of a set usually costs more than the first 90%, because everyone needs the same few cards.
- Buy commons and uncommons in bulk lots, then chase the expensive cards individually.
- Track what you own in a list before you buy anything, or you will buy duplicates.
Cards are numbered like 057/165, where the second number is the printed set total. Cards numbered above that total are the secret rares, and most sets also have a reverse holo version of the majority of cards. Whether those belong in your set is your decision — but it must be a decision, not a discovery halfway through.
The three common definitions
- Set: one of every card up to the printed total. The cheapest and clearest target.
- Complete set: the above plus every card numbered beyond the printed total.
- Master set: one of every card in every variant printed in that set, which normally means adding the reverse holos and any promos tied to the release.
A sensible order to buy in
- Start with a bulk lot or a job lot of commons and uncommons from that set; they are cheap in volume and painful one at a time.
- Fill the holos and mid-rarity cards next, where prices are modest and supply is decent.
- Leave the two or three headline chase cards until last, when you know exactly what is missing.
- Buy the reverse holos as you go if you are doing a master set, because they are harder to find later than people expect.
The completion trap
Sunk cost is the danger. Once you are ninety cards into a set you start overpaying for the last few because you cannot bear an incomplete binder. Set a maximum you are willing to pay for each remaining card, written down, before you get close to the end. If a card exceeds it, wait — supply changes.
Choosing a set worth completing
- A modern set is far cheaper to complete and teaches you the whole process.
- Sets with a lot of secret rares are longer and more expensive projects.
- Vintage sets carry condition and authenticity work on every single card, which is a different hobby again.
- Pick a set you actually like looking at. You will see these cards more than any others.
Our set library lists every English set in the catalogue with its card count and release date — a good place to choose your first project.
Pick a set →Common questions
- What is a master set in Pokémon?
- A master set is one of every card printed in that set including every variant — normally the reverse holos and the secret rares numbered above the printed total, and often the promos tied to the release.
- Are reverse holos part of a set?
- Only if your definition includes them. A base numbered set does not need them; a master set does. Decide before you start so the target does not move.
- How much does it cost to complete a Pokémon set?
- It varies enormously by set. Modern non-master sets are the cheapest starting point, while vintage and secret-rare-heavy sets can cost many times more, with most of the money going on the final few cards.
- Is it cheaper to buy packs or singles to complete a set?
- Singles, almost always. Packs give duplicates and cards you already have, whereas singles let you buy only the numbers you are missing.
A video version of this guide is planned for the DeuxyDex channel.
Sources
- [1] Bulbapedia: rarity
- [2] Bulbapedia: list of Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions
- [3] eBay: searching completed and sold listings
Prices, pull rates and set details change. Where we could not verify a claim, we left it out.