Why Buy Pokemon Singles Instead of Packs
Why Buy Pokemon Singles Instead of Packs
The maths behind opening packs versus buying the exact card you want in mint condition, shipped from Brisbane.
The Real Cost of Chasing a Card
Every collector knows the feeling: you want one specific card from a set. Maybe it is a Charizard illustration rare, a full art trainer, or a chase alt art. So you buy a booster box. Then another. Then a third. And you still have not pulled it.
That is not bad luck. That is just how the odds work.
A standard booster pack costs around $7 to $8 AUD. A booster box holds 36 packs and runs $170 to $200. To pull a specific special illustration rare, you are looking at five or six booster boxes on average. That is $850 to $1,200 spent chasing one card.
Or you could buy the single for $30 to $80 and know exactly what you are getting.
Condition Is Not Guaranteed from Packs
Here is something most pack openers learn the hard way: pulling a card from a sealed pack does not mean it is in mint condition.
Common issues with pack-fresh cards:
- Off-centre printing where the border is visibly uneven
- Surface scratches from factory cutting and packaging
- Corner whitening from movement inside the pack
- Print lines that run across the card face
- Crimped edges from the pack sealing process
These defects are not rare. Depending on the print run, anywhere from 20% to 50% of cards pulled from packs have at least one visible flaw. For collectors who care about condition, that is a significant risk on top of already slim pull rates.
When you buy a single from Monster Mart, every card has been hand-checked for condition. What arrives is clean, centred, and mint. No surprises.
Singles vs Packs: A Side-by-Side Comparison
| Buying Packs | Buying Singles | |
|---|---|---|
| Get the card you want | Random chance, no guarantee | Choose the exact card |
| Card condition | Factory variance, may have defects | Hand-checked, mint condition |
| Cost to complete a set | $3,000+ in packs for a full set | Buy only the cards you need |
| Time investment | Hours of opening, sorting, storing duplicates | Browse, buy, done |
| Duplicates | Hundreds of unwanted commons and uncommons | Zero waste |
| Collector value | Pack-fresh does not guarantee grade-worthy | Mint singles ready for grading or display |
Who Should Buy Singles?
Singles are the smarter choice for most collectors, especially if you fall into any of these categories:
Set completionists
If you are working through a set checklist, buying singles lets you fill gaps without gambling on packs. You avoid accumulating 50 copies of the same common while chasing those last few ultra rares. Check our free set checklists to track your progress.
Binder collectors
Building a display binder means every card needs to look sharp. Pack pulls are inconsistent. Singles from a trusted seller mean every page in your binder looks clean and uniform.
Competitive players
If you need specific cards for a deck, buying singles is the only practical option. Opening packs to find one trainer card is not a viable strategy for tournament preparation.
Investors and graders
If you plan to submit cards for grading, starting with a mint raw single gives you the best shot at a high grade. Pack-fresh cards with off-centre printing or surface issues will not grade well regardless of when they were pulled.
Why Buy Singles from Monster Mart
Monster Mart is an Australian Pokemon card specialist based in Brisbane. Every card in our store is a raw single in mint condition, hand-checked before listing.
- Mint condition guarantee: every card is individually inspected for centering, surface quality, and edge condition
- Australian stock, Australian shipping: tracked delivery from Brisbane, typically 2 to 5 business days nationwide
- 4,400+ cards in stock: singles from modern and vintage Pokemon TCG sets
- Collector-focused: we understand the difference between a near mint card and a true mint card
- Fair pricing: competitive market pricing updated regularly based on current demand
Skip the pack lottery. Get the exact card you want, in mint condition, delivered to your door.
Browse All SinglesFrequently Asked Questions
Are pack-fresh cards always mint?
No. Cards pulled directly from sealed packs can have factory defects including off-centre printing, surface scratches, print lines, and corner whitening. These issues occur during the manufacturing and packaging process, not from handling.
Is it cheaper to buy singles or open packs?
For specific cards, singles are almost always cheaper. A booster box costs $170 to $200 AUD and contains 36 packs. The odds of pulling a specific chase card from one box are extremely low. Most collectors spend far more on packs than the single would have cost.
What does "raw" mean for Pokemon cards?
A raw card is an ungraded card, as opposed to a card that has been submitted to a grading service like PSA or CGS. Raw singles are the most common way to buy and sell individual Pokemon cards. Monster Mart specialises in raw singles in mint condition.
Do you sell booster boxes or sealed product?
No. Monster Mart exclusively sells individual Pokemon cards (raw singles) in mint condition. We do not sell booster boxes, packs, elite trainer boxes, or other sealed product. This focus lets us concentrate entirely on card quality and condition.
How do you check card condition?
Every card is individually inspected before listing. We check centering, surface condition, edge quality, and corner sharpness. Cards that do not meet our mint condition standard are not listed for sale.