Hobbies are essential to having a well-rounded life. Saving some time for yourself to enjoy a hobby that you enjoy can provide the physical, mental, emotional, and creative benefits that make your life more meaningful. However, many find it hard to carve out time and energy to engage in a hobby. It is mostly due to the aspects that they prioritise, such as work, school, family, and community obligations. If this situation resonates with you, and you have been wanting to change that by starting or taking your collection of Trading Card Game or TCG cards to the next level, then let this article encourage you!
The TCG community in Singapore is relatively small. You do not come across many TCG players unless you are at a convention or a TCG shop. Even with this, you have to know that they exist. You only have to look harder by joining internet forums, engaging a conversation with your local TCG shop owners and customers, or even participating in local tournaments. In this way, you will learn more about the community that you are joining and you would have more sources when it comes to purchasing collectible card games.
To be a good TCG player, the first thing you need to do is to play. No one can be called a player when they are only watching at the seams. Choosing TCG as your chosen hobby can be hard at first, but you have to know that it will only get better when you try. You might argue that you need to prepare, and it is a valid reason. You need to collect more TCG cards and know how to use them by researching. Well, this article will help you in an aspect that good TCG players prioritise. It is knowing how to use accessories to preserve the mint condition of their cards so they can use it for a long time and sell it at a fair price in the future. Some say that it is part of the hobby, and it is not hard to agree to that.
What you will find in this article are the accessories that you should have when you want to become a competent TCG cards player.
Cards Sleeves
Card sleeves are also known as deck protectors, and you would often see them in the same shop where you purchase your TCG cards. Sometimes shop owners may give you one for free, but you can expect that the quality of the protector is not as sturdy as the ones you buy as a separate item. These are made from thin plastics where you can place your cards. They are constructed in a way that you can still easily make shuffling movements. It protects your card from dust, sweat, and accidental folds!
Deck Boxes
Before you search for “tournaments of trading cards near me,” you should have a deck box first. This accessory allows you to pack your cards and bring them outside in an organised fashion. They provide great protection from the harmful atmosphere outside because they are often made from rubber or faux leather. You can get them in sets that come in different colours so that you can separate your Vanguard cards from your Pokemoncards, for instance. A lot of players also buy a box as a spare because they are a convenient storage accessory as well.
Playmats
Trading happens face-to-face. If you have watched a card tournament before, you will see players have playmats in front of them where they put down their playing cards. These are called playmats! They mostly help in organising your gamespace since they have designs that will help you segregate magic cards, hero cards, and discarded cards. Some TCG shops allow you to customise one for yourself or already have premade ones if you do not have anything specific to add.
Card Binders
For dedicated TCG card collectors, they prefer the card storage method of albums or binders. You can see why they prefer these because they allow protection and you can easily show your card off when needed. These make card collecting appealing and luxurious since some album covers are made from leather and other high-quality materials. Some card collectors would even buy two pairs of the same cards to keep one in their album or binder and the other for playing. The difference you should know about albums and binders is that the latter allows more customisation, while the former is usually bought as a whole package.
Smartphone for playing apps
A lot of people are surprised that you can accompany apps when playing TCG cards. Yes, there are plenty of apps today that are designed to make the life of TCG players like you easier. Thanks to technology, you can download apps on your smartphone that assist you in looking up card descriptions or build virtual decks. Interacting with game players is also possible with some apps today. If you are not a social person, these apps would be your tool to engage with the active card scene in your area or other parts of the world! Note that some apps are not for free, so you would want to prepare a budget for these apps as well.
Now that you are familiar with the essential accessories that a TCG gamer should have, then you are ready to start with your new hobby!
Collecting with Bushiroad International
If you are from Singapore, then you can expect to see Bushiroad International on the results page of Google when you search for “TCG shops near me.” They are a growing provider of collectible card games all over the world! They unite fellow gamers with their tournaments and TCG cards promotions. You can trust that they will give you the gaming experience that you are looking for.
Start your hobby with them today by visiting their website and see the shop locations they have in Singapore!