Guides & Resources

New to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, or picking it back up after a long time away? These guides cover the essentials, from how a card is laid out to the way collectors think about English and Japanese releases, the eras of the hobby, and the artists behind the artwork. Everything here is written to help you get more out of browsing and tracking your cards on Cardarium.

Start here Getting Started with Pokémon TCG Collecting How sets and booster packs work, where a new collector should begin, and how to build a collection you actually enjoy. Read guide → Basics How to Read a Card on Cardarium A guide to the card detail view and everything it shows: name, rarity, illustrator, attacks, weaknesses, legality, and prices. Read guide → Collecting English vs Japanese Pokémon Cards Why the two catalogues differ, how release timing works, and what draws collectors to Japanese cards. Read guide → History A Tour of Pokémon TCG Eras A walk from the Base era through Scarlet and Violet and Mega Evolution, and what defined each stretch of the game. Read guide → Artwork Collecting by Illustrator The artist side of the hobby, a few names worth knowing, and why the illustrator on a card can matter as much as the Pokémon. Read guide →