Email Marketing for Your Pokemon Card Business: Build a Buyer List That Sells
I ignored email marketing for my first five years at Break Check Barragan. I thought social media was enough. Then Instagram changed its algorithm, my reach dropped 60% overnight, and I realized I'd built my entire customer communication on rented land. That week, I started building an email list. Within six months, email was generating 35% of my repeat sales. Here's exactly how I did it and how you can too.
Why Email Beats Social Media for Card Sellers
Let me be blunt: if you're only using social media to reach your buyers, you're one algorithm change away from losing everything.
The numbers don't lie:
- Email open rates: 25-40% (I average 32%)
- Instagram organic reach: 5-10% of followers
- Email click-through rate: 3-7%
- Social media click-through rate: 0.5-1.5%
- Email conversion rate: 4-8% for targeted sends
- Social media conversion rate: 1-2%
Three reasons email wins:
- You own your list. No algorithm can take it away. If Instagram disappears tomorrow, my 2,400-person email list still exists.
- Direct communication. Your message lands in their inbox, not buried in a feed between memes and ads.
- Higher intent. Someone who gives you their email actively wants to hear from you. That's a warmer lead than a random follower.
For more on building your social presence alongside email, check out our social media marketing guide.
Building Your Email List from Scratch
I started with zero subscribers. Here's how I built to 2,400+ in 18 months.
From Every Sale
This is your easiest win. After every transaction, ask for their email.
In person: "I send out a weekly email with new inventory and exclusive deals before I list publicly. Want me to add you?"
Online: Include a card in every package that says: "Want first access to new inventory? Join our email list at [your URL]." I printed 500 of these cards for $25 at a local print shop.
Conversion rate: About 15-20% of in-person customers and 5-8% of online buyers sign up. That adds up fast when you're doing 50+ transactions a month.
Website Signups
If you have a website (and you should, as we discuss in our online presence guide), add an email signup form.
What works:
- A popup offering 10% off their first purchase (I gained 400+ subscribers this way)
- A "New Arrivals Alert" signup form on your homepage
- A free price guide or collection checklist PDF in exchange for email
What doesn't work:
- A generic "Subscribe to our newsletter" with no value proposition
- Hiding the signup form in the footer where nobody looks
Social Media Funnels
Your social media audience is temporary. Convert them to email subscribers.
- Post about exclusive email-only deals on Instagram stories
- Add your signup link to your bio on every platform
- Run a giveaway where entry requires email signup (I gave away a $50 card and gained 180 subscribers. Cost per subscriber: $0.28)
Local Events and Card Shows
I bring a tablet with a signup form to every card show I attend.
- "Sign up for our email list and get 10% off today's purchase"
- At my last local show, I gained 45 new subscribers in one day
- These are high-quality subscribers because they're already buyers
What to Send Your Email List
The biggest mistake is only sending sales pitches. Here's my content mix:
1. New Inventory Alerts (30% of emails)
"Just landed a Base Set collection with some fire pulls. Here's what's available before it hits the public listings."
These are my highest-performing emails. Average open rate: 42%. Average revenue per send: $350-800.
2. Market Updates (20% of emails)
"Scarlet and Violet prices are shifting. Here's what I'm seeing and what it means for your collection."
These build authority and trust. People forward these to friends, which grows your list organically.
3. Exclusive Deals (20% of emails)
"Email subscriber exclusive: 15% off all vintage singles this weekend."
I run email-only promotions twice a month. These generate an average of $600 per send and make subscribers feel like VIPs.
4. Educational Content (20% of emails)
"How to spot a fake Alt Art - 5 things to check before you buy."
These emails get the most replies and build the strongest relationships. People remember you helped them, and they buy from you later. See our post on building customer loyalty for more on this approach.
5. Behind the Scenes (10% of emails)
"I just bought a 5,000-card collection for $1,200. Here's how I evaluated it and what I expect to profit."
These humanize your brand. People love seeing the process behind the business.
Email Templates That Actually Convert
Here are four templates I rotate regularly:
The New Arrival Email
Subject: Just pulled something special (Base Set incoming)
Body: Short intro about the collection source, 3-5 featured cards with photos and prices, a "reply to reserve" call to action, and a link to your full inventory.
Why it works: Scarcity and exclusivity. Subscribers get first access before public listings.
The Weekly Deals Roundup
Subject: This week's best deals (prices drop Friday)
Body: Five to eight cards at discounted prices, organized by category (vintage, modern, sealed). Each card gets a one-line description, old price crossed out, and new price.
Why it works: Consistency builds habit. My subscribers expect this every Tuesday and open it reliably.
The Collection Spotlight
Subject: Inside a $3,000 vintage collection (what I found)
Body: Story of acquiring the collection, photos of the best pulls, available inventory with prices, and a behind-the-scenes angle.
Why it works: Storytelling drives engagement. These emails get 2-3x the replies of standard inventory emails.
The Monthly Newsletter
Subject: December Pokemon Market Update + Exclusive Deals
Body: Market trends summary, featured inventory, upcoming events, educational tip, and a subscriber-only discount code.
Why it works: Comprehensive value keeps subscribers engaged long-term.
Tools and Platforms
You don't need to spend a fortune on email marketing.
- Mailchimp Free Tier: Up to 500 subscribers, perfect for starting out. This is what I used for my first year. $0/month.
- Mailchimp Essentials: Up to 5,000 subscribers with automation. $13/month.
- Klaviyo: Better for e-commerce integration if you have a Shopify store. Free up to 250 subscribers, then $20/month.
- ConvertKit (now Kit): Great for content creators who also sell. $15/month for up to 300 subscribers.
My recommendation: Start with Mailchimp free. Upgrade when you hit 500 subscribers or need automation.
Automation That Sells While You Sleep
Set these up once, and they work forever.
Welcome Sequence (3 emails over 7 days)
- Email 1 (Immediate): Welcome, introduce your brand, deliver the promised discount or freebie
- Email 2 (Day 3): Share your best educational content and most popular inventory
- Email 3 (Day 7): Social proof (customer reviews), invite them to follow on social media
My welcome sequence converts 12% of new subscribers into first-time buyers.
Post-Purchase Follow-Up (2 emails over 14 days)
- Email 1 (Day 3 after delivery): "How's the card? Leave a review and get 10% off next purchase"
- Email 2 (Day 14): "Based on what you bought, you might like these..."
Re-Engagement Sequence (For subscribers who haven't opened in 60 days)
- Email 1: "We miss you - here's an exclusive 20% off"
- Email 2 (7 days later): "Last chance before we clean up our list"
- Remove non-openers after the sequence to keep your list healthy
Measuring Email Marketing Performance
Track these numbers monthly:
- Open rate: Target 25%+ (mine averages 32%)
- Click-through rate: Target 3%+ (mine averages 5.1%)
- Revenue per email: Track total revenue generated within 48 hours of each send
- List growth rate: Aim for 10-15% growth per month
- Unsubscribe rate: Keep below 0.5% per email (higher means you're sending too often or irrelevant content)
A/B test everything: Subject lines, send times, content format. I discovered that sending on Tuesday at 10am gets 22% higher open rates than Thursday at 2pm for my audience.
Email marketing transformed my Pokemon card business from dependent on social media algorithms to having a direct line to 2,400+ engaged buyers. Start building your list today, even if it's one subscriber at a time.
For more strategies on reaching and retaining customers, explore our guides on social media for Pokemon businesses and creating repeat customers.
Next Read: Learn how to turn those email subscribers into lifelong fans with our guide on Customer Loyalty Strategies.