Week 2: Pokemon Business Money Management (Made Simple)
Week 2 teaches the financial skills that separate profitable Pokemon businesses from struggling ones. If you don't understand money management, you'll work hard but stay broke. This week changes that.
What You'll Master This Week
Money management sounds intimidating, but it's simpler than you think. By the end of Week 2, you'll know exactly:
- How much any Pokemon card is worth
- How to calculate real profit (not just revenue)
- Which pricing strategy maximizes your income
- How to budget your Pokemon business money
- How to track everything (legally and practically)
- How to separate business money from personal money
Bottom Line: You'll know if you're making money or losing money, and how to improve.
Module 1: Pokemon Card Values & Price Research
What Makes Cards Valuable:
- Rarity: Pull rates, limited editions, promotional exclusives
- Condition: Near Mint commands 2-3X more than Lightly Played
- Demand: Competitive playability creates instant value, nostalgia drives long-term prices
- Age: Vintage WOTC cards consistently appreciate over time
Price Research Tools:
- TCGPlayer: Real-time market prices, most accurate for singles
- eBay Sold Listings: Actual transaction data (not asking prices)
- PriceCharting: Historical trends showing price changes over months/years
- Local Market Research: Your area may have different pricing (conventions, game stores)
Real Example: Base Set Charizard researched properly:
- TCGPlayer Market Price: $250
- Recent eBay Sold: $230-270
- Your local store selling: $300
- Smart Buy Price: Under $200
Module 2: Simple Record Keeping
Why Track Everything:
- Legal: IRS requires income and expense records (avoid tax penalties)
- Business: Know which cards/sources are profitable vs. money losers
- Personal: Don't lose money or inventory to poor tracking
What to Track:
- Every purchase (what, when, cost, source)
- Every sale (what, when, revenue, platform)
- All expenses (fees, shipping, supplies, software)
- Inventory (what you currently own, estimated value)
Tools That Work:
- Beginner: Google Sheets (free, simple, works everywhere)
- Intermediate: Excel or dedicated inventory apps
- Advanced: QuickBooks for serious businesses ($25-50/month)
Time Investment: 5-10 minutes daily keeps everything organized
Module 3: Understanding Profit & Loss
The Real Profit Formula: Revenue - ALL Costs = Actual Profit
Most sellers forget hidden costs and think they're profitable when they're not.
Hidden Costs People Miss:
- Platform fees: eBay 13%, TCGPlayer 10-15%, Mercari 13%
- Shipping supplies: Envelopes, top loaders, sleeves, tape
- Shipping costs: USPS stamps or paid shipping
- Payment processing: PayPal, Stripe fees
- Time investment: Your hours have value
Real Example:
- Sold card for $100
- Paid $70 for the card
- Platform fee: $12
- Shipping & supplies: $5
- Time (2 hours @ $15/hour): $30
- Actual profit: $100 - $70 - $12 - $5 - $30 = -$17 LOSS
Without tracking all costs, you'd think you made $30 profit. Wrong.
Target Profit Margins:
- Minimum viable: 25% after ALL costs
- Healthy business: 40-50%
- Excellent: 60%+
Module 4: Pricing Strategies
Strategy 1: Cost-Plus Pricing
- Formula: Your cost + desired profit = selling price
- Example: $10 card + $15 profit target = $25 price
- Best for: Stable inventory with known costs
Strategy 2: Market Pricing
- Formula: Match current market average
- Research 5-10 sellers, price near middle
- Best for: Competitive cards with lots of sellers
Strategy 3: Value Pricing
- Formula: Price based on customer perceived value
- Example: Graded card worth premium over raw
- Best for: Unique items, rare cards, premium service
Strategy 4: Competitive Pricing
- Formula: Undercut competition by 5-15%
- Example: Others selling at $50, you price at $45
- Best for: Quick turnover, commodity cards
Which Strategy When: Module 4 teaches you to pick the right strategy for each card type.
Module 5: Budgeting Your Pokemon Business
Essential Budget Categories:
- Inventory (50-70%): Buying more cards to sell
- Supplies (5-10%): Packaging, sleeves, top loaders
- Fees (10-15%): Platform fees, payment processing
- Shipping (5-10%): USPS, packaging materials
- Emergency Fund (10%): Buffer for slow months or opportunities
Example $1,000 Monthly Budget:
- Inventory: $600
- Supplies: $80
- Fees: $120 (should be covered by sales)
- Shipping: $80 (should be covered by sales or customers)
- Emergency: $100
- Extra: $20 for software/tools
Key Principle: Never spend all your money on inventory. Keep buffer for supplies, fees, and emergencies.
Module 6: Separating Personal & Business Money
Why This Matters:
- Legal: Clean books for taxes
- Clarity: Know business performance
- Protection: Separate liability
- Professionalism: Serious business structure
How to Separate:
- Open dedicated business bank account (free at most banks)
- Get separate PayPal/payment account for business
- Track EVERY business expense (even $5 purchases)
- Pay yourself formally from business profits (don't just grab money randomly)
Red Flag Behavior: Mixing business and personal money, using personal cards for business purchases without tracking, spending business money on personal items.
Week 2 Action Steps
By the end of Week 2, you'll have:
- ✅ Price research system in place (know where to check values)
- ✅ Record-keeping system started (spreadsheet or software)
- ✅ Profit calculation formula (know your real margins)
- ✅ Pricing strategy chosen for your business model
- ✅ Monthly budget created and committed to
- ✅ Business money separated from personal money
Why Week 2 is Critical
Most Pokemon businesses fail financially not because they don't make sales, but because they don't manage money properly. They:
- Overpay for inventory (poor price research)
- Don't track costs (think they're profitable when they're losing money)
- Price incorrectly (too high = no sales, too low = no profit)
- Have no budget (run out of money unexpectedly)
- Mix business and personal money (financial chaos)
Week 2 prevents all of these costly mistakes.
Get the Complete Course
Week 2 is one module of eight comprehensive weeks:
- Week 1: Market Strategy & Planning
- Week 2: Money Management (you're here)
- Week 3: Finding & Keeping Customers
- Week 4: Daily Operations & Inventory
- Week 5: Legal & Compliance
- Week 6: Building Your Team
- Week 7: Sales & Customer Service
- Week 8: Growth & Risk Management
Week 2 of 8. Get full course →