Pokémon card collectors often accumulate large amounts of low-value duplicate cards, commonly known as bulk. I explored whether this creates enough pain to justify a new product or service that helps collectors offload, donate, sell, or manage their bulk cards more easily.

The initial hypothesis was that collectors struggle with storage, sorting, low resale value, and difficulty finding places to donate cards. Through secondary research, Reddit comment analysis, web scraping, persona development, and recruitment planning, I found that bulk cards are not always experienced as a major problem. For many collectors, bulk is either accepted, stored, donated, or given away. However, there may still be an opportunity among collectors who delay action because they do not know what to do with their bulk, especially those with high card volumes and low willingness to sort manually.

Problem Hypothesis

As a Pokémon card collector myself I always have looked at the growing pile of bulk and found that this is bound to be a problem for me at some point. After looking around online and noticing that it is a popular YouTube Video, eBay listing and Reddit Question - my research question turned into:

How might we reimagine getting rid of bulk Pokémon cards?

My primary assumption was that collectors who rip packs eventually accumulate large volumes of unwanted cards - especially when they’re ripping packs to chase for a certain card. These additional cards may take up space, require sorting before sale, be unprofitable to sell online due to shipping costs, or be difficult to donate because collectors may not know which schools, libraries, charities, or community groups accept them.

The initial hypotheses were:

Research Goal

The research goal was:

To understand the main pain points that collectors and stores experience when storing, selling, trading, or offloading bulk Pokémon cards.

The research objectives were to:

• Identify how collectors currently deal with bulk cards.
• Understand how vendors and hobby stores manage excess bulk.
• Learn which offloading methods are currently used.
• Validate whether bulk cards create enough pain to justify a product or service.

Target Users and Segmentation

The early segmentation focused on people who wanted to:

1. Reclaim storage space.
2. Get rid of bulk quickly.
3. Make money from bulk Pokémon cards.

The selected focus was people who want to get rid of bulk quickly, because speed and convenience appeared to be a clearer behavioural motivation than simply “having bulk.”

The main groups considered were:

At this stage, I assumed hobby stores would have a more obvious pain point because they buy and sell cards at scale. However, because they are businesses, they may already have established systems. That means a new product would need to be clearly more profitable or efficient than their current workflow.

Research Method & Findings

To understand how collectors currently manage unwanted bulk Pokémon cards, I reviewed existing Reddit discussions, analysed responses from my own Reddit post, and scraped comments from related community threads.

Across my research, I reviewed 11 Reddit posts and 93 comments, while my own Reddit post received 132 replies. These sources helped identify recurring behaviours, frustrations, and attitudes around bulk cards.

The findings showed that collectors generally manage bulk in a few common ways:

• Donate them to children, schools, libraries, hospitals, or community groups — by far the most common response, accounting for 44.6% of primary solutions identified.
• Organise and store them in ETBs, binders, boxes, or set-based collections, representing 20.4% of responses.
• Sell them online through platforms such as eBay or Facebook Marketplace (9.6%), or to card shops, card shows, or online card stores for a faster but usually lower return (8.9%).
• Accept bulk from others for set completion, themed binders, or personal collecting goals (8.9%).
• Repackage or resell them as a vendor, especially when dealing with higher volumes (3.8%).
• Dispose of them entirely when the perceived value or effort required is too low (1.9%).

Overall, the research suggested that bulk cards are not automatically seen as a serious problem. Some collectors treat bulk as part of the hobby and enjoy organising or keeping it. Others prefer to donate cards because it feels easier and more meaningful than trying to make money from them. Selling is still a common option, but it involves trade-offs between speed, effort, and financial return.

Interview planning

A recruitment and discussion guide was created to qualify collectors based on three criteria:

This helped narrow the target group to collectors who were more likely to have experienced the problem directly.

Key Personas

Persona 1: The Purposeful Giver

This collector sees bulk cards as something that can still create joy for others, especially children, students, nieces, nephews, or people new to the hobby.

They are not primarily motivated by profit. They want to avoid waste and pass the enjoyment of Pokémon cards to someone else.

Goals

• Avoid wasting cards.
• Share the hobby with younger people.
• Get rid of bulk in a way that feels meaningful.

Pain points

• They may not know where to donate.
• They may not want to spend time sorting.
• They may worry whether schools, libraries, clinics, or parents actually want the cards.

Product opportunity

A donation finder or gift-pack builder could help this group prepare bulk cards for children, schools, libraries, or community organisations.

Persona 2: The Organised Collector

This collector does not see bulk as waste. They organise cards by set, artwork, artist, cuteness, or personal theme. For them, bulk can still have emotional or aesthetic value.

Goals

• Preserve cards that feel valuable beyond money.
• Keep their collection structured.
• Use bulk cards for set completion, artist collections, or themed binders.

Pain points

• Sorting takes time.
• Storage grows quickly.
• The breaking point may only come when boxes, ETBs, or binders become too full.

Product opportunity

A sorting assistant or collection management tool could help them decide whether each card should be kept, bindered, traded, donated, sold, or recycled.

Persona 3: The Passive Storer

This collector knows they have too much bulk, but the problem is not urgent enough to solve immediately. Their cards sit in ETBs, drawers, boxes, or tubs until the issue becomes harder to ignore.

Goals

• Keep collecting without bulk becoming overwhelming.
• Eventually clear space.
• Avoid making a bad decision with cards that may still have some value.

Pain points

• No clear best option.
• Selling feels low-value or effort-heavy.
• Donation requires initiative.
• Sorting is likely the biggest blocker.

Product opportunity

A tool or service could reduce decision fatigue by helping collectors answer:

“What should I do with this bulk based on how much I have, how much effort I want to spend, and whether I care more about money, space, or giving the cards away?”

Research Findings

Finding 1 - Donation is common, but may not support a profitable product

Many collectors seem happy to donate or give away bulk cards. This suggests that a segment of users does not view bulk primarily as a financial asset. Instead, they see it as something that can create joy for others.

This is useful from a product perspective because it shows that the “sell my bulk” assumption may not apply to every collector. A donation-focused solution may be useful, but it may be harder to monetise.

Given that the most common option for offloading bulk would be to donate the cards to friends, family or to different local services indicates that donations is not a problem at all. While a product to improve this process could be explored this also would be difficult to monetise. With this finding, this disproves my assumption that donations are a pain point for offloading bulk - collectors have already solved this themselves.

Finding 2 - Selling bulk involves a speed vs value trade-off

Selling on online marketplaces may provide a higher return, but it can take longer and requires listing, waiting, communicating with buyers, and handling shipping.

Selling to a local card store may be faster, but collectors usually receive less money because stores need room to resell at a profit.

This suggests that collectors may choose different methods depending on whether they care more about:

• speed
• convenience
• money
• effort
• certainty

Finding 3 - Organisation may delay the pain

Organising bulk was one of the most common outcomes in the research. This suggests that bulk cards do not automatically create pain if collectors have a storage system.

However, organisation may only be a temporary solution. Storage eventually has limits, and once collectors reach that point, offloading bulk quickly may become more important.

Finding 4 - The problem may be weaker for casual collectors

A major insight is that “having bulk” is not automatically a painful problem. Some collectors enjoy keeping bulk. Others donate it. Others store it and forget about it.

This weakens the original broad product idea.

The stronger opportunity is not:

“Collectors have bulk cards.”

It is more likely:

“Some high-volume collectors do not know the best way to turn unwanted bulk into space, value, or goodwill without wasting time.”

Finding 5 - Sometimes bulk is wanted

One respondent noted they actively seek out bulk cards to incorporate into their artwork — an early signal that a niche of collectors exists for whom commons and duplicates hold genuine creative value, whether for personal projects or an art-based business.

This points to a potential alternative demographic worth considering. However, the opportunity has profitability limitations - the respondent was specifically looking for cheap bulk, which narrows the margin for any would-be supplier. There is also a variety problem — available bulk tends to skew heavily toward modern sets, leaving little room to explore older or more eclectic cards. For this demographic, that lack of variety directly undermines the creative appeal that draws them to bulk in the first place.

Assumption Verdicts

Based on the findings, the assumptions created have been mostly confirmed but also signal a lack of urgency in collectors. The consensus is that most collectors are content with their bulk collection and have found a way to manage it in their own way - making this product opportunity weaker.

Decision

Based on the findings, I decided to not build anything and abstained from proceeding with this product opportunity. There are opportunities for pivoting that could be of value and a product could be found upon further investigation. However, the input vs return of this research would be next to none and any additional research would be down to my own passions as opposed to following any opportunity for a profitable product. 

Recommended Next Steps

Considering that the bulk cards don’t seem to be a problem for collectors, making a product here would be unwise. Potentially if we were to investigate further I could pivot into a deeper niche within this space.

At this stage, the strongest product decision is to avoid building until a sharper pain point is confirmed. The research so far suggests that casual collectors already have acceptable workarounds, even if those workarounds are not perfect. A more valuable next step would be to treat this as a discovery pivot - move away from “bulk cards are a problem for collectors” and investigate whether specific subgroups experience bulk as an operational, creative, or gameplay-related constraint. If one of these groups shows stronger urgency, repeated behaviour, or willingness to pay, then the opportunity can be reframed around that narrower use case instead of the broader collector market.

If this project were to proceed then the recommended starting point would be to begin reaching out to vendors or card store owners. They would typically have more pressing problems that can be solved and would be easier to monetise. With collectors in a B2C market, a decent size of the market that is content with their bulk and would look for free options to solve their problem which constrains opportunities for margin or payment.

Reflection

This project helped me learn that a product idea can be personally interesting without being painful enough for a market. Within this case study, interviewees didn’t have the bandwidth for a full conversation and would much rather provide a simple answer, which in of itself revealed valuable data - but nothing concrete enough to justify a product.

The most valuable insight was that weak engagement and existing workarounds are not failures. They are product signals. If users already donate, store, or give away their bulk without much frustration, then the problem may not justify a standalone product.

However, the research also revealed a more specific opportunity - collectors who delay action because they do not know what to do with their bulk. For this group, the product opportunity may not be “selling bulk cards.” It may be reducing decision fatigue and helping collectors choose the best next step based on their goals.

The next stage of the project would be to validate whether this narrower segment experiences enough urgency to justify a prototype.

1. Know Your End Goal

Before you even think about building a website, you need to be crystal clear on your end goal. Better yet, ask yourself: How does my business actually make money?

Too often, businesses build a website without understanding what purpose it’s supposed to serve. In reality, a website typically falls into one of four categories:

Brochure Websites

A simple site that explains what you do and provides essential information like your services, contact details, and business story. It works much like a digital business card, giving potential customers confidence that you exist and are legitimate.

Booking platform

A site designed for service-based businesses such as salons, consultants, or clinics. Customers can check your availability, make appointments, and sometimes even pay online, streamlining your operations and reducing admin work.

E-commerce

A full online store where visitors can browse products, add them to a cart, and make secure payments. This type of site often includes inventory management, shipping options, and customer support features to handle sales end-to-end.

Community or upcoming service

A site built to grow and engage an audience around your brand, product, or service. This might include forums, newsletters, or sign-up forms for early access. It’s ideal for building anticipation, validating an idea, or creating loyalty before you fully launch.

The problem I often see is that businesses build a site just for the sake of having one. Later, when they try to expand, they realise the foundation isn’t right. For example, I’ve seen service-based businesses set up e-commerce style websites, only to struggle when they expand operations. Starting with a clear goal saves time, money, and frustration in the long run.

2. Establish a Brand Guideline

The next step is your brand identity. This doesn’t mean you need a full design system upfront, but you should have the basics: colours, fonts, and a general idea of how you want to be represented online.

Many times, people ask me to build them a website but have no idea about their look and feel. This slows everything down and often costs more because the design stage takes longer. At a minimum, you should have a simple brand guideline before touching any website builder. It helps ensure your site communicates your brand clearly and professionally.

3. Think About Marketing First

Finally, and this is the most important point, remember that your website is a marketing tool. You can have the fanciest layouts, animations, or plugins, but none of that matters if you don’t know what you’re trying to communicate.

Ask yourself:

• Who am I serving?
• Why do I do what I do?
• What is the most effective way to show this, text, images, or video?

To make your marketing effective, your business also needs to be ready to handle conversions. That means when a visitor is convinced, there should be no doubts or friction stopping them from becoming a customer.

4. Build Supporting Systems

Your website does not exist in isolation. To truly work as a marketing tool, it should connect with the systems that keep your business running smoothly. Think about:

• Sales process: Is there a clear next step when someone shows interest? (e.g., enquiry forms that trigger follow-up emails, booking confirmations, or sales calls)
• Customer support: Do you have chat, FAQs, or contact options available so prospects feel supported?
• Analytics and tracking: Are you measuring where visitors come from and what actions they take on your site?
• Email and CRM integration: Are you capturing leads into a database or email list so you can nurture them over time?
• Payment and delivery systems: If you sell online, do you have secure payments, invoicing, and fulfillment systems ready to go?

When your marketing message is clear and your systems are aligned, your website can move from being just a digital brochure to becoming an engine for growth.

At the end of the day, your website should exist to drive sales, conversions, or awareness. The technical details, such as which plugins to use or which forms to set up, only matter once you’ve nailed down your message and connected it to the right systems.

Elementor does have a lot of advantages though. It’s one of the most popular visual page builders in the WordPress ecosystem, and that means plenty of templates, tutorials, and community support. For beginners or business owners who just want to quickly spin up a good-looking site without coding, it’s an excellent choice. But as I started to grow my technical skills, I found myself wanting more control over my builds.

Why I Moved to Oxygen

There was a moment where Elementor introduced a site breaking bug that clashed with JupiterX. By that stage I was already exploring alternative options, and that search is what ultimately led me to Oxygen.

I eventually moved over not because Elementor was unusable, but because Oxygen positioned itself as a developer-first visual page builder, and that instantly clicked with me. I loved that it let me work directly with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and even PHP inside code blocks. That flexibility gave me full control to create custom functionality and dynamic features.

This shift was huge for me. It was the change that helped me grow from being mainly a designer into someone who could handle the full stack of a WordPress build. Once I started freelancing and building custom sites for clients, Oxygen became my go-to because it allowed me to implement exactly what I envisioned without hitting limitations.

Another big selling point for me was performance. Oxygen sites are generally lighter because the builder doesn’t load unnecessary bloat. That meant faster page speeds and better SEO out of the box, which was important for client work.

Elementor vs Oxygen: Ease of Use

From my experience, Elementor is definitely the easier visual page builder to learn. The drag-and-drop interface is intuitive, and there are thousands of pre-built templates available. Business owners or non-technical users tend to do much better with Elementor because they can manage updates and make changes without worrying about breaking the site.

Oxygen, on the other hand, comes with a steeper learning curve. It feels more like a development tool than a design tool. If you’re comfortable writing CSS, working with PHP functions, and adding JavaScript snippets, Oxygen unlocks incredible freedom. But if you’re new to web development, that freedom can be overwhelming at first.

Performance Considerations

One of the frustrations I had with Elementor was how heavy it could be on server resources. Sites built with Elementor often require stronger hosting just to keep up with all the assets being loaded. This can result in slower backend performance during development and slower load times on the front end if you’re not optimizing properly.

With Oxygen, I noticed an immediate improvement. The builder outputs cleaner code and doesn’t rely on as many background processes. The result is leaner, faster websites that perform better in Google PageSpeed Insights and other benchmarks. For freelance projects where SEO and performance are selling points, Oxygen gave me the edge I needed.

Who Should Use Which?

My honest take on whether someone should use Elementor or Oxygen really depends on their technical ability and the learning curve they’re willing to take on.

• Choose Elementor if:
  • You’re a beginner looking for speed and simplicity.
  • You’re a business owner who wants to manage the site yourself.
  • You value the huge template library and ecosystem of add-ons.
• Choose Oxygen if:
  • You’re a developer looking for full control but still want the speed of a visual page builder.
  • You care about clean code output and site performance.
  • You’re building custom websites for clients and don’t want to rely on pre-built limitations.

Personally, for custom projects where I need flexibility, I’ll always choose Oxygen. But if I’m building a site with the intention of handing it off to a client to manage, I’d 100% go with Elementor. It’s about matching the tool to the use case.

Final Thoughts

Both Elementor and Oxygen are powerful WordPress visual page builders. They just serve different audiences. Elementor is fantastic for accessibility and speed to market, while Oxygen shines when you need developer-grade control and performance.

For me, the move to Oxygen was about growth. It turned me from a designer into a full-stack WordPress developer and gave me the confidence to freelance and build custom solutions. But I still respect Elementor for what it does best: making WordPress more approachable for non-developers.

If you’re deciding between the two, ask yourself this: Do you want to get started fast with plenty of templates, or do you want ultimate control and flexibility even if it means a steeper learning curve? The answer to that question will usually point you in the right direction.

If you’re looking to begin developing strong custom websites, Oxygen is an excellent place to start. Click this link to get Oxygen today and take full control of your WordPress builds.