u/Mean-Mud6676

How do I tell if Dragon Ball sealed products are fake or resealed?

New collector here. What should I look for when buying sealed Dragon Ball Super Fusion World or Master booster boxes, packs, or promo packs?

Mainly wondering:

What does real Bandai shrink wrap look like?
What are signs of resealed boxes or packs?

Thanks!

Hey everyone,
I’m thinking about getting into the Dragon Ball card game hobby for the first time and could use some advice.

A little background: I grew up on Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super. My family was pretty poor, so trading cards were never really a thing for me growing up and collecting wasn’t something I even considered. Now that I’m older, I’d like to finally get into the hobby and have no idea where to start.

I’ve been doing some basic research and the more I look into it, the more overwhelmed I get. There seem to be multiple games, different product types, special sets, anniversary products, booster boxes, singles, grading, sealed collecting, etc.

I’ve never collected trading cards before, so assume I know basically nothing.

I’m interested in both the collecting side and opening packs for fun. I’m not trying to become a flipper or investor, but I would like to make reasonably smart decisions and avoid wasting money on products that aren’t worth it.

Some questions:
If you were starting completely from scratch today, would you go with Fusion World or Masters, and why? What’s the difference?!?!

What products would you buy first?

What products would you avoid?

Is it better to buy booster boxes, singles, starter decks, or a mix?

What are considered the most important or iconic Dragon Ball products released so far?

How do you decide what to open versus keep sealed?

For supplies:
What sleeves should I buy?
Do I need inner sleeves and outer sleeves?
What binders do you recommend?
When should I use top loaders? Why is this even a thing?!
How do you store sealed products?

For collecting:
How do you tell which cards are actually desirable long-term?
What do experienced collectors look for besides just current market price?
Are there any websites, apps, YouTube channels, Discords, creators, or other resources that are worth following?

My goal isn’t to make money flipping cards. I mainly want to enjoy the hobby, open some packs, build a collection I enjoy, and make reasonably smart decisions along the way.

If you could go back and start over as a complete beginner, what would you do differently?

Thanks for any advice.