I am going to assume that if your visiting this site you must have some interest in Nerd Culture and if you are a Nerd then visiting a Pokemon Center will be exactly what you need. They are all over Japan and have lots of great goodies that any fan, from the die hard to the casual, will want. With each store offering a plethora of collectible goodies I felt it best to put together a list of ten great tips for anyone visiting a Pokemon center for the first time.

1. Take your time – Do not be in a rush to buy everything as soon as you get in, the store has plenty to offer and get’s lots of new deliveries all the time so do not rush into any purchases that you wont need. The stores offer a wide variety of games, toys, plushies, clothes, trinkets and candy, so take your time and explore before you commit to anything.

2. Look for Store Exclusives –  In the shops you will see two different kinds of labels, Yellow and Blue. Anything Blue will only be available at Pokemon Centers, so these are the ones you want to buy as you will only get them in Pokemon centers.

3. Look for seasonal exclusives – Do not forget that each season brings new exclusives and some of them can be very unique and enticing so just keep and eye out for these.

4. Look for regional exclusives – A good example of these will be badges and a few Pikachu’s, but others may be there so keep your peepers open.

5. Careful with the Gashapon – These capsule prizes can easily drain all your money and are a good source of region exclusives.

6. Dont be afraid to set something down and come back – as for any shop if your not 100% sure if you need it or not, just set it down and come back later.

7. Before going in think what your favorite Pokemon are – this will stop you coming with multiple Snorlax goodies, like I did.

8. Careful taking pics as the stores tend to be full of kids

9. Research where you are as there are Pokemon centers all over Japan

10. Save your money for these places, though they are not overly expensive, they can quickly drain your wallet.