This thread idea came to me as I was going through my collection the other day and had a trip down memory lane. Do y’all have any cards that have an interesting backstory as to how you acquired the card or just overall huge sentimental value?
I’ll start off with the one that sent me on my trip.
It was Pokémon League night back in the year 2000. I was a Freshman in High School and I constantly saved up my lunch money throughout the week so I could get some packs that Friday night. From the 4 or so Neo Genesis packs I got I was lucky and pulled a Lugia. All the fellow League players surrounded me at the table after word spread and stared in disbelief. One of the parents of a kid came up to me and offered me $20 on the spot for the Lugia and being a Teenager of sound mind I took him up on the offer and got $20 of more Neo Genesis packs. And from those extra packs I got I pulled yet another Lugia, which I still have to this day.
I’ll quote my original post from there for my reply on this thread
But also since then i have been lucky enough to take part in a few of efours secret Santa’s and have acquired a whole bunch more cool stuff that will always hold a special place in my collection! (Links below) 2021 / 2020
My first batch of cards that my brother got graded for me. We spent the entire summer playing pokemon go, a lot of times until 4am. Once we got everything we wanted in high IVs, we started driving all over the state buying up pokemon cards from local shops. It still amazes me that 16 year old penny sleeved WOTC holos in an LGS graded 10s. Those graded cards that were picked up during that time will probably be some of the last cards I sell if I ever exit the hobby.
Getting my original base set Charizard around age 8
I traded some cards for Pokemon figures with my grandparent’s neighbours, traded the figures for like 7 holos, went to a Pokemon card trading event at a store and saw a Blastoise for the first time ever and traded like 7 holos to get it. The same day my friend phoned me up to say someone in our class pulled a Charizard then I went over and convinced him to trade the Charizard for Blastoise because water beats fire
On occasion I like to buy bulk lots from the Goodwill auction website. Fun to go through someone’s old collection and potentially find a hidden gem here and there. About a year or so back in one of the lots I purchased I stumbled across a near mint copy of a Southern Islands Japanese Mew. Currently off on its voyage to PSA - usually nothing to write home about in the goodwill lots, but finding that Mew keeps me coming back.
When I first started to get back into collecting about 10 years ago, I was looking to buy the pikachu world collection set which featured 9 different language pikas including bday pika. I found a listing and contacted the seller to negotiate price And he asked me to call him to talk. This was before eBay cracked down on giving out information so easily. I gave him a call being careful given stranger danger and such. He offers me the chance to meet him and go over his entire collection and purchase whatever I like. Turns out he bought out a card store owners collection for 10k and was looking to start selling it. I went with a buddy and found everything he said to be true. I purchased dozens of black star promos, several prerelease clefable, and Dozens of 1st edition cards. Fast forward 10 years, the same seller and I still do business every so often. I was his first customer and so he has since done thousands in sales. It amazes me how much my collection has grown, but also how Pokémon has changed his life too. I still have a couple of those first world collections. Now I only wish I bought more early on. He once offered me a mint skyridge zard for 70 bucks and I passed because it wasn’t a set favorite. Silly choices early in my collecting career.
I saw another “Well-loved” Zard. so I figured my bunch would be fun to share. I started collecting these in high-school. Bought dozens over the years, most I bought for 5-10$, and recently sold several to help pay for grad school. why not!? =)
Shining Zard - Freed this from a local seller for about $25 and performed minor surgery to remove the “lamination” tape that had been added. Seller had tried to remove and tore that bottom portion, but I’m handier with a knife.
Base Zard - The First one of the collection. Bought in choir class for $1.50 and my spot in the ice cream line at lunch. It was also my first ever charizard. Worth it!
Dark Zard - Found in the dirt walking home from school. This was about 2004, so within 4 years, this card went from cool, to “psshh!” I like to think it was 1st edition. >_<
