I don’t know about you guys, but most of the cards in my childhood binder have seen better days (like, circa 2000 better days lol). Despite their bad condition, I’ve toyed with idea of having them all graded for nostalgia’s sake. What a cool tribute to your OG cards, right? In the end, I decided to keep them in the binder, as this is how I remember them from my childhood. I still get goosebumps when I turn those thick plastic, almost brittle, pages.
I have decided to grade a few, however.
One is this Charizard. I was delighted it got a 10, but the card itself holds a pretty special memory. When I was a kid, my mom took my brother and I to see the live-action Grinch. The movie was sold out, and so, to cheer us up, she took us to the mall and bought us the Neo File this Charizard came in. I loved it so much! The artwork on the binder captivated me. Not sure what happened to the Unown and Eevee trio, but the Charizard, Pichu and Entei all survived. Every time I look at this card, I remember awesome my mom is.
How about you guys? Have any graded childhood cards to share?
Most of my childhood cards I laminated because I thought that would preserve them dumb. I did have a few shinings fortunatel I did not laminate as well as some other neo cards. I remember getting all back as 9 except a light arcanine I got back as a 10. Helped propel me to start looking for more collections right after!
I sure did! I had them stored away since 2000ish as well. I graded 3 of my favorites ones. I figure they deserved to be protected, since they are more important to me then most of the others in my collection. I’ll probably send in 2 or 3 more for my next submission.
Only two cards, both of which I opened when I was falling out of the hobby, which saved them from abuse. A LC reverse Pikachu which came back an 8, and a Base Venusaur which (fingers crossed) will come back a 9. Found the Venusaur in a plastic baggy recently when my parents basement flooded
One of my biggest regrets I have now as a collector is not keeping my original binder when I was a kid. I completed unlimited base set as a kid and had my favorite card (Venusaur) stolen by some high schooler on my bus. I was in middle school, 6th grade and shared a bus with high school kids. Bruh, I was so mad, when I got home I threw everything I had with ‘Pokemon’ on it away. Posters, books, cards, all in the trash. The games I had I think I gave to my brother, but everything else was gone. lol
Part of me wishes I did. When I started back ages ago I put my childhood cards in with the new cards I purchased. Some were lost in the fog. I think its cool seeing people grade their original cards. Its an intangible value that adds a layer to the story.
I still have my whole childhood collection separated. I got back into the hobby again in the past 5 years, however I haven’t been able to or wasn’t that involved again until more recently so I haven’t made many additions except some newer stuff and a couple random WOTC cards. I did buy a couple small collections but made sure to always keep my stuff separate. Most of the cards are not worth grading though.
I graded two of them. One is the card I spent most money on before getting back to the hobby($50) and the other is my first and only WOTC 1st ed holo card which i pulled, which i’m waiting for it to return to me from Ludkins. The sentimental value of these cards takes over any other cards I own.
I haven’t, and til I saw this post I hadnt even thought about it. I’m super surprised the thought never even crossed my mind before. I’m gonna take a look through and see if anything is worth grading!
These were all cards I pulled back in the day and graded many years later. The two tyranitar I actually bought on Ebay and used them in a deck so technically they are played
I’m actually in process of getting most of my cards graded. I figured instead of them just sitting in binders, I’d get them graded. I can then keep the ones I want to keep preserved and sell the ones I am letting go without too much hassle in arguing about the card condition.
dumb. I did have a few shinings fortunatel I did not laminate as well as some other neo cards. I remember getting all back as 9 except a light arcanine I got back as a 10. Helped propel me to start looking for more collections right after!
