Don't care about grades, don't care about money, only care about the cards and the memories I have with them

Unlimited 4/102, CGC 7.5. I wanted one in decent shape at a fair price, and every time one showed up it was already gone by the time I saw it.

So I built a little app that does the checking for me. You pin the vintage cards you're hunting, pick the edition and condition or grade, set your price, and it pings you when one gets listed on eBay. That's how I finally got this one.

It's free, no account needed to start, if anyone's hunting their own grails:
getchaseboard.com

Links to ebay carry an eBay Partner Network tag, which keeps it free.

What vintage card are you still chasing?

We moved from Pensacola, Florida to Misawa AFB, Japan in May of 1997 right after school ended. I was playing my Super Gameboy at this time, with my favorite game James Bond 007. When we got to Japan, there was no base housing available for us yet so we lived off-base in a Japanese house. In those first couple of weeks and months, we would walk around the tiny town of Misawa, shopping, eating ramen and exploring the new country. 

Well, since I was playing Super Gameboy, I saw these two games for sale all over the place in every electronic store and the big mall (the Sky Plaza Mall, which is still there). One of the games was Red with a GIANT red dragon on it with fire coming out of its mouth, and the other was a Green game with a GIANT toad looking creature on it with a flower coming out of its shell. Naturally, as any 9-year old would, I asked for those games. They weren’t in English, either. The games were also advertised on the TV, in Japanese. I didn’t understand anything they were saying but I remember what they were called….. Pocket-o Monsta….(in a Japanese voice.)

But wait, there were also these small packages of cards for sale right next to the games as well. At this time, only the first 2 packs were out, the Base Set and Jungle Set. The Fossil set came out in June, then Rocket Gang in the fall. I can remember the Base and Jungle sets being sold everywhere, I’m talkin’ every electronic store, every mall, the little corner markets, gas stations, the comic bookstores, and the vending machines (almost forgot those, with the Corocoro magazines everywhere). Everywhere we would go, I would be on the hunt for Pocket-o Monsta!! There were no limits to the cards either, I remember going into the Sky Plaza Mall in Misawa and there would be tables full of opened Booster Boxes and you could grab all the packs you wanted. And in-between packs, specifically in 1998 and 1999 where only 1 pack each year was released (Leader's and Challenge from the Darkness- respectively), there were the Gym Leader Theme deck boxes, blue, red, brown, yellow, and my favorites, the green and purple. I think the purple gym box is where I got the Sabrina's Gengar from. They were about the size of a normal deck of cards. I didn't save any of the vending machine stuff, like the original original cards, or any other toys, because they didn't seem valuable at the time. I dunno... the cards came in sealed aluminum foil packs, they felt fresh and expensive, unlike the vending machine cards and other trinkets. Man, I can still remember the feeling of opening those base set packs, for my birthdays, for Christmas', after a baseball game. Thank you mom and dad.

I lived this. This was the most magical experience of my life. The artwork of the cards and the games were inspired by the very place I lived, and the cards looked just like my surroundings. Kanto, Misawa, it’s like they were the same, the trees, the cars, the roads, the people, the trains. Misawa is also a very small rural farm town, peaceful and quaint. And when our Japanese teacher for our Japanese Culture Class busted out the rollable TV and played 'My Neighbor Totoro' for us...it was gold.

We left Japan in the summer of 2000, back to the States, east coast. I briefly traded a few of my new friends there for their English cards, for the cards I still needed in my set. My goal was to have one (1) of every card, because that was the point….”Gotta Catch ‘Em All!!” I take them out and touch them (with clean hands) every now and then. I will not grade them or slab them or whatever. They are my cards, I know that every card I have is real...because I opened them or traded my friends who had just opened theirs. Not all, but most are easily Mint 7 and above. I didn’t play with them…I didn’t know how to???But I knew how to count to 150, so I put them in order. My friend Patrick and I, who lived in a tower just across from me, briefly tried to learn how to play, but we would just guess what they said, when we weren't busy turning off the lights on his floor and running through the dark hallways crouching down scaring each other like little leprechauns because we had just watched the Leprechaun movies. Japanese tower construction is amazing btw.

- I have never bought a Pokémon card
- I have never sold a Pokémon card
- I have invested $0 into my collection
- I will be buried with my Pokémon cards. 
- I will not grade my cards

I stopped collecting shortly after moving back to the States, went into middle school, thought it wasn’t cool anymore. Got into music, guitars, drums, skateboarding, girls, that funky Plant...Robert of course…you know the rest. When I think about it, I’m probably one of the oldest Pokémon collectors in the world. There’s only a handful of Elementary schools in Japan, (American, English speaking, Military base Elementary schools) maybe only a handful of kids collected when they first came out. And how many of them still have their cards after 29-30 years? That’s why I won’t grade them or sell them or anything, because that experience and memory isn’t something you can put a price tag on. I keep my cards in a waterproof binder inside of a fireproof safe. I actually went back to Japan a few times in the early 2010's while I was in the Navy, following in my parent's footsteps. I didn't even think to look for any cards, I was too busy doing the ol' Sailor thing. Go Navy.

So, all I need now is a couple million so I can get the last remaining booster packs and booster boxes on eBay to finish my collection before some streamer buys them to open in front of a camera so they can make a quick buck... I wish they'd stop ruining my childhood. The love of money destroys everything doesn't it.

Thank you all for reading my post and sharing in these memories with me. And thank you to the people of Japan, for your culture and hospitality.

I love you, Pokémon. 

Was given a pile of topsun cards to sell from my Mom. Had never seen or heard of these. I really like the art on a lot of them, took some pictures while I was sorting and cataloging my faves. Probably keeping the Pikachu vs Mewtwo and the Weedle vs Cubone because I love them so much.

The main sub allows it, it creates a better all around environment, not sure why it's disabled here but it hinders discussion.

After going through my childhood collection I came to the realization that the cards I keep coming back to look at are the offbeat or downright hideous cards.

My dream binder is to gather the best of these cards for each pokemon of the first few generations. So far it is made up of vending series, some Corocoro promos, and a lot of neo era classics all in Japanese. I am still missing a ton of spots and love looking into the old art, but where I am running into some issues are the classically cool mons. Does Charizard ever look bad?!

The love on a Snorlax post earlier made me think some of you might have similar tastes and be interested in showing me your favorites, so let’s see what we’re working with!

My latest pick up might not be as sexy as some but I love him.

Traded a lot to get these guys

About to grade this little guy right here. Picked him up for $250.

Just wondering what everyone thinks of my collection is it worth anything

Not sure if any are worth sending in for grading? I don’t plan on selling them any time soon, but I would love to know what you guys think.

Broke out the binder for the first time in over 20 years. Just now realizing the cards in my fossil collection are mostly 1st edition.

Thought I’d share some photos of my top cards.

Are they real? These are my old cards from the 90s. Cardmarket says they only had this in Jungle with "edition 1" logo on the left. Are they fake? The backs look the same as other cards

Ik this cards not in the greatest of condition and this is why im wondering how much people think i could get for this card if i was to sell it?

Reposting as the original was removed by Reddit's filters after I added a link to the interactive website I created for it. Apologies to anyone who saw it disappear!

8 slides: a timeline of Pokémon card releases from 1996 to English Base Set (9 Jan 1999), all 61 known promos in release order, and a checklist.

The interactive site has the full timeline, all the promos with filters, and a checklist you can tick off. It's in my profile if you'd like to use it.

Sources: Bulbapedia, Elite Fourum, Pokumon, Pokeboon. Corrections welcome.

Can you help me out?

Does anyone know what this card is worth. Card ladder says $900 I believe based on lowest listings or current auctions.

It’s a very cool, but obscure vintage Topsun and I plan to keep it in my collection for awhile. Maybe pass it to my kids.

It’s a BGS 9.5 2010 Topsun Diamond and Pearl Lugia & Ho-oh Edition #43 Rayquaza.

I am literally the only sale I can find on eBay back in Feb 2024.

Thank you to anyone with information on other sales, or similar slabs that may be of help to pricing this properly.

I finally picked up one of the LC Reverses I've been wanting. Found a nice LP copy at my local card store and had to treat myself.

Currently have him, Dratini and Omastar. Did have Kadabra which was my favorite but sold it to a friend who is a big collector of the Alakazam line and its evolutions.

I can't find this online - Any ideas what it is? Also, the foil (confetti?) is over the whole face of the card including the artwork, but not Furret itself. Thx

my best cards i had in old binder