r/WotCPokemonCards

I haven't collected in a few years and decided to get back into it. Man, this hobby sure got expensive in a hurry! 😆

Got this bundle of Gym Heroes / Gym Challenge through today. Nothing special, mostly commons but it's nice to collect cards from sets that I'm less familiar with and start filling out the binders again.

I think my favourite here is Sabrina's Haunter (I'm a sucker for that deep purple). Blaine's Ponyta is cool too with that afterimage effect going on.

Should have something more exciting coming tomorrow. 🤞

I was directed here from Pokémon collections. Wanted to show off (most of) my childhood collection I'm very proud of. Just put them into a new binder from my old childhood one. Can't post the last 8 pages due to 20 picture limits.

When I was younger, I tried to get complete sets. I have -most of- one of every card from Base Set through to about Neo Dynasty when I finally stopped collecting.

The Machamp and Dark Raichu (we know the real original secret rare) is joined by Golem and Dark Hypno from the mail.

Easily confused with the holo version that was given out at pokemon league events in the US, this non holo Eevee #11 variant was only available as a stamp rally prize in Tokyo. As far as I know, this and the non holo Meowth #10 are the only 2 times in the vintage era that English card variants were exclusively available in Japan (I’m not counting Mewtwo 12 since the JR stamp rally version is identical to the US version). The only modern equivalent I’m aware of would be the English print of Paradise Resort SVP 045 from 2023 Worlds. Please correct me if I’m wrong about any of the above!

EDIT: Thank you to u/rskimmel for sharing this elitefourum thread pointing out that the stamp rally Mewtwo is not exactly identical to its US counterpart and highlighting more examples of English cards that released in Japan.

Just a few random favorites.

I had been on the hunt for a 10th W Stamp card to complete my W Stamp binder page. The W Stamp filler card is $5k though and I'm not independently wealthy 😅 and I also could not find any leads on the double W Stamp Wartortle error either 😔

But then destiny intervenes! I'm not a big error collector in general but when I came across this one, I knew it was meant for the collection! This W stamped Wartortle has extra red ink that can be seen in the blue layer, looking almost like a red rain in the background of the image. The red spots continue into Wartortle's body and a red/pink blush can be seen in the card text areas as well. It is very easy to see the differences when it is side by side with a regular one!

I'm sharing this and hoping to raise awareness. Check your Wartortle W Stamps! Let me know of yours has anything similar, maybe our cards are brethren!

Have had them since childhood!!

Putting this out there up front, there is no “wrong” way to arrange and enjoy your pokemon cards. I’m just making a case for something more visually interesting than set order.

I was around 10 or so when Pokemon first came out in the US and got to experience peak excitement and the onset of pokemon card collecting.

When we collected as kids and you looked at somebody’s binder, the usual arrangement was usually either:
- by type (can be visually appealing)
- pokedex order (my personal fav)
- by personal favorites (respect)
- zero organization whatsoever, they just needed a place to put them (chaotic good)

Nobody ever really arranged them in order based on the set numbers (Southern Islands excluded of course), and at 10 or so no kids had the goal of completing what we know as a master set today. My goal as a kid was to have all of the original 151 in pokedex order which just felt right considering that was such a common arrangement on posters and in other places. The pokemon and their evolutions just felt like they belonged together.

I’m not trying to gatekeep here, arrange your cards in a way that makes you happy, but I’ve always felt that alphabetical set order runs counter to the spirit of pokemon. The pokedex was already a defined order and placing pokemon next to their evolutions I think makes for a more visually appealing presentation and elevates the presence moreso than if they are isolated.

I also see so many collectors who flip through just the first few pages of a binder to see the “heavies” and treat the rest as “bulk”, which is a shame considering there is so much stunning artwork and design to be found on the non-holo cards as well.

Anyway, here are a few examples of arrangements where I think the cards are at their best near each other but would never be otherwise if in set order. I’m a fan of pokedex order but with a few creative liberties so that the cards arrange nicely in a 9 pocket binder, but I’d love to see the arrangements you guys have come up with outside of set order.

Completed all of the ancient mew variants + bonus sealed Australian release

- Ancient Mew I (Nintedo)

- Ancient Mew I (Nintendo)

- Ancient Mew II

- Ancient Mew International

- Ancient Mew 2019

- Ancient Mew 2020

Just finished unlimited Gym Hero. One of my personal favorite sets. Artwork is just amazing

Sorry for the length, I enjoyed writing this and brain dumping.

SETUP: In 2013 I bought a few booster boxes of XY era expansion sets, kids received pack rewards for good grades, doing chores, etc. After a 2014 move, we forgot all about them until we found them tucked away in storage in 2023. Whoa. Pulled back in to Pokemon TCG world.

NOW: Recently found a couple Skyridge cards at a show that I fell in love with. I did a little research and made the very foolish proclamation that “I’m going to master set e-Card era!” (meaning Skyridge, Aquapolis and Expedition)

YESTERDAY: Went to a smaller, no-admission local show and had an absolute BLAST. I’ve been to massive shows of all sorts but I have learned that I like the smaller shows where tables cost less and vendors tend to bring more cards that they maybe wouldn’t bring to larger, more expensive shows. I found about 50 cards towards my goal, a lot of LP or better for 50 cents, a dollar or two. I unfortunately found some that were a bit more expensive.

I normally don’t spend like this, my kids and I have a number of themed collections (fave being “seeing double” where we collect cards with more than 1 instance of the same pokemon, like all Ghastly or all Eevees.) yesterday it was my birthday, I was enjoying the hunt, and I didn’t just but everything I saw, I picked up a lot of things. What is pictures are the more important cards. Wish I could find someone with some bulk singles for these sets!

TL;DR: recently proclaimed my desire to master set a vintage e-Card era, went to local show and spent waaaaaaay too much. It’s ok, I’ll have fun vending in my retirement. Or passing the cards down to my kids. I justified it by telling myself happy birthday.

The moment I saw it I bought it.