Blasturtle’s Emporium

What’s up guys! I figured I should start a collection thread. I’ve been going through a big time of change in my thoughts on collecting. I started by simply going for complete sets of everything and buying up a bunch of random things here and there. That got to be a little overwhelming and unsatisfying. So I decided to tailor my collection down and focus it in the cards that I actually enjoy! That means a quest for wotc complete mint sets and anything blastoise! Maybe some random other stuff, Gyarados and Zard mixed in there.

I’ll eventually post up pics and stuff of what I have mainly just so I have a place to reference my humble beginnings for a long time to come.

Thanks for checking it out!

So like I said, I’ve decided to go a new route with my collecting and focus it more.

You know how everyone always mentions “why would anyone sell NM-Mint ungraded cards?”, “why wouldn’t they just grade them and get more money out of them?”, or “if it is a card you really like in your collection then why not pay $7 to get it protected in a slab?”

I figure why spend so much time reading up on more established peoples’ opinions in the hobby if you’re never going to follow some of their advice from time to time?

Well, I am taking everyone’s advice and putting my money where all of your mouths are!

Meet my personal 225+ card submission for October 2017! :open_mouth:

Anything in good enough condition (with some value based on average recent sold listings) or important to me in any way is in here. I scanned every card (Holo rares and up excepting some promos, 1st edition wotc non-holo rares, and a couple cards requested by others) from my binder sets and stacks of ultra rares pulled while opening packs with my daughters and picked out anything worth sending in based on the criteria I mentioned above. Probably half of them will be for my collection and the other half on eBay or something.

The fun part is that in a couple of months its going to be like re-opening everything again!

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Love all the blastoises. I think the one from the e series has the best image. What did your shining charizard grade?

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Amazing

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Nice stoise army you got going. A 200+ card submission sounds crazy fun. Hope it goes well :blush:

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Thank you! Yeah Stoise is my boy. I’m sending another 1st edition off in this submission. Hoping for a 7 since I don’t have one in that grade yet and it’s got a bit of whitening on the back. Also sending some other stoises including a no stage. Can’t wait to get them back!

That does sound crazy! At least for the Blastoises. I actually sent all of those except the Base Unlimited one myself from raw cards bought on eBay. Can’t complain too much!

Thanks! Me too!

I promise I’ll find some time to update this collection thread with all of the stuff I’ve accumulated recently! It’s been a busy season. For now I’ll just add this exciting pic!

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Nice boxes mate! Are you opening them? :blush:

The itch is already happening! The first couple of 1st edition Team Rocket boxes I had didn’t last very long at all…

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Quick update on a side collection I’ve been chipping away at.

My Blastoise Squad!












Only 2 of these were bought already graded. The rest were from my collection or raw pickups off eBay and sale posts. I will eventually try for all grades in base set Blastoise but it’s not a current focus.

I have other newer ones as well but these are my favorites. Base set Blastoise was the best card I pulled when I first started collecting way back when. I remember putting it up as a prize for winning games against my friends. The anxiety of possibly losing it was something I remember vividly! I think that’s why it resonates with me so much for so long.

I’ll update more stuff later. Have a good one!

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Ok, so it’s been a while since I’ve updated my collection thread. As many of you have seen in my recent buy threads I have decided to practically go down the line with regard to the wotc collection I’m wanting overall.

No better place to start than 1st Edition Base Set!

Thank you to those who have participated in my buy threads and have effectively contributed to this collection! Know that your efforts are not in vein because this collection is going to be kept for a LONG time and hopefully loved by my kids as much as me.

So check out my progress so far starting with 1st edition Base Set:

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Incredible 1st ed additions! Congrats! :blush:

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Thank you! I’m happy about it as well. It was surprisingly difficult to find some of them. Really takes some diligent researching, being prepared financially, and focused enough not to pick up other unrelated cards.

I’ll post up my other pickups later today as well. Those eBay bucks/discount deals gave me some good opportunities to build my set collection!

And here are the results of being able to capitalize on those eBay discounts and bucks deals!

I’m very excited with the progress I’ve been able to make on my goal of a mint copy of this iconic set!

I only have a few more to go but that Charizard is going to take some planning and preparation on my part. I may drop a trade thread up and see if anyone is willing to trade for some sealed wotc product. I’m just so pumped to be so close to finishing it!

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Impressive collection!

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Thank you! I have plenty more but will most likely post them in order as I work on completing sets.

Aaaaawwwww Snap!!

For all the math whizzes out there, only 1 card left!!

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Of course it’s THE most expensive one and EVERYONE wants it…