Collector Emotions: Part 3 - Thankful

Collecting
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There is a lot to be thankful for in the Pokemon world. When have you felt especially thankful as a collector?

This is the third of several threads on navigating collector emotions. Please see below for those previous threads.

Collector Emotions: Part 1 - Grief
Collector Emotions: Part 2 - Ambivalence

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When my Grandma saw an ad in the paper for mini tins at aldi so my Grandpa waited outside and beat the scalpers and bought me some for Christmas and I pulled 2 Mew ex special illustration rares along with the pikachu shiny when I opened them.

I Feel very thankful to have both my grandparents around and in support of my hobby, truly felt like a blessing

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I think I’m the most thankful for connections I’ve made in the community. I’ve definitely made lifelong friends, learned a lot, and shared a lot. This hobby is something that really brings people together! I treasure that deeply, and I’m eternally grateful and happier as a result!

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I’m thankful Elitefourum is still alive and kicking.

While thinking of all other forums I’ve used through the years vast majority have been closed for good or the community has moved to Facebook etc. , just a thought of discussing about collection updates and other stuff there feels so bland/soulless compared to what this place can offer. :slight_smile:

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I have felt especially thankful as a collector for the last 3 or 4 years because, to put it positively, I’ve collected some rare headache diagnoses as well as referred nerve pain to my arms/hands. I am thankful for a hobby my body still allows me to participate in, and I’m thankful that this forum exists to enhance the experience.

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I personally think that this should be one of my primary emotions in this hobby and it is one of which I do not practice enough.

I need to remind myself of the smaller things that matter and be grateful about them. The friends, the knowledge, acknowledgement of my pursuits and goals, constant encouragement etc. There are so many things to be thankful about and not take it for granted. E4 is a very special place to help work on this emotion.

I also need to remember to practice generosity and do my bit to give without thinking and expecting anything in return. I feel, generosity and gratitude go hand in hand.

Cheers!

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Thankful for all the connections with folks. Especially at events and seeing people in person. I still have a special place in my heart though from years back. I had lost my job and was scraping by till I found another job 3 months later. During that time I wasn’t able to participate in Secret Santa. Some folks from E4 turned that around and surprised me with a wicked kind gift I have still to this day.

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I missed out on a cool card and commented saying “damn too late lol” and then later that week the buyer messaged the seller and they arranged to just give me the card so I then told the seller i would pay for some of the buyers next order and not to tell them in advance.
Seriously blew me away with the generosity.

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  1. Thankful to my mom who got me that xerneas tin back in 2014 which kickstarted my love for ptcg
  2. Thankful for e4 fourums and discord for keeping my engaged in the hobby
  3. Thankful for my good friend irl helping me find an internship together when we were 16 which allowed to me to make many of my early acquisitions
  4. Thankful for my ig vendor friends who helped me source some of my favorite cards at discounted prices compared to ebay
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I am thankful to so many people in this community for going out of their way to support my collection goals and my learning. It truly blows my mind when someone is like “yeah I’ll buy this thing on a foreign website for you and then mail it to you in another country”. Or when someone tells me they looked for a card I need, even if they didn’t find it. Or when someone takes a look at my spreadsheet in detail and says “um actually there’s a variant missing”. Or when someone comes across a Slowpoke item and mails it to me out of nowhere. The fact that people are so kind and genuinely invested in others progress is so amazing to me. I try to pay it forward as much as I can but I feel like it’ll never be enough, you guys are too wonderful!

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I’m known for typing huge paragraphs, and I feel like with this emotion I could make an even bigger one. :sweat_smile: So instead, I’ll just do the opposite and try to keep it to bullet-points. I’m very thankfull for:

  1. The E4 community, as well as some Discord groups I’m in. Collecting Pokémon definitely wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without like-minded people to share experiences with.
    • In addition to that: I’m also very appreciative to everyone who links me to items I’m still missing when they come across it, whether it’s non-TCG Seviper items, Pikachu cards, or something else. I would have missed so many of my current collection if it weren’t for all of you simply linking me to an auction or post somewhere.
  2. How far we’ve already come. Sometimes the negative aspects of the current state, and in extension what more setbacks the future might bring, makes us forget all the amazing memories and collection additions we’ve already experienced and acquired.
  3. And it should be obvious, but I’m also very thankful that a certain waifu bubble enabled me to sell just three out of 25k+ cards I own, to (in combination with all my savings money, a small gift from my parents, and a mortgage) buy a freaking house. Especially being single, and especially in this housing market. Even now, 2 and a quarter year later, it still feels pretty unreal sometimes.

I could probably name a few more smaller things, but it’s mostly this amazing community and all of you I’m thankful for.
:pikahappy:
Greetz,
Quuador

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