1st edition zard already there, you got the biggest hurdle already over, but I suppose 4th print holos will be a trouble eh?
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Yes I’m lucky I have the Charizard already. The 4th print run don’t pop up too often but I’ll get there one day.
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There will never be a day i don’t get excited seeing all the original promo releases in one place!
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I love the WOTC promos but it’s a crime there was no Muk promo.
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I find it amusing that WOTC didn’t do a single Charizard promo, whereas current Pokemon print ‘zards like there’ no tomorrow.
We could have had the CD promo or even the Neo File localised but no.
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The dream that never happened 
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Next up is my Base Set 2 and Team Rocket cards.
Base Set 2
About 60% complete. I didn’t collect this set much as a child but I really do love the Base Set 2 Holos.
Team Rocket
About 55% complete. Missing a lot of 1st Editions. This is my all time favourite set which also features my favourite card, Dark Charmeleon. The graded copy was an E4 2023 Secret Santa gift. The unlimited Voltorb is sealed and came from the Kraft W-Stamp promo. The Dark Charizard and Chamander at the end are ink spot errors.
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Sheeeeeesh 
beautiful collection 
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Next binder contains my Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge cards. I rescued the bulk of these cards from someone who was a heavy smoker. Over the course of several months, I managed to remove the cigarette smell from them. Returning them to their former glory.
Gym Heroes
About 40% complete. Missing a lot of 1st Editions.
Gym Challenge
About 35% complete. Again missing a lot of 1st Editions and also a few trainers.
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Curious, what did you use to remove the smell of cigarette smoke from the cards?
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Incredible collection! It’s really cool to see someone that’s been collecting so long still has goals they want to complete and has the patience to work towards those goals.
The banned artwork cards especially make for an amazing historical set!
Look forward to seeing you achieve your set goals.
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It was a long process that I perfected myself with a bit of trial and error and a lot of patience. I used dryer sheets. I put the sheets and cards into airtight containers in alternating layers. I also put paper towels on both sides the dryer sheets to prevent any potential residue from the sheets getting onto the cards. I would leave those for about a week then open the containers, replace the dryer sheets and paper towels and repeat. It probably took about 6 months of doing this to fully remove the cigarette smell but now it’s as if they are pack fresh. The brand of dryer sheets was called “Fluffy”.
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Wow, I’ve never heard of someone using alternating layers of dryer sheets before. You learn something new every day!
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Thank you for your kind words. I am also considering collecting the few band artwork cards that were released in languages other than Japanese (I believe some were also released in Korean but the art itself is the same as the Japanese version).
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I assume the spaces in the latest set photos are meant for 1st editions?
What condition do you collect them in?
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Yes that’s right. If they look pretty much near mint in a binder, that condition is OK for me. If there’s any excessive whitening or damage like creases, I try to replace them. Sometimes I purchase bulk lots and some cards may be really bad condition. If that’s the case I will keep them my binder until I have found a better condition replacement.
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How were they stored? Because I think I’m going to panic now
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Your collection thread is awesome thank you for sharing. It’s cool to see your progress on your WOTC collection as you put it together. I think sometimes I focus too much on “finishing” a goal, but sometimes the process is what we’re chasing. Also really enjoy the banned artworks, I’m putting that together myself!
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Thank you. That’s really well put. The process of collecting is what I enjoy most. I really love organising my collection. Putting cards into their place in the binder brings me happiness.
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It was a few years ago but from memory, they were in a ring binder but I don’t know where that was stored.
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