Regarding the Kids placement in a binder - for my non-TCG collection, I do use a small ring binder where I can put all types of pages, depending on the size of the category. For the more random items, I do use a clear, 1-side pocket page, so that both the front and the back are visible. That way it both looks cool (I mean, 15 of the same Scyther right next to each other, cmon!) and also once I turn the page, I can see why all of them are there.
I’ve been toying with some similar ideas as sometimes the backside of the card is indeed the more interesting one, but then again i want to have as much uniform looks as i can with my binders and avoid the ring binders whenever it’s possible
so far it has been enough that i just enjoy the knowledge of some fun backs of cards and i can always flip the card for a moment to admire it
Good morning with a new variation ![]()
The coin rabbit hole just got deeper. This is the regular US English coin:
This is an English back coin from the Dutch / Greek boxes:
It has a different trademark, similar to all the other European coins:
Oh well, i guess the rabbit hole never ends ![]()
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TO DO
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When it comes to the TCG, I don’t organize my cards the way most species collectors do - by artwork. Instead, I like arranging mine by language, in chronological
order from newest to oldest. Luckily, after some serious mental gymnastics, I found a way to fit all the currently existing Scyther cards really nicely into a 12-pocket binder. ![]()
I divide the cards into three different tiers:
The first two pages are always reserved for the Modern Tier
- common and uncommon cards using the current card layout. Scyther currently has 10 of these, so I used the two remaining slots for a language card and a placeholder for the next release, whenever that may be. ![]()
Regular versions go on the left, with their Reverse Holo counterparts mirroring them on the right. Most languages have all of these cards released, with only a handful of exceptions, which makes keeping the same structure across languages fairly easy. For example, Astral Radiance, my favorite modern Scyther artwork, is always in slot 7 for every language.![]()
Pages three and four belong to the Vintage Tier
- all the mid-era and older sets. There are 10 cards that have both a regular and Reverse Holo version, so I use the exact same ordering logic for them. The remaining Neo/Jungle cards dont have a counterpart, but fit perfectly into the last four empty pockets, completing those pages.
There are a lot of incredible artworks in this section, but Boundaries Crossed will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first Scyther card I ever bought while digging through bulk bins with my wife during a holiday in Arizona. ![]()
And finally, we have the Special Tier
- Holos, First Editions, and language-exclusive releases. Basically, anything that deserves to occupy those prime first few binder pages.
Since every language has a different selection of cards in this tier, it took quite a while to come up with an order that satisfied my OCD, but I’m really happy with how it turned out! ![]()
I’ll be pulling cards from this tier out for each language for a special photo every day. ![]()
In English, the first 2 rows are all (almost) exclusives. The four League Stamp promos, the 2008 World Championships Deck signature card, the Black Star promo. And of course, Rocket’s Scyther ex - the closest thing Scyther has ever gotten to an IR/SIR. Can you believe it? The mighty green ninja is one of the very few Gen 1 Pokémon that has never received an IR or SIR?! ![]()
The third row has a mix of modern Shiny cards and a few older Holos. Most of these will make regular appearances over the next few days, with the exception of Base Set 2, which was only ever released in English.
The last row in those photos is usually the final one I fill for each language - the First Editions. While still relatively common, they’re a noticeable step up in affordability from most other Scyther cards - at least the European ones, but I won’t spoil more for now haha. ![]()
P.S. The last five days have been a mix of bad luck and, well… even more bad luck.
I didn’t have the time (or, honestly, the motivation) to share the posts I’d already prepared, but things are finally back to normal today, and we’re back to our regular programming! ![]()
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Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
Ja, Sichlor!!! ![]()
German is the first European language I’ll be covering, because I believe it offers one of the best price-to-reward ratios for a new international collector! Not only are the prices and availability quite reasonable, but it’s also one of only two European languages that use translated Pokémon names - which can make for some very funny species names! ![]()
Modern-era cards follow the same release cycle as their English counterparts, and before I added the flags, the Pokémon’s name was my only saving grace whenever I got lost between the binder pages. ![]()
Mid-era and vintage cards also follow the exact same order as their English counterparts (at least for Scyther - some other sets were skipped). All reverse holos are available in German as well, which, as it turns out, isn’t the case for all Euro languages…![]()
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Even the Neo and Jungle Sichlors weren’t expensive or particularly hard to find, which, as I mentioned earlier, makes German a great choice for your first international language! ![]()
Lastly, the Special tier! It’s much more trimmed down than the English photo from yesterday, but it’s still a pretty good representation of the rarer Scythers available in most of Europe: an EX, four holos, and four First Editions. ![]()
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Parlez-vous français?
Oui, Insecateur! ![]()
French is the second European language I’ll be covering (and number 2 in the international section of my binder). Just like German, it has translated Pokémon names, and ever since I learned about Insecateur, it has become my favorite name translation in the series! But collecting the language itself was harder than expected! ![]()
Modern-era cards once again mirror their English counterparts, and while they look virtually identical, there’s something undeniably cool about seeing the longer name. It makes the card feel a little more balanced visually. ![]()
Mid-era and vintage cards are where the first major difference appears. French is arguably the hardest and most expensive European language to source - print runs were shorter, card prices are higher, and overall condition is usually not great. ![]()
I do have a fairly low threshold for condition in my collection. I’m perfectly fine with lightly played cards, as long as there are no major defects visible through the binder page. However, in only five specific cases, I’ve gone with moderately played copies with noticeable damage. Four of those five are French cards. Can you spot a couple of them in this photo? ![]()
Finding the reverse holos from that era is also a step above the other languages. Almost half of the last 10 cards I needed to complete my all-language master set were French, including the newly added Aquapolis 106 Reverse Holo (second card on the third row). ![]()
Just like yesterday, we’re wrapping things up with the Special tier. We have the usual suspects here (1x Ex, 4x Holo, and 4x First Edition), some of which were annoying to find (looking at you, Neo Destiny First Edition!).![]()
The coolest additions to this photo, though, are the two French-exclusive McDonald’s Scyther cards on the top row - a regular version and a holo version featuring the exclusive Confetti holo pattern! ![]()
So cool! ![]()
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Parli italiano?
Sì, Scyther! ![]()
Well, Italian translations may not be quite as exciting as German or French, but they more than make up for it with their excellent availability. Italian cards were printed in huge quantities, and collectors frequently list them for sale, keeping prices remarkably low compared with those of other European-language cards.
If you’re looking to complete your first international-language set with the least financial investment, Italian is definitely the language for you! ![]()
Nothing changes with the Modern-era Scyther cards - they’re all readily available in both regular and reverse holo versions, and they all follow the already well-known (and much-loved) binder page structure! ![]()
Mid-era and vintage cards are where Italian really shines. So many of them were just sitting there, ready to be picked up without too much searching (or buyer’s remorse). I mean, I enjoy researching and hunting down rare cards as much as the next guy, but it’s refreshing to score some easy wins every now and then. ![]()
Even the older reverse holos and Neo/Jungle cards can often be found in great condition. There’s only one unofficial variation that’s really starting to test my patience when it comes to finding it in Italian - but more on that in the bonus coverage, after the official TCG posts come to an end. ![]()
In the special tier, we’re back to the usual lineup of the Big 9 (or more like the Mid 9
, but whatever) - the Ruby & Sapphire EX, four Holos, and four First Editions. I sometimes get a little bored of seeing the same old lineup, but then I remember that some languages don’t even have this small selection to offer. ![]()
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¿Hablas español?
¡Sí, Scyther! ![]()
Spanish is the first non-trivial European language, and by that I mean there are quite a few obscure details that don’t necessarily seem logical and often aren’t well understood until you dig deeper into the subject. In general, the older cards are short-printed (similar to France, if not worse), and although the Spanish collector scene is pretty lively, availability and prices aren’t great. ![]()
Just like the languages discussed previously, Spanish has been in print long enough that all Modern-era Scyther cards have been released with no differences from their English-language counterparts. This is true of all currently printed European languages, but unfortunately, Asian languages haven’t been as fortunate as you will see next week. ![]()
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Now, let’s drop some knowledge. Unlike the three languages we covered previously (German, French, and Italian), at the beginning, Spanish cards weren’t printed for every English set. Stranger still, some Spanish sets were released with only the standard cards, with no Reverse Holo versions at all. My friend @Quuador put together an excellent write-up on this topic over on E4, titled Sets and Languages: Compilation Overview. ![]()
At this tier in my binder, only the Scythers from Boundaries Crossed, Stormfront, Unseen Forces, and Jungle were printed in Spanish, which is quite a downgrade from the full page of Scythers in the previous days. To add insult to injury, the Stormfront Scyther never received a Reverse Holo version, for whatever reason. ![]()
And one honorable mention - the Spanish My First Battle deck (which I usually put as a filler at the end of the mid-rare pages) is surprisingly difficult to find, despite being relatively recent. Tracking down the card involved parsing YouTube video subtitles and digging through some rather unusual communication channels. But that’s a story for another time. ![]()
Now, let’s focus on the main attraction - the Spanish Unseen Forces Reverse Holo.
Anyone familiar with this set will know that this card needs no introduction. It’s notoriously difficult to find, and I’d easily rank it among the top six rarest Scyther cards out there. I’m really happy to finally have it in my collection, and a huge thanks to another friend, @eskizocollectibles, for helping me make it happen! ![]()
Lastly, we have the Special tier, which has been trimmed down from 9 cards to 7. In reality, these cards are considerably less special than the Unseen Forces Reverse Holo, but I’m sticking to the standard structure of these posts. ![]()
Spanish didn’t receive the same special treatment as some other languages when it came to the Neo era, and neither the Neo Destiny nor the Neo Discovery Scyther was ever printed in Spanish.![]()
On the other hand, the Platinum Holo (the third card in the second row) was seriously short-printed and ended up being one of the final 5 cards I needed to complete my all-language master set. Luckily, it’s finally in my collection, so that’s another box checked! ![]()




























