1st year doing this and loved it! Thank you @internetdavis for the thoughtful goodies!!
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Thrilled to have received my gift from @qwachansey on my way home today! I wasn’t sure if I was too vague on the application, but they definitely nailed the gift and delivered far more than I could have ever expected! Bonus points for the incredible wrapping (I ripped it apart too quickly to take a pic, sorry) and because my parents loved the chocolates!
Thanks so much and I hope you have a safe and happy holidays!
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A massive thank you to @Schileru for a wonderful gift – this was the perfect way to cap off an otherwise stressful week, and this has genuinely been one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve received. I received a box this morning, and there was a very nicely wrapped box, with a card and a Bidoof plushie (this is now my all time favorite plush).
Will do my best to recount my unboxing experience (which was incredibly fun for me and made my entire week/month).
Upon opening the box, I found four numbered bubble envelopes inside, numbered from one to four.
I went in order (as one should), and found an awesome assortment of goodies inside. I open a pack or two maybe once a year, so this was especially exciting for me! I took some time to admire the art on the Dark Ampharos card, which I’d never really looked at up close before. I think it might be one of my favorite neo holo artworks now. This one’ll be sitting on my desk for the next long while.
Next was opening up some packs! I didn’t get to open too many boosters as a kid, and watching pack openings on YouTube when I got back into the hobby as an adult was something that I found especially enjoyable. Since I don’t open too many of these, I always take time to admire the art on all the cards (commons included). I opened 3 of the packs (saving the other 3 for later), and was delighted to pull an Alt Art Greedent out of the Fusion Strike pack (my first one ever)!
Next was envelope 3! I originally thought that there a solitary Chansey + Bidoof, but was surprised to find a bunch of cards – vintage and modern. The Chanseys are all going in my Chansey binder, and I’m probably going to leave a couple of the modern trainer arts (which I don’t own any of) on my desk. They look awesome.
Thanks again, @Schileru for the wonderful surprise. My favorite part of your gift was actually your signed Chansey, and the Christmas card with the illustration on it. I especially love items/cards with stories behind them, and I’ll cherish these two in my collection. Merry Christmas!
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Glad you liked it 
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Cheers! You’re welcome. Lol sorry for the derpy Snorlax
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I received my Secret Santa gift a couple days ago from @HumanForScale and I was blown away!!
First up, an amazing signed/sketched Salamence card and a collection of awesome cards from my favorite set ever, Japanese Dragon Frontiers!
I love the cards, but I was even more excited to see what else was in the package: an incredible selection of artwork! I have always been a huge fan of Emory’s art, and I can’t wait to frame some of these and hang them up! The hand-drawn piece featuring my favorite Pokemon is so incredible.
Thank you so much!!
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Received my package from @cyberurchin today! Thank you so much! Beautiful drawing of noivern!!
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Don’t feel too bad, some of these members are professional artists! 
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Glad you like it!! Happy it got there so quick
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Glad everything got there safely! Was a little worried because the package was oddly sized and I had to tape down the cards part of the package to avoid them bouncing around
@cig You own 2 Illustrators and I own zero, so you tell me who the actual artist is 
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This is such a wonderful thread, sitting here smiling seeing everyone’s post. Y’all are some seriously cool people. Hopefully next year I’ll be in a bit of a better spot to be able to participate and spoil one of you. Starting a business tends to eat all of your funds haha. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays guys.
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MOD MAIL from @fourthstartcg!!!
This arrived today with perfect timing for the first night of Hanukkah.
At first, I thought it might be a big stack of notes reminding people to use the topic mega threads instead of completing be ones.
But instead, it was an incredible gift!
The s3a Legendary Heartbeat box I put away into storage. Lol jk I of course immediately opened it . I haven’t done a self - break in a while and had a great time. The texture on Zamazenta is amazing.
Next we have the delicious chocolate I am eating while typing and an adorable Chansey signed card!
And now my favorite part, Shiny Sigilyph. The texture on this is incredible. It’s one of those cards that looks decent in flat scans but so so much better in person. This was indeed one I am missing from my set so thank you for doing your research! I’m excited to add it to my binder.
Thank you again for these great and thoughtful gifts I always enjoy thinking back on how I initially obtained the cards in my binder sets when I flip through them and now I will always have a positive memory for Sigilyph.
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So glad it arrived safely and that you enjoyed!! I’m glad I had the right information and got you a card you needed for the collection
Apologies for my completely butchered Chansey drawing, however.
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I don’t know if you grew up with Hanukkah Harry or if my mom was just weird but that’s a heck of a eight night bundle from Harry right there!
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Got my SS present yesterday. Thank you so much to @nppokemon for the amazing gifts! I especially love the EX Dragon promo page. Its such a sick piece of TCG history! Happy Holidays!
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Thank you so much @cig, I am simply blown away by your generosity! I’m a pretty new member here, but have had so much fun being a part of this community, this is just the cherry on top of the whole thing!
When a giant box appeared at my house, I just knew I had to take as many pictures as possible to document the entire thing. So bear with me as I give the whole process a run-down. I hope I managed to get everything in some of the busier pictures, I was trying to fit it all in and failed miserably! The shipping alone for this thing must have been more than the minimum value for Secret Santa!
I opened the giant box the be greeted by a few loose items, I had put in my request that my favorite Pokemon is Charizard, so I quickly saw the theme. A gold plated Charizard Burger King toy, I never did manage to get that one as a kid, so everything was starting off great! Then a shiny Charizard binder with Cig’s simply amazing drawing! He even included his 1st draft! Along with a signed vintage Pokemon Handbook. Also, inside the binder, was what looks like a complete set of Pokemon Stadium Stamps! I had to look up exactly what they were, having never seen them before! What will become a running theme with a good deal of the things Cig included in the really heavy box that was waiting for me to open it.
Now it is time to crack open the smaller but very heavy box that remains, I opening it to find a huge pile of bulk! I hopes dashed upon the floor, I start taking it all out, only to notice that under the bulk is some amazing stuff. There is just too much to go though, I am still trying to have it sink in just what all I was sent. I am not super familiar with vintage stuff, especially the non-TCG things. But forgive me if I overlook anything insane, I am merely ignorant to its greatness. I’ll post everything together and then go more in depth with what stood out to me further down.
The first thing that caught my eye was this card, apparently Cig’s cat got to it before I could! But its my first 1st Ed card ever, I only have a few stray Shadowless ones in my Master Set from my childhood. This immediately replaced the Unlimted one I had in my binder!
While I don’t have a separate picture of them all, he included a small packet of Amada stickers, including a Gold Magmar, and foil Charmeleon. Really cool stuff! As well as the Imakuni Lose, and 4 other Vending Series cards, I had mentioned having an interest in Vending cards in my blurb, but hadn’t really expected much. They are so cool, what amazing art! Didn’t have any Vending cards before! I did take a picture of all of the incredible Japanese holos he sent! 2 Gengar and a Cool Porygon!
There was a handful of what looked like battle pogs or something, those were one of the things I really had no idea what it was. Along with what looked like a jumbo card with a bunch of stickers on it (You can see in in the back of the group picture). There was also a pack of what I think is the TOMY Scratch cards, but I had never seen the pack art before.
A set of ANA promos, with Zapdos and Moltres inside, as well as an ANA Pikachu Gold Boarding Pass! There was also a VHS of how to play the TCG from when it was 1st released, and what looks like the soundtrack and art book to the 1st Pokemon Movie. I hope I am guessing right, most of that stuff was outside my area of expertise. But what wasn’t was what most of it was in…a Team Rocket booster box! Yes, it’s empty, but its honestly one of the things I am most excited about. Team Rocket is my favorite set ever, this box is certainly going up for display!!
Also inside the box were these incredible graded cards!! I had sent a good amount of stuff to CGC in 2021 and kinda gave up on them, bc I could never get a 10. So these are my 1st CGC 10s in my collection. Love how now I have to track down the Zapdos now so I have a full set! I had to do a double take at the Mewoth to realize it was Prefect 10!!! There was also
Saving what I feel is the best for last, a mint ___'s Pikachu! Looks incredible to my eyes. I know Cig loves CGC, but sadly for him it will eventually be making its way to PSA!
I even got to open some packs! With better luck than my normal pack luck to boot! I certainly have had worse Mystery Boxes.
What an incredible package, I don’t think I have ever received anything as generous as what Cig has done here. I don’t know how I could ever thank him enough for everything he sent me, but I certainly will be looking forward to how I can pass some of the generosity on in next year’s Secret Santa!!
Thank you, Cig!!! If I missed what anything was, or overlooked something please let me know!
-Jaxlax21
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Just got your package @corncob2001 !! Thanks so much for the Karen and Kimura cards! Very grateful! And the fun Gen 2 faves sketch 
very niiiiice
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I am absolutely blown away by the awesome gifts from @stagecoach!! Thank you so much!!
I just got back today from the Arlington Pokemon Regionals, and this was waiting for me:
I did what I was told, and it put an immediate smile on my face!
I love everything about it! The drawings are on point, and the comment about ditto is hilarious (I do love ditto by the way).
These cards are perfect for me! And I didn’t have any of them! I love Japanese vending, special decks, half decks, and, well, pretty much anything Japanese…
Just look at this gorgeous Squirtle:
But what about this incredible Chansey drawn by my favorite illustrator:
I really enjoy the signed card. I actually didn’t own this promo, as I don’t think I had the game it came with as a kid. Yes, I said the game the card came with 
Again, thank you so much @stagecoach! What a fantastic Secret Santa! 
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I’m so happy you liked it.
I tried to get you the most Squirtle card I could think of — a Squirtle from the Squirtle deck that uses Squirtle as the set symbol seemed like it fit that bill. And then I got you the earliest Komiya from Vending 1. I always liked that Chansey a lot and it’s one of his artworks that stayed in Japan.
In retrospect I wish I had gotten you some packs because it seems that’s pretty customary and I was feeling sheepish that maybe I didn’t do enough for you. But I’m really pleased you’re so pleased.
Fun Fact: I originally could only find the Chansey in a 9 and bought it, only to find a listing for a really good 10 two days later at auction. I couldn’t pass it up and won that auction. Only the best for Christmas! I was really glad to get one in time.
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