I am completely blown away by my secret Santa this year, so buckle up for a long post, kids.
I just got back home from the holidays and had a package waiting for me from none other than @tcgmaine!
Everything was wrapped so nicely, including a very kind card (and adorable Piplup drawing), as well as a signed Empoleon V that’s going straight to the binder. I love the little Santa hat!
First off, these sleeves! I am so, so excited to add these to the collection, and I’m completely in awe of how many you were able to find with Piplup cameos! I absolutely love art sleeves, and all will be very welcome additions. I hadn’t seen the nonbiri life one at all either, so that was a doubly wonderful surprise.
This is also my first Maushold sleeve! I have a (currently) complete English Tandemaus/Maushold species collection I’m keeping up with as a side focus, being my second favorite pokemon line, and this will fit right in perfectly. This is from one of my favorite Pokemon center art lines!
In the next package, there wasn’t one, but TWO Japanese Blastoise & Piplup GXs! I didn’t have either the full art or the rainbow, and I was surprised with both of them! The Japanese texturing is so pretty, especially compared to English.
Also in the same package, yet another Blastoise & Piplup GX, this one being the Indonesian GYM promo! @tcgmaine, I have no idea how or where you found this one, but I was (am?) in complete shock. This is the last GYM Blastoise & Piplup GX I still needed to hunt down- seriously, thank you so much. I always wait a little too long on scooping promos, so this is a delightful surprise.
The final package had these adorable water type stickers that will be going in my scrapbook, as well as 3 packs of Brilliant Stars, the best Sword and Shield set! What do you mean “You’re only saying that because the Piplup line is in there”?? My wife and I had fun ripping the packs and even got a few GLC playables out of them!
All in all, thank you, Zach, from the bottom of my heart. Your gift was so thoughtful, and I can really tell how much you researched and tailored it to me and my collection goals. That means so, so much and I can’t overstate that. I’ll cherish each and every part for the rest of my years.
