I dont even remember the card I actually bought! This was the first vending card I owned and I couldnt believe how much I loved it. Its very special to me now.
A more recent one: I bought the AR Keldeo from VSTAR for my set binder. I think its a decent card, just never been a huge fan of the Pokemon. Seller threw in this random Korean Togekiss art Ive never seen. Kizuki is one of my favourite artists, so naturally, I fell in love with it almost immediately.
Couple of years ago, when I was completing my Base Set binder, there was a Japanese seller who had plenty of Base Set (and other) cards for auction. In the same auction block I won both the Base Set Blastoise and Venusaur (both with free shipping). The next day, he marked the Blastoise as shipped but not the Venusaur. I just figured, he shipped them in the same package and just forgot the mark the Venusaur shipped as well.
Fast forward two weeks and his package arrived, but only with the Blastoise in it. I messaged him regarding the Venusaur and it turned out he just completely forgot it. He apologized a dozen times and immediately shipped it. When it arrived, he not only sent me the Venusaur but a bunch of other cards as well as an apology (which obviously was not necessary). It was a mix of modern and vintage cards. The “best” card out of this lot was the Banette from Undone Seal. I found this gesture so nice and wholesome and that Banette will forever have special place in my binder.
It’s not a card per se although, it’s still a freebie that I appreciate way more than getting my own card. Whenever I receive a little thank you post-it note from a Japanese seller it makes me smile. Usually it’s on a Pokemon themed post-it, often accompanied by a cute drawing or some fun stickers. It’s the small things and happens more often than not when buying from Japan. I always keep them in their own special box.
