To folks who actively buy and sell cards (primarily those that deal with very high value stuff, like smpratte), do you have a card (or perhaps a few) that you’d never let go of? I imagine that in the trade, perhaps you learn not to get too attached to cards, as they’ll continue to come and go as long as you’re in the business of buying/selling.
Question also goes out to anyone in general! What’s that one card that you treasure above all else? Why? Does it have a story?
Great question. Excited to hear from the high rollers. For I am not one of them.
Personally it’s my 1st edition Shining Charizard. I pulled it myself when I was 13 or so, and luckily have kept it in great condition. I toy with selling it or trading it and at least getting a non first edition one in return but just can’t come to doing it. So pretty sure he’s sticking with me.
That must have been a heck of a feeling… pulling a card like that yourself 
I think I probably expected most responses to be about cards that are tied to memories like these. Even for the incredibly high valued/rare items (like trophy cards), I imagine even purchasing the item must’ve been a journey in itself. I guess I’m interested in hearing what those stories are
I’m not a ‘high roller;’ but I definitely do have cards like that. The cards I feel most attached to are the ones I pulled myself – namely my CGC 9.5 EX Dragon Latios ex and my PSA 10 EX TMTA Swampert ex. Those and my HP Unlimited Timetwister that I’ve had for ~12 years now (was the first ‘big’ MTG card I purchased). These are far from the ‘best’ cards/items in my collection, but these are ones that I genuinely do not see myself ever selling. There are many other cards I have that I have zero desire/intention to sell, but I don’t have nearly the same level of attachment to them as the Latios/Swampert/Timetwister.
@zorloth, that’s awesome. Why do those pulls in particular have more sentimental value? I assume you’ve probably been in the hobby quite some time and have opened your fair share of sealed product.
Not a high roller but I have some cards I can’t see myself parting with.
My prized childhood cards:
Most of my deceased partner’s cards:
My first and only boyfriend passed away two months ago from a heart attack / stroke. His name was Rob and he was only 28. He was just as passionate about Pokemon as I am, but he was more of a private person and he never joined this forum.
I can’t see myself ever selling any of his cards, especially the ones I remember us pulling together… We rediscovered the hobby together in 2016 during the Pokemon GO boom. We opened a ton of Generations, Evolutions, and CP6 together. We also picked up some Base Set booster packs back when they were still affordable. I have many cards from all of those openings at PSA right now. I know it’s going to be emotional when I get them back. As far as his childhood cards, his most prized card was a Legendary Collection Reverse Charizard a friend gave him when he was a kid. It’s also currently at PSA. I don’t expect it to get above a PSA 5, but it might as well be a PSA 10 in my heart.
Sorry for the darker, sadder tone of my post. I just felt like I needed to share that, because upon reflection I realized that the cards that are most important to me are not my most expensive ones. Rather, they are the ones associated with strong personal stories, memories, and loss.
Besides my childhood cards, I would not sell my psa 10 expedition Blastoise. It’s the only Poke card I’ve owned I’ve never even considered selling. My favorite art, low pop and it’s not a 5 figure card so I don’t have to worry about that temptation either lol
Note: Not a high roller by any means
Okay, I feel like putting ‘high-roller’ in the title was a mistake – a lot of you guys have amazing collections but are too humble to accept the title.
@squirtle1000, my condolences for your loss. Not at all a dark tone; it’s good that you’ll have the memories that you guys made with the cards. At the end of the day, it’s the experiences that make items like these invaluable. Treasure them for sure.
You also have a hell of a childhood collection… I don’t think I recall ever seeing most of those cards IRL as a kid.
The artwork on that card is phenominal. Was it tough hunting one down?
Probably my base set unlimited Pidgey.
It sounds like there’s a story here 
What happens in the high-rollers club stays in the high-rollers club.
I’ve only been collecting Pokemon cards as an adult for two years now – so nope, I’m far from a veteran haha. I did collect as a child, of course, but I think that’s the case with pretty much everyone on this forum lol. I’ve been seriously collecting MTG for the past ~13 years, though, so I’ve been actively involved card collecting for a while.
Those pulls have sentimental value because exs were a really big deal to me as a kid. Pulling exs in adulthood was an experience that I find difficult to put into words. I’ve now pulled I think 6 exs as an adult, but the Swampert was the first one and Latios is my favorite Pokemon, so that’s why those two are particularly special to me. Both of those also happen to be exs I vividly remember from childhood, so that reinforces it even more.
So does this mean you’ll sell me your Blaziken and Swampert? hahahaha
one day…
Mm, I resonate with that. I haven’t pulled anything big as an adult (yet?), but even the moderately cool stuff had me giddy.
Not really in 2018 lol
There’s always a price
One card I WON’T ever sell is my No-Rarity Pikachu autographed by Ikue Otani.
One card I WILL eventually sell is my Tropical Mega Battle No. 1 Trainer.
What’s your most sentimental card, and why? And what’s your price on it?