Itâs been a little while since Iâve made an update here, but I recently achieved a monumental goal! I am now the very lucky owner of a Parent-Child Kangaskhan!
Story time!
(TLDR at the bottom of this post)
Years ago when I first learned of this card I never thought I would ever realistically be able to own one. It was always a far off dream to me, because of that I wouldnât even consider chasing it. Fast forward to August 2023 in Yokohama, Japan. At the E4 meetup, a very nice member named Nathan allowed me to hold and take a photo of his raw copy that he was selling. I couldnât believe I was even seeing one let alone getting to hold it! I was so excited to tell my friends what I had seen.
This wasnât the copy I would end up buying but just getting to see the card in person for the first time was the spark that I needed.
(Side note: I later learned that one of the Kamex Mega Battle regional events was held at the Pacifico in Yokohama, which is the same venue that Worlds was taking place in at this time! Which means that, however unlikely, it is entirely possible that the Kangaskhan that I was holding could have been awarded at that very location, only to return home 25 years later! What a cool possibility! Alright back to my ramblings)
When I got back home from Japan, I continued to mull it over. At the time I was well into my WotC PSA 9 collecting and feared that if I sold it all to acquire a Kangaskhan that I would effectively be at a dead end. I was not sure if I would want to re-collect all the cards that I would need to sell to make it happen. Long story short, I decided it was worth it. I felt like acquiring this card even in rough shape would become an even greater difficulty as time goes on and Iâd always have the opportunity to re-collect WotC if I have enough patience. Plus, this was a dream card after all and it was more fun to challenge myself. As far as what direction my collecting would take, if I actually pulled it off, Iâd figure that out when I got there.
So, I did it! Over the next six months I sold a large portion of my collection to help fund this new endeavor. I was just about to make a buy thread and start what I thought would be another 6-12 months of searching for one in the Authentic to PSA 6 range when a PSA 8 appeared on GoldinâŠmy stomach sank and my heart skipped a beat. I couldnât believe one actually came up for auction right as I was finally in a position to buy one. However, I figured I probably wouldnât have a shot at one in this condition since the last PSA 8 sold for well above what I was looking to pay, but knew I had to try. I placed my bid on a Thursday, and to my absolute shock not only was I the highest bidder, but nobody else bid at any point and I won the auction the following Saturday. I could not believe it! Needless to say I was (and still am) over the moon with excitement.
So, that brings me to where Iâm at now. Whatâs next? Well, for the first time in a long while, I donât really have an active goal that Iâm chasing and itâs honestly a bit of a relief. It feels like for the last five years I have been tirelessly climbing Mt. Silver, always staying hyper focused on whatever goal I had my sights on and would not allow myself to deviate from that goal for better or worse. Now that Ivâe reached my final destination I can finally rest, turn around and collect those other cards I passed along the way. I think I became disillusioned at some point thinking that if I didnât have a highly graded mint collection, with uniform grades that I would be unsatisfied with it. I became too rigid. I had a severely restrictive perspective that only limited what I would collect. I was missing the forest for the trees. And ironically, it took catching a Kangaskhan for me to realize that I had been stuck in the Safari Zone.
This could be a fleeting feeling, maybe Iâll get the urge to rebuild a graded 1st Edition Base set. I will certainly still be collecting WotC and graded cards in general, but will be far less one-track minded this time around. But for now, I think Iâm going to take it slow, appreciate what I have, and get back to my binders that Iâve been neglecting for far too longâŠ
TLDR: I never thought Iâd own a Parent/Child Kangaskhan so I never thought to try. In Japan this past summer, I was able to see one in person and it changed that. I consolidated a large portion of my collection to fund this new goal. Six months later a copy appeared for auction and I lucked out and won. Iâve decided to be less rigid in my collecting goals, to take things slow, and give my binders some much needed attention.
Till next time!
