Tell me about your collection & collecting habits!

Collecting
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Ikr. I never understood where Ash got all those dozens of Tauros from as a kid, until I saw the banned Japanese episode later as an adult. :joy: I do like that he used one of the Tauros during the Orange Island tournament, even though he never used any of his Tauros since iirc.. We only saw them running around on Professor Oak’s grass fields in the background every now and then.

EDIT: Apparently I did misremember. He also used his Tauros in three other episodes during the Ruby & Sapphire season.

Greetz,
Quuador

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orange island was peak anime!

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* When did you start collecting & why did you start collecting? What sort of Pokemon merch do you collect (TCG, figures, games, plushies, etc.)? Why those types of items in particular?

I started at the start. I was there Gandalf, 3000 years ago when Pokemon launched. I was old enough to remember it and enjoy it. I collected quite a range of stuff but I’d say TCG/Topps was the biggest.

* Are there any other fandoms you’re also a member of where you collect?

I’ve dabbled in a few. I collected original art from Dragonball Z and I collect Warhammer, with a particular focus on the Horus Heresy setting.

* What’s your connection to the broader overall Pokemon fandom?

Limited now. I was the Gym Leader at our local club as a teenager but someone stole my deck and it just crushed me and hastened me giving up collecting. I wouldn’t have done it through my late teens no matter what I tell myself anyway but it started the gap.

I’m not aiming to be anything except known as a Raichu lover.

* What motivates you to collect? What, if any, goals do you have for collecting? How does collecting make you feel?

I’ve enjoyed the PSA set list as it’s shown me things I didn’t know existed. And I’ve added to it. So I feel like I’m setting the bar for graded Raichu collecting.

Once I’ve gotten all the English ones (if anyone ever sells me the grail) then I’ll possibly dabble in Japanese or just enjoy going on.

When SV era began I have been collecting every set with my wife as we both enjoy Pokemon and it’s something to do together while our son grows up.

Collecting makes me feel happy, I’ve always enjoyed collecting things.

* Do you organize your collection in a certain way? How & why?

Not really. The sets go in binders, Vault X so I can do normal - reverse - normal reverse. And the graded cards are in cases in their order.

* What’s the most valuable item in your collection and how do you define ‘value?’

I think in my collection I’d probably go for monetary so the cosmos holo Raichu from fossil. In terms of sentimental, I don’t think I’ve been back long enough to have that and all of my original cards are gone now unfortunately otherwise I’d say those.

* Does nostalgia play any role in your involvement in the fandom or as a collector?

Yes absolutely. Without my original tie to Pokemon I wouldn’t be collecting now as an adult. I don’t think I’d ever have just decided to collect a thing I wasn’t in to as a kid.

* Any thoughts on how big the resale market has gotten for Pokemon collecting, the focus on monetary value, the commercialization of it all?

I think the prices have gone too high for too long and I fear that if my son grew up to be interested in anything outside of modern or if modern continues to have the sets people scalp that he would not enjoy it.

My bet is in around 30 years these values will absolutely plummet as people try to sell in old age/retirement and there’s nowhere near the same interest as we had as people who experienced it first time around.

* Any particular stories or memories tied to collecting or the fandom that especially stand out for you?

The Gym running. I was 14/15 and the guy didn’t particularly want to run it as he liked Magic. He handed me the little stamp pen and told me to do it and he gave me a pack a week. In todays money a base set pack a week would have been paying more than my daily rate at work! It was just really fun, I enjoyed the way people would get excited for the gym battle, people were kind at giving out spare cards and helping to design decks. A really happy time.

* Are there any characters or pokemon you particularly enjoy or relate to? Why?

Raichu was just my favourite in the game. I liked the episode he kicked Pikachu’s head in, I like the look of him. Surge is a cool gym leader. I felt it was an achievable thing to collect.

* Ever noticed any controversies or tensions in the community?

Always. The majority of people in this hobby are inherently selfish and not kind (I’ll trade you at 80% value - why? you’re not a shop). I get why, if you have a special card you can only trade or sell it once. But it’s a shame. Back in ye olden days you would probably find people trading a Blastoise for a Charizard without a care for value.

* If you had to explain to a non-fan what makes Pokémon special, what would you say?

Nostalgia. That’s all it is. Pokemon was massive because it landed at the right time. Would it be as popular if there was no history and it relied entirely on just the Scarlet/Violet game as the launch title? Absolutely not. GameFreak have gotten away with minor tweaks for a long run of games so it’s no surprise that Legends:Arceus and this coming game are getting people excited again.

  • Is there anything about the fandom or your experience that you feel is misunderstood or overlooked by outsiders?

Nope, not really. Other than sneaker bros can stay away. It has been refreshing to see society accept geeky habits.

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Welcome to the fourum! :waving_hand: My answers below:

I started collecting as a kid, I was 7 at the time Pokemon hit the United States. I was most interested initially in the anime on TV as well as the gameboy games that came out, and later was introduced to the cards and got my first binder for them. After a long hiatus I started collecting again maybe 5 or 6 years ago. I collect mostly TCG cards, but I do have some additional items like plushies and postcards.

Nope! Just Pokemon.

I interface with social media as well as this forum mostly. I have met a decent number of the people from this forum in person and I continue to stay in touch with many of them to this day!

I’m not sure if motivation is the right descriptor - desire would be a more accurate term. I genuinely like the cards, the stories, the artworks, the releases, etc. and it seems I never get sick of it.

Yes and no. For complete sets, artist collections, and species collections, I organize those in binders. For graded cards, those remain in separate boxes, and I have a separate box for my specifically high end cards that are not otherwise in my vault. Otherwise the majority of my cards are in a variety of boxes or displays.

Like most people who really love their items and the hobby at large, it’s hard to pinpoint a specific ‘most valuable’ item. Some of the items that may fall into that category for me include the cards of my favorite species (Psyduck) that were gifted to me by my girlfriend, holos from my childhood binder, Art Academy cards received directly from the winner, and artist signed cards.

Absolutely. I will never not get excited seeing nearly anything from Base Set through Legendary Collection, and thus my collection reflects that interest. That said I have enjoyed seeing the modern side of Pokemon as an adult.

Part of me loves it because it has been great for me financially, but part of me hates it because it shifts the focus from the intrinsic ‘value’ of the cards to the monetary gain to be made. The cards have started to lose their status as the thing that is desired, but rather the price tag attached to them.

Without getting into all the granular details, meeting with people in person at Pokemon events will always be one of the coolest things about the Pokemon hobby. Hobbies are fun on their own, but they really come to life when they can be shared with people who have a common interest.

Psyduck! He’s dopey, funny, quirky, and almost assuredly a joke by the original staffers of Pokemon. I wish I could have been in the room when the idea of Psyduck was conceived.

So there are a bunch of playtest cards that came from Akabane…

The intrinsic and genuine joy and sense of adventure it brings me. I love the characters, the story, the nostalgia, the collecting, the artwork, the creativity, all of it.

Those who weren’t around for the beginning will never understand how exciting that was. I just wish I had known I was in the good ole days while it was happening.

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the answer for your first question was a great hook! And I enjoyed the overall read. Glad to have some of your raichus too. The story about being the big pokemon tcg boss at your store was a cool story. Theft is really hard. I’m quite sorry to hear your deck was stolen!

I find all of your answers to be very much how I feel!

Nostalgia is really big. And I fear that with dropping quality in the games, seeming to still persist, I question if pokemon will be able to keep steaming ahead on anything other than nostalgia for much longer. Then again, I was the guy who felt like pokemon was going to end after gen 4(at the time) and gen 5 felt like the last hurrah with how much effort went into it.

Anyhow, thanks for sharing!

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You’re an angel - so is Swoobot

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  • When did you start collecting & why did you start collecting? What sort of Pokemon merch do you collect (TCG, figures, games, plushies, etc.)? Why those types of items in particular?
    2021 when Celebrations came out. My friend pulled a Venusaur and after thinking about it for something like 2 weeks I finally broke down and bought an ETB or something. Then I actually got some pulls. Mostly still just TCG, but I’ll pick up the odd other collectible here and there. The most expensive thing I’ve bought since is actually an original Silver cartridge with box.
  • Are there any other fandoms you’re also a member of where you collect?
    The most prominent collection in my life by far is diecast and model cars. Hot Wheels, Matchbox, etc. That is driven by my love for real cars.
  • What’s your connection to the broader overall Pokemon fandom?
    Not much outside of posting here. I’ll visit the odd LCS or card show.
  • What motivates you to collect? What, if any, goals do you have for collecting? How does collecting make you feel?
    It’s purely for fun. I do not do it to invest and never buy something thinking I will sell it later. I have no real goals with Pokémon, too casual. I don’t even know how to answer how it makes me feel…happy and nostalgic I suppose.
  • Do you organize your collection in a certain way? How & why?
    I have a dex binder and a display that is somewhat haphazardly organized. My model car collection is much more organized. Organizing collections is part of the fun for me.
  • What’s the most valuable item in your collection and how do you define ‘value?’
    With the term “value” I’m always thinking monetary. Probably my ES sleepy Dragonite. I just checked the TCG Player price and :flushed_face:
  • Does nostalgia play any role in your involvement in the fandom or as a collector?
    Yes.
  • Any thoughts on how big the resale market has gotten for Pokemon collecting, the focus on monetary value, the commercialization of it all?
    I hate it. It’s not coming from a genuine appreciation for the cards or the game and it just makes it harder for those that do genuinely like the cards to collect. I’m casual when it comes to PTCG but I can empathize since the same thing is happening with model cars right now too and other collectible hobbies I’m sure.
  • Any particular stories or memories tied to collecting or the fandom that especially stand out for you?
    Last year’s E4 Signature Exchange was one of the coolest hobby related things I’ve ever participated in.
  • Are there any characters or pokemon you particularly enjoy or relate to? Why?
    Relate to? Naw. I have some typical favorite Pokémon but I also really like Sudowoodo for being a goofy troll bastard. Wait, maybe I can relate to a Pokémon…
  • Ever noticed any controversies or tensions in the community?
    Yes.
  • If you had to explain to a non-fan what makes Pokémon special, what would you say?
    It’s a compelling media franchise that has been developed extensively over the years in smart ways that maximize its engagement with its target audience. It’s got new things to pull in new fans while actively creating new content around classic subject matter to keep fans around long term.
  • Is there anything about the fandom or your experience that you feel is misunderstood or overlooked by outsiders?
    At this point Pokémon has a lot of history to it that is just as important to our culture as big important Hollywood movies, classic works of literature, and other historical media. It’s transcended just being toys and media for children.
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I feel like I’m addicted to pokemon kinda like when u gamble and vape that stuff, because like every day I feel like I need to open a pack and if I don’t I feel weird its hard to exsplain

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