The Very Best Pokémon Collector, Like No One Every Was

Background:

I collected cards as a kid, got to travel extensively and would trade 10 non holos for a holo all around the world. Got to over 100 holos and had the best collection out of every kid in my small town.
Went to high school, sold and bought, won and lost, forgot and picked back up again, Pokémon. The thing that made me feel like a kid forever, the thing I was the best at out of everyone I knew.
Played the game, had the best team, fell in love with Dragonite. Favorite Pokémon for 15 years now.
Traded in high school, Traded in college. Bought cards. Sold cards. Made my collection grow.
Played Pokémon showdown, Gen 1 OU for 3 years, aimed to have the top spot so at least once I could tell myself that I, for a moment, was the best Gen 1 Pokémon player in the world. Got it 3 different times.

Now here I am, about to go to medical school, door dashing and studying chemistry, getting married in a month, a late bloomer at 28.
And last year I started paying attention to people on the internet that are part of the Pokémon community and realized: My 180-card holo rare Japanese-exclusive collection, my 1000 English playing cards and my 2000+ non holo Japanese cards amounts to but a fraction of Scott Pratt, Pokémon king and a huge 3000 person long list of people who have been buying and selling and wheeling and dealing their way to having the most elaborate and stunning Pokémon collections in the world.

But there’s a problem: I have to be the best. Like no one ever was. I’m the Gary of the Pokémon world. I’m arrogant and self righteous and want to be the best, to have the number one spot at Pokémon whatever it means, I want it. Why? Because I love them. I love them so much. They’re beautiful, and rare and exotic and expensive and they keep me a kid. By God through Pokémon I have been kept a child and I want it. I have to be the Lance. I have to be the Gary. I have to be the Prof. Oak when I’m old.

So here’s the question???

How do I be the best? Like no one ever was? Do I have the most expensive cards? The rarest cards? I am prepared to flip cards on ebay for the next 25 years until I have 10,000 Beckett 9, 9.5 and 10’s in every Pokémon card I have ever loved. From squirtle deck squirtle to shining gyarados to topsun nidoking to no rarity charizard.
What does it enatail? To be the Best, the world champion at Pokemon Card Collecting and who is it? Who is my opponent? So far up the peak of mount silver? Is it smpratte? is it King Pokemon?

Advice. Direction. Love. Relation.

All are accepted to help me in this quest. This quest to be what we all truly, deeply want in our hearts:

To be the Pokémon Champion of the World. :grin:

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The best collection is the one you’re happy with. What others have is irrelevant.

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The electrician or locksmith for the Media Factory vault will always have a better collection than you.

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Collecting isn’t a game, there’s no “winning”.

One can make it a game, the person with the most expensive/rarest/most cards “wins”, but if you do that then you’ll never be happy with what you have. If I was always comparing my collection with other’s then I wouldn’t be happy to receive that $10 card that I’ve been looking for for months, which would ruin my enjoyment

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That’s nowhere near good enough. Its not about what other people have and that’s fine the electrician can have it.

I want to be the Pokémon champion of the world. How do you do that in cards???
What does that mean, what does that look like?

Game I know, win the tournaments in Pokémon showdown and get the top ranking.
Neighborhoods I know, have the best cards in the neighborhood.

Cards how?? Have the pikachu illustrator? It doesn’t really appeal to me, neither do any of the trainer-trophy cards I want Pokémon.
Have the most expensive collection? The rarest? I at least want to be one of the best, I dont even care if I’m recognized.

I dont have facebook, youtube or anything. I couldn’t care less if people really knew it or not.

I just want to have one of the ultimate collections because for 20 years I though I did. Until I got blown out of the water a year ago and realized there’s like 3000 people ahead of me.

I cannot stand for it. I must join the ranks of the Pokémon Masters. :grin:

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If you can get a prerelease Raichu you’ll be in the conversation

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I know that your right. It just hurts my feelings man. I never met anyone in person that had a more stunning and beautiful collection.

Then here came youtube haha. I’m just a little sad is all.

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Practice at the TCG and try to win the World Championships. Then you will have been crowned best in the World.

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Haha right. That’s the thing man. I’m not even in the group man.

There’s this whole “inside” crew that I’m not a part of with single cards worth over $100,000.

My best single cards are topsun holos and a shining gyarados and even that’s debatable.

Just hurts man haha.

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Nah I dont care too much for the card game. Plus I would only want to play base set-skyridge and that doesn’t exist.

Just wanted to have one if the best collections in the world and you can best bet, I am working on it.

Its been school and Pokémon everyday for a year for me.

Sounds like you are making excuses. If you really wanted to be the best, you would learn to become a TCG master.

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Nah man. I never got involved with any species after Johto region.

I have no desire to compete with Pokémon in the newer generation.

Now if there was a tournament, a world championship using strictly wizards of the coast only cards?

I would train every day to win :blush:

If only this, if only that… I’ve heard it all before. To be the the very best, you must win the World Championships with a Dragonite in your deck, while owning every Dragonite card every released.

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Choose a niche that you want to collect. You’re never going to be able to have the best overall collection in the world. But if you choose a niche within the hobby that you’re passionate about, you stand a better chance of putting together a world-class collection within that niche.

Oh I’m working on it.

I really like topsun holos, vending series and pretty much any e series cards.

I want to flip up to when I can get a lottery charizard card.

Plus I only do Japanese. Feel like there’s going to be an upturn in the demand one day.

To the chansey fellow: I got first place 3 different times in Pokémon showdown gen 1 ou using a dragonite, and he want even considered ou.
I have no problem playing tcg for kanto Pokémon.

I have a big problem playing tcg with Pokémon that look like ice cream cones and are obvious means to keep the Pokémon company healthy and growing.

I have the spirit. That’s what it is about. No excuses, I just dont want to go against my beliefs. You host a championship with wotc and Ill be there. :wink:

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If you have the money, I guess all you need now are the connections. If you don’t got the money you need the money first, “to be the very best like no one ever was” .

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Stop being poor

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Do not listen to this advice.

Crush your opponents. Show them no mercy. Assert your dominance.

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Do I think I have the best collection in the world? Absolutely. But do 3000 people in the world think they do? I sure hope so. And that’s how it should be.

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  1. Buy every Muk on ebay until you have at least 420
  2. Grade every single one
  3. When they come back you have the best collection in the world
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