Until recently, I considered the Japanese L3 reverse holo unlimited Electrode Prime my holy grail. I had been searching for it since 2011 and just recently saw it for sale for the first time in 9 years (that I was aware of) and was able to win the auction. So, assuming it arrives safely, I don’t have a current holy grail. The highest priority card left on my list is the Spanish XY Evolutions reverse holo corrected Electrode, but it’s not quite at the same level as that Electrode Prime and I sure hope it never gets there!
EDIT: Spoke too soon… literally just bought the XY Evolutions card now
The holy grail that I’m not actively chasing is the Espeon Gold Star Players Promo. I just wanna look at one in real life, haha
I try to consider the card I’m currently chasing right now (which obviously changes on a day-to-day basis) a holy grail so that I have the gumption to actively search for it. I like to think that doing this creates a bit of an energy for me when I collect.
In reality, the holy grail that I own is an Espeon Gold Star signed by Fukuda with an Espeon sketch. I came fresh off of a satisfactory T16 finish at the first Regional I flew to, waited several hours for his signature, and attempted to speak Japanese when requesting the personal touch of the Espeon sketch. (It wasn’t very effective.) That card captures all of those emotions and I cherish it wholeheartedly.
In all seriousness, the TMB Legendary Birds captured a lot of mystery.
Primarily because for the west it was Legendary in itself appearing in the Game Boy TCG game exclusively as bosses, then layer adding it’s status when seeing it in real life for the first time from a western perspective upon viewing a unique type of release adding another dimension by its body shape exclusively to them as far as TCG cards go?
They also are the few that made the cut from the sadly unreleased stock of Sugimori’s intended from the game that never did which seeing that art in themself is like a hidden chamber of stock art.
The GB Dragonite is special, yet the trinity are dimensions ahead.
The fact that those 2 Japanese sample cards have appeared for sale before makes these less of a holy grail to me and more of an itch that I just can’t scratch. I specifically singled out that English sample as there’s a very high chance it was simply destroyed back in 2001 and is ultimately inaccessible.
As for the MATCHPRINT, I’d love to own one and have already put out a $1,000 offer (which is still valid, if anyone has one) but I feel like I could call my collection “complete” without that being a part of it. I’d imagine similar MATCHPRINT cards exist for lots of other sets but were never leaked out. Unlike these obscure sample cards which were printed with the intent of being shown to the public, the MATCHPRINT card is just an internal thing (like the FPO cards, I suppose).
Ikr… I feel like the eBay sale of that card at like 22000$ was even way too low in regards to its rarity and position in the tropical series. Only 4 or so have surfaced? Crazy.
Maybe Trophy Khan, though it’s really more of a MacGuffin because I kinda doubt I actually want to buy one due to discomfort with having so much value tied to a physical object =P University Karp probably falls into the same category.
I’ll also need the 1st edition base PSA 10 Zard if I ever want to finish the set. But I suspect it’s more likely than not that I never convince myself to pull the trigger.
Dream cards that I imagine I’ll never be able to own:
Old back #3 Pika trophy
Sugimori signed fan club Karp/Japanese shining Gyarados
Fukuda signed GS Mew with matching sketch
BGS 10 Skyridge Zard holo; Rockets Marowak; 1st ed jungle Lickitung + fossil Cubone
And finally the art academy Pika that I saw Quuador put up, so cool!
Last year I would have included “BGS 9.5+ 1st ed shining Zard” and “1999 TMB Tropical Wind” on this list but since then have been very fortunate
Trophy Kangaskhan. I already have one in psa 4 and I recently turned down an offer for 15k. That thing is my baby! But I also want another. A psa 10 is out of reach I think. But a 7-9 is probably doable. I’d like to get one of those one day.
And I’m sure the MATCHPRINT is pretty high up there for you as well, isn’t it?
I specifically singled out that English sample as there’s a very high chance it was simply destroyed back in 2001 and is ultimately inaccessible.