For me, it’s the ex era. Something about the smell of those cards is overwhelmingly nostalgic. The scent is definitely more mature and distinct than that of newer eras. Their aroma is so ingrained into my nose, I don’t even need any cards in front of me to imagine it. After writing this I closed my eyes to feel like I’m in a pack hanging on a shelf in 2003, waiting to be bought and ripped open. Any time I catch a whiff of a card manufactured between 2003-2007 I feel the strongest, most unshakeable desire to collect every card from the era in the most mint condition possible, no matter the cost.
Anyway, I know you all are cardboard sniffers too, don’t lie. So which era of the TCG do you think has the best pack-fresh smell?
Cracking new cards is amazing. I have to say, the JP wotC era smaells the best to me. I have a mostly sealed Yamabuki city gym deck that I will sometimes open and re-seal to preserve the smell. haha
I also especially like the smell of first gen YuGiOh cards. IDK what’s different about them, but there’s just a slight distinction that really hits the nostalgia button.
One thing unsaid in this conversation is how the vintage box smells when you open the lid the first time before you touch the packs. Box addicts will know, me every time:
Absolutely EX era. Every now and then I open a tin filled with EX era bulk and it is a giant nostalgia bomb once I catch the scent. I find it hard to distinguish separate scents from other eras, but EX absolutely has something special going on.
Gosh. I’d open a vintage D&P pack(or more specifically a tin because that is what I bought the most of) just for the memories. I feel like I can still remember the smell for some reason. I don’t remember WOTC having a smell.
It all sounds silly but smell and sound are supposedly the senses that best conjure old memories.
I would always detect subtle note differentiation between 1st edition and unlimited vintages.
I enjoyed all of WOTC, but to pick an absolute favourite it has to be FRLG, it had a slightly different smell to WOTC that as a kid I remember associating with the progression of the TCG and the excitement of potentially ripping the starter trio in Ex form. Early Nintendo era was so exciting, even the smells went along with the experience.
It’s funny, usually all this old stuff smell much better because of the progressively illegal fumes and such but I think the reason EX feels more pleasant is the opposite. It doesn’t have the same harshness as early WOTC. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love the smell of a fresh 1st ed Fossil box, god how I love it, but you can just tell that it’s probably not something one should snort for too long.
I’ve always wondered how VS smells, you can tell from the way that plastic crunches when opened that they put all the goodness into it.
Hmm, since I’ve never tried it, now I’m inclined to a random ex pack just to experience the smell…
Truth be told, though. As much as I’ve come to prefer Japanese cards, they just don’t quite compete with English/Western WOTC smell-wise. It’s all about those positive childhood memories connected to the smell, I guess.
