Pokémon cards have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Back when I was in school in Bangalore, India, I remember asking my dad to get me a pack of pokémon cards for doing well in some exams. He obliged but then boggled at the price of 80 or so rupees for a pack of 11 cards with which I couldn’t really play anything. He was even more confused when I mentioned that I just plan on collecting the cards. He still got me a pack of cards albeit with a shake of his head. Thus began my obsession with pokémon cards.
After every good exam or some achievement I’d ask for a few packs of pokémon cards. Every time my dad would ask me to maybe spend it on something more useful like a book. I’d reply I have a library membership so I don’t really need to own a book (oh how times have changed). In any case it was around then that I started playing pokémon on the gameboy and this further fuelled my need to collect and trade cards. This lasted until I had to leave home to study after which I completely forgot about collecting cards. I still knew about the games and the new generations of pokémon but somehow I had grown out of the card collecting phase.
Cue 2020, and I have now shifted to Belgium for work and while passing by a game store I spied a few packs of pokémon cards. I picked up a pack for old time’s sake and opened it to find some familiar faces, some new faces, and a Mewtwo ex. I was just sitting there stunned. The artwork and everything was so different. I had only ever owned one Mewtwo card before and in my head these were rare to come by. Not to mention these new cards (ex, gx, v, vmax, vstar, the list goes on) seemed like they should be framed and admired. It also turns out that some of these cards can fetch a pretty penny should one decide to sell them. Looking at the value of some of the old cards we all had at one point can make one’s eyes boggle. I still managed to walk out of the store without picking up more but a little fire had been ignited and I was just waiting for the perfect time.
Soon I found what I was looking for. A booster box set. Rather than buy individual packs, I bit the bullet and picked up the booster box set of 30 odd booster packs. I had never before picked up this many pokémon packs at one time and was a little giddy with excitement since there’s a better chance of finding specific cards when buying the whole set. Let’s just say I was not disappointed. I’ve collected a few more booster boxes over the years, and a few of my favourite cards and their distinctive art style can be seen below.
While the initial excitement has passed I still pick up a few packs every now and then. Like stamp collecting, or any other hobby, It brings a little sense of satisfaction; especially when I pull some nice cards.
If anyone reading this is into pokémon cards, would like to share their favourite cards, or just want to chat, drop a comment below.
Until next time, cheers!
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