When Pokémon first arrived in the U.S., I was hooked almost instantly. My cousin introduced me to the show, and I fell in love with the characters, the stories, and — of course — the cards.

Soon enough I was collecting Base Set, Jungle, and Fossil cards, trading on the playground and battling with friends after school. I still remember one of my biggest “what was I thinking?” moments: I traded away my Charizard. To this day, I suspect my brother still has it tucked away somewhere.

One unforgettable memory is going to a kids’ tournament and carrying my deck in one of those old toy holders that would spit the cards out for you. Mine had a Poké Ball design, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

As I grew up, life pulled me in other directions — skateboarding, music, and girls took most of my free time — and Pokémon went on the shelf. But the hobby never fully left me. Years later, when my kids started showing interest, I found myself pulled back in.

We visited a local card show together, and the spark returned immediately. I dug out my old boxes — Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket — and began reorganizing. Watching videos and reading what other collectors were doing introduced me to new ways to enjoy the hobby: how people buy whole collections, extract the valuable singles, and re-home the rest. That model helped me grow our family collection without overspending.

A New Passion: Restoration (Not Alteration)

Along the way I discovered another craft I didn’t expect to love: restoring worn cards. I’m careful here — restoration is about preservation, not changing the history of a card. A bent card doesn’t always have to stay bent; with gentle encouragement and the right methods, many cards can return closer to their original shape. But you can never replace missing paint or deliberately repaint a card — that’s alteration, and it removes authenticity.

There’s a real satisfaction in taking a beloved but tired card and bringing back as much of its life as possible without crossing the line into modification. I’ll share more about my restoration tips and tools soon, and I’ll always be clear about what’s possible and what’s not.

Re-entering the hobby with my children has been more than a way to rebuild a collection — it’s become a chance to pass on memories, teach careful collecting, and share the joy of discovery. Buying collections and selling singles has helped fund nicer pieces for both my kids and me, and it’s given us an excuse to talk, sort, and learn together.

Thanks for reading my story. If you want to see some of my restorations and collection highlights, I post progress shots and short videos on Instagram — you can follow along here:

Follow @pokefarmtcg on Instagram

More posts are coming soon — including step-by-step restoration demos and practical tips for organizing and valuing your collection. Stay tuned!