the_pokemon_samurai

Bandai Green Carddass Vending Series Part 1 archivist. Creator of the only known 1996 Bandai Green Part 1 Master Set in Graded 9+🌿Archive Link Below ⬇️

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@Spartas_Finest Hey brother, the point of the photos is to show the reader what all those hours of hunting actually produced, rather than forcing them to imagine it from the numbers and text alone

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

🕰️ The 12,780-Hour Masterpiece

For the past 3.5 years, I spent roughly 9 to 11 hours a day on my smartphone to complete a monochromatic (Green only) 1996 Carddass Part 1 Monsters Collection set. This was taken directly from my iPhone Screen Time data. Because the set was only released in Japan, the cards could only be found through online channels, which made the collecting process a true logistical nightmare.

The time it took me to master Pokémon’s rookie set in monochromatic green amounted to approximately 12,780 hours of screen time over 3.5 years, which averages out to 10 hours a day.

For years I spent my days as a digital investigator chasing leads, negotiating with people overseas, running digital tracking, participating in auctions, dealing with shipping companies, selling online to fund further purchases,, and translating and navigating multiple foreign proxy websites.

To put the number in clearer terms, 12,780 hours is equivalent to:

• Nearly 6.5 years of normal full-time working hours (9 to 5) compressed into just 3.5 calendar years.

• Surpassing the classic “10,000-hour rule” for mastery by almost 2,800 hours.

Pokémon investors and corporations think they can conquer this space just by deploying cold hard cash. But they do not understand that a masterpiece on this scale cannot be bought with money alone. This Master Set can only be achieved through the voluntary, personal passion (borderline obsession) that only a true collector possesses. Completing it requires living in a state of extreme mental and financial exhaustion for years.

A perfect Pure Green 1996 Carddass Part 1 Master set where every single card is graded 9 or higher (MINT condition) is no longer theoretical and no longer has to be imagined.

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@88Cozmo @chainbrain @KabutoKing_ Kabuto was always my fossil pokemon and kabutops to

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@NikkosVault Dam bro just seeing this, your vault is looking clean🔥🔥

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

Well, don’t be scared. That’s just my experience because I was moving at a really fast rate. You can still hit high grades with PSA if the cards are clean — it’s hard to deny. It’s just that PSA openly admitted they’re going to grade vintage cards a lot tougher. New certs are hard to get a 9 or 10, as PSA has stated directly. Just Send in your best cards and you will be fine. but only send your best to avoid wasting any extra money

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

Yes, I’ve sent many in for grading. I didn’t get back anything I wanted even though I bought the best available raw copies I could find. Grading Carddass with PSA was not worth it. It also took months and months to get my cards back so it was more of an inconvenience while I was trying to build the set as fast as I could. In my experience, just buying the cards already graded is better.

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@kingpminch All look good

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

All I see is an overflowing safe full of precious metals and vintage Pokémon cards. It looks beautiful to me lol. It’s hard to keep a large collection neat 24/7, especially if you’re always pulling your cards out. I think this is just a case of his collection outgrowing the safe, he’s gonna need to invest in a larger one very soon with that many items. Deff not a bad thing!

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@arctic_melting Thank you brother, i appreciate it 🙏🏼

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@jonesrrrrrr Nice choice. If you Stick with the fan favourites like Umbreon, mew, snorlax, pikachu, gengar etc it’s hard to lose. congrats on your first slab brother that’s huge and nice pick 🔥

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@0xnobi Congrats 👏🏼 that’s crazy I remember catching registeel in pokemon gold

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

Thank you, brother. I’ve been opening the safe daily for airflow to combat any humidity and I’m also running a premium dehumidifier in the room. I’m currently looking for a proper preservation-style safe (something closer to a humidor) but haven’t found the right one yet. The gun safe is temporary. Appreciate the concern and many blessings

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@trader_x15 @88Cozmo Remember, we grew up with a different kind of Pokémon. I wouldn’t recommend anyone trying to get into our safes

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@KabutoKing_ He has the topsun kabuto to 👀

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

No thank you for posting your safe. This post just got a whole lot crazier wow, you’re slabbed the f**k out 🔥🔥 No matter how much they try to turn Pokémon into a business, it’s us the genuine collectors that carry it. We are the backbone, I’ll be keeping up with your post to see more.

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

Satoshi my brother!

The Part 1 checklist #2 was one of the hardest in the entire set, if not the hardest. It’s a Pop 2 in a 9 and a Pop 1 in a 10.

It took me around two years to find one, and even then it was largely down to luck given the extremely low pop count—though obsessive hunting made it possible. I bought it off the collector RocPokemon.

The next two hardest were Pidgey and Caterpie.

I never located a Pidgey in a 9, so I ended up settling for a 10 and paying a premium for it.

Caterpie (around a Pop 12) took me almost two years and right up until the end of the hunt to secure.

So for me personally the 3 hardest pokemon to catch from this set was:

1. Checklist #2

2. Caterpie

3. Pidgey

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

I didn’t make them but I purchased them. They are premium silicone slab guards with an acrylic backing from the company GradedGuard. I actually wasted thousands of dollars on the wrong guards before finally finding and committing to these. They look and feel premium, come in beautiful colours and they can stack on top of each other! I wish someone had told me about them earlier, it would have saved me a lot of hassle.

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@ThePinsirPirate Probably not. But they should. Hell they made pichu and a bunch of other baby pokemon

[the_pokemon_samurai @zackariahpope]

@maxmacfarland @missnatoshi It’s official. The artwork before pokemon went global is the best.