I was 9 years old when all of this began.
The Pokemon craze had not reached our city yet. I had been playing Red Version, and telling the kids at school how cool it was. I specifically remember them telling me to stop talking about this "stupid game". That summer I learned about the Pokemon TCG. It had been out for a couple months, but product was so scarce that I wasn't able to actually get my hands on a starter deck until the summer. I immediately fell in love with Arita's Charmander artwork. I loved the card so much that I carried it around in my pocket for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, it bent the corner, but that meant I would always know which card was my first.
As I got older, I continued to play, and even branched out to other card games. Eventually I found myself playing less. That was when I decided to make the move to buying and selling cards. I started out exclusively selling on eBay. As fees continued to rise, I began exploring other options. We briefly took Nick Nack's on the road, vending at different comic-cons. This made me realize that what I truly enjoyed was the people aspect. I enjoyed talking with people about their favorite cards and characters, and I loved watching a kid get excited about a card they pulled from one of my packs.
It was then that I realized the goal of my business. Of course, every business wants to make more money, but my goal was much simpler. I would consider my business a success if I could give someone else the same joy that I had received from that Charmander card all those years ago.
And here we are, beginning the next stage of this adventure. I am eternally grateful for everyone who has helped me get to this point.
And I am especially glad that you're here.
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