The Art of the Pokemon Trade

Little Bean Wheels and Deals

Little Bean is engaged in a fierce Pokemon trading card exchange with one of her little friends. They lay out their various cards - doubles I assume - and go back and forth. Phrases like “Gold Frame,” “Legacy” and “Silver Background” are tossed about. Things get heated but not too much.

After, she shows me the most precious card - she managed to finagle a fandangle, a silver foil Miriam Trainer Card. She’s a pretty one, and when you hold her under the light, the card shimmers with an almost 3-D effect

She tucks her cards back away in the little bookshelf she’s fastened to the wall where she stores her Pokemon material, stuffies and toys.

This is all familiar. When I was her age, I didn’t have Pokemon but I did have the Buffalo Sabres. My buddy Dave and I would tuck ourselves in on his front porch and lay out all our Topps collections from 73, 74 and 75. We were both Sabers fans and the idea back then was to complete the collection of your favorite team. Since we both had the same favorite team, we had to depend on getting doubles to make the trade work.

I remember my unrestrained joy in discovering Dave had a duplicate 73-74 Roger Crozier card. That card completed my Sabres collection and I think I gave away twenty cards to bring that goalie home. It was worth it. I still have that card.

My Roger Crozier, Card #108, in good condition is worth about 3 bucks these days. But I wouldn’t sell it for the world.

I wonder if she’ll feel that way about any of her collectibles, if one trade or moment with one of her friends will really stand out and jog her memory down the road.

By the way, I looked up the current value of that Miriam card that’s her favorite. About 30 bucks. Not bad Little Bean, not bad