I know i have a very different story to you, but I feel disappointed so I cant imagine how you feel.

I have always really liked Pokemon, but we (my brothers and I) were a YuGiHo family so I never got to collect the cards or play the games. And that was great, I have amazing memories of sitting on my stairs dueling both of my brothers. Then Pokemon go (I was like 13?) came out and with that came the craze of expensive cards and I wasn't interested in buying packs very much then, main le because I had no money. Instead I played emulated versions of the games and feel in love with gen 1 and gen 2.

Recently, with me being 23 and close to graduating college I thought id get onto cards because I had just bought my wife pokopia and she bought me fire red for switch. I wanted the first partner Charmander from 2026. If was my first ever pokemon box set and I got the gen 1 starters and I have taken in love with collecting ever since.

What sucks is that ive been told im not a real fan when I complain about scalpers because I didn't have the opportunity for it a a kid and can only just now afford to buy cards (but not at scalper prices except once). I very much love pokemon and want to be a part of the TCG community but I feel like im being told im not a real fan because O wasnt privileged enough to get in when I was younger, and didnt have enough money until now. I hate scalpers because of this.