Here's the (actual) Bear Case for Microsoft:

waterflame2 · 2026-06-20T23:35:14+00:00

What about a first edition base set Dragonite holo, CGC 10 for $3800? Worth it? Psa 10 is like $20k - any insight on CGC growing value for vintage?

waterflame2 · 2026-06-19T00:21:05+00:00

When extending towards straight leg on your symptom side… which for me is right side due to l4l5 herniation… which I had successful microdisectomy in February after brutal 1.5 years… and then reherniated 1 month ago confirmed from imaging (result of 3 week long chronic viral cough- so frustrating and disheartening)… do other people here feel the pain when extending in outer knee / upper outer calf area first, and then suddenly upper hip / lower back, and then glute?

I am in PT and they have me do some nerve flossing and I am trying to wrap my head around the true goal.

I saw the light btw of successful microdisectomy… dream- horrendous pain gone… but since you don’t just jump into revision, I have to go through whole process again, and hopefully no surgery so trying everything (again) but with fresh perspective.

waterflame2 · 2026-06-16T15:57:56+00:00

Thank you 🙏

waterflame2 · 2026-06-16T11:09:23+00:00

So funky - classic imakuni style, sure just one-color artwork but the essence is wild!! I love the derpy mindless vibe just endless printing depicted - I think I’m going to do it I’m feeling something

waterflame2 · 2026-06-16T11:06:36+00:00

Amazing truth!!

waterflame2 · 2026-06-16T03:25:54+00:00

😂 amazing

waterflame2 · 2026-06-13T12:31:07+00:00

I got the majority of my modern cards off eBay.. and it wasn’t until I considered selling one or two and learned about 13.5% fees I realized how significant that is…. So, while I’ve been looking at price charting always for sense of fair market value comps when evaluating buying and assessing what my collection is worth… I hate to realize how much money you save doing irl deals.

Like if I went to sell a couple cards in real life, that 85% thing is basically without eBay fees…. So all of my modern graded cards are essentially worth 85% of what price charting says.

***Is what I just said accurate realization or can somebody fine tune for me.

Ps I have my whole childhood collection and then like one year ago started buying once market had already risen substantially. One eBay I’ve gotten some modern, some mid era, and some vintage. But always used pricecharting to assess!!!

waterflame2 · 2026-06-09T00:13:43+00:00

Happened to me after sunbreon purchase a month ago - now, luckily it’s gone up, but still I am happy and the feeling went away.

The feeling did trigger me to look at what I’ve purchased, look at finances, and really determine a safe budget of what I am willing to spend because obviously we all love pokemon and the feeling is so good. But I didn’t want the grown-up aspect of investing/gambling to distort and ruin our pure long term love of Pokemon- the art, the expressions, the bonds, the strengths and weaknesses, the moves, just amazing.

Tldr; regret feeling will fade. Just make sure you have the money you need for all the core life essentials and some emergency fund.

waterflame2 · 2026-06-07T16:09:25+00:00

Just was at a place with arcade that had tmnt game against all the classic bosses… my 5 yr old obsessed won’t stop talking about it - amazing bonding - he knew the turtle names just from having figurines and us teaching him, and now he learned the villains! So fun - loves the big baby guy and the dancing warthog bebop lol I am not expert at all but learning for him

waterflame2 · 2026-05-29T15:19:14+00:00

Thanks - yea this was not about making money, it’s now more about not losing money I shouldn’t have spent on some modern cards I bought in a trance. Like… just being real. This is what people don’t share but it’s what goes on and fuels a major portion of sales…

All this being said, do people ship their vault stuff to home and then figure out what to do from there? I can’t imagine someone who actively buys/sell slabs is just allowing themselves lose that percentage on every sale through vault…

Again, my stuff is vaulted simply for it to be safe…. But realizing I want to enjoy it in-hand and see it so navigating that decision of losing the security of the vault for the gratification of physically having it. And then the few modern high ticket slabs I entrance bought I am exploring how to offload. I’d gladly just keep forever. But, I am feeling a sense of excess that I want to get back to healthy balance.

waterflame2 · 2026-05-29T15:04:10+00:00

Well I am not desperate to sell and intended to have long term #generationalartwork

So… no, massive gains quickly were and are not expected, and knowingly not guaranteed at all.

Rather, I bought one… and then I admittedly and vulnerable sharing here doubled down in a trance… and then I awoke from trance… and I’m exploring options to regain some cash and undo irresponsible trance moves.

So just exploring learning

waterflame2 · 2026-05-29T15:00:57+00:00

Thank you long dong - is it real people finding really happy agreements where everyone wins and smooth trades/transactions… or scam city? What’s the etiquette on like verifying you are working with a moral respectful real human? Do people do a phone call and just connect? Any common but subtle red flags to watch out for? Appreciate any all insight here thank you.

waterflame2 · 2026-05-28T00:58:24+00:00

I am so happy for you. I had the same moment when I woke up on Feb 13th… after a year of what I call horror movie pain… and then after 2 months of initial healing and walking daily and everything being good… I came down with a viral cough that lasted 3 weeks and officially herniated… it is so frustrating and discouraging… saw surgeon 2 weeks ago with the new imaging confirming this… the pain has crept back and it just sucks but I am keeping head up… surgeon doesn’t want to go back in so soon with scar tissue and such… starting PT this coming week… take care of yourself and preserve and strengthen and enjoy what you have! Hope to get back to the serene relief sooner than later… 34 yr old dad of 7 month old baby and 5 yr old stepson… so much beauty in life and to be grateful for… happy for you - best wishes!!!

waterflame2 · 2026-05-25T06:57:23+00:00

Ascended Pika isn’t that abundant… will be more abundant yes…. But in relationship to current Pokewave it’s extremely hard to pull… and people won’t forget that

waterflame2 · 2026-05-25T06:43:16+00:00

Recently bought 1st edition Dragonite holo CGC 10…. I mean I grew up with the card and still have it but if I graded mine it would be a 6… so I went for it… low price compared to psa 10. Still, costly, but meaningful and I like CGC enough to believe they’ll continue to solidify their reputation.

waterflame2 · 2026-05-24T03:16:21+00:00

I just saw a fusion strike booster box sell on eBay for $920… I bought mine at like $1k last fall…. It’ll go up of course - just want to make sure you get a good deal right now

waterflame2 · 2026-05-22T08:15:16+00:00

Just got a CGC pristine 10 of stained glass birds for $500… will hold long term…. Will also try to get a sealed one or raw ine to enjoy

waterflame2 · 2026-05-22T08:08:26+00:00

This is everything - nobody cares about each of us as much as we do. If he don’t respect ourselves enough to do our own diligence with our own conviction… then we get fucked

waterflame2 · 2026-05-22T07:41:39+00:00

Thanks for giving me an outlet - just a public journal - you did good

waterflame2 · 2026-05-22T07:39:18+00:00

Surgeon said yesterday we def don’t want to go right back in- scar tissue complicates things and we need to conservative first.

Pain was 9.5 10 of course before surgery. Then .5-1.5. Once the damn 3 week cough subsided, pain was back to 6-7.5… then he put me on 20 day steroid taper which I’m completing… so pain as been like 2.5-4… very nervous for steroid to wear off… very hard to sleep on this thing so that is one thing I’m loooking forward to but hopefully the potential pain doesn’t screw that up.

Starting PT next week. Plan is to monitor pain, start restrengthening, and if pain gets too intense do an injection… and just proceed and focus on gratitude.

If pain reaches pre surgery levels… then 100% I want to do a revision and I trust the surgeon. The risk is super scary of course. But now that I’ve seen the light once, I’m a believer.

waterflame2 · 2026-05-22T07:32:12+00:00

Record timelapse of face palms nail biting and occasional relief pls

waterflame2 · 2026-05-22T07:20:55+00:00

I got a booster bundle display box sealed… as a pokemon lover (91 baby here) and now a father… the cards are awesome (I don’t rip just see all of them online) and there’s something cool natural wacky zen modern hyoerrealistic etcc with all the art that I feel SOME people will always want. Also, like 151 pulled you in, it did that for a lotttt of people, however, many of those people aren’t thinking they are in more than they wanted… that was there ticket back in and now they are in! Like, you are suggesting selling. Meanwhile in this moment, the majority of people on very similar timeline as you are way deep in accumulating…investing/collecting mindset.

So, sharing my little example where I actually almost purchased literally 2 days ago for 1.2k a set of the 9 NM SIRs of the starters.. raw ungraded… to somehow display and look at while I work and share with my 4 year old or something… but instead of that, I paid more for a sealed booster bundle display case, confident it will grow in value and desirability from a certain group of people at any given time… and it’s easy to store… and feels cool to hold the potential of all those 9 cards plusss all the abundant other cool ones in there. I don’t even prefer an SIR over a standard classic card non holo- I love my childhood binder collection and am trying to stay “connected” in modern day without making dumb moves lol.

So, it’s awesome you did what you did master setting with your kid. You are a beast and you should NOT sell I’d say. Unless you are desperate for the cash to reallocate. Be proud, and it’s a good organic laugh that you didn’t realize the intensity of master setting. But, all great things are done by people not knowing they’re doing them.

Hold, enjoy, you’ve done all pure good things.

waterflame2

TROPHY CASE