The One Card I Regret Selling

In 2018, I sold my Base Set Shadowless Charizard PSA 8 for $2,200. I thought I was killing it. Today, that same card in PSA 8 goes for around $12,000. I left $9,800 on the table. Here's the context: I was 25, broke, and had just gotten into grading. The Charizard sale funded more submissions — which, ironically, mostly came back as 9s and 8s. The truth? I was impatient. And I didn't understand the market yet. That sale taught me more than any win ever could. Iconic cards compound — Base Set Charizard isn't just a card. It's the card. These don't go on sale. Emotions matter — if you love a card, don't sell it for short-term gain. Now I have a rule: if it's a grail, it stays. I don't care if the price dips. Some cards aren't about ROI. I don't talk about that Charizard sale much. It's a sore spot. But sharing it might save someone else from the same mistake. If you're reading this and thinking about selling your grail... don't. Just don't.

— Jake
Jake runs GemMintSleeve and has been collecting Pokemon cards since 1999.