Interview / exchange between collectors #4: One Piece card game

Since we're a team of enthusiasts, we'd like to share and exchange ideas about Japanese cards and the various tcg we offer and collect.

What better way to do this than to get to know you, our Cardotaku.com customers! Today we'd like to interview one of our customers: Alec.

Who's the collector of the day?

Alec is a new collector fresh from Japan. He's always been a fan of anime, especially One Piece. "I remember rushing home from college so I could watch my episode on TV and find out what happened next".

He works at Cardotaku preparing orders, storing cards and editing videos.

How did you get into collecting?

"As I was saying, I've always been passionate about the One Piece universe, and I used to collect figurines. However, I discovered my passion for card collecting thanks to my wife, who collects Japanese Pokemon cards.

Unfortunately for me, there was no One Piece card collection and the other licenses didn't really tempt me.

Then, much to my delight, the TCG One Piece Card Game came along: and that was my trigger!
The TCG was ambitious from the outset, with elaborate cards, highly original illustrations, events, competitions, exclusives..."

What do you collect?

"I started collecting the One Piece TCG with the OP-01 set, which was the first set to be released. I was already in Japan when the expansion came out and decided I wanted to collect it. So my first goal was to make the OP01 master set. I've just finished it.

I also collect promotional and event cards, but my collection has really turned towards the Manga Alt cards: my goal is to have them all.

I also try to open a box of each set when it's released for the excitement of discovering new cards and artwork.
I like to take chances and be surprised by what I can find in the box.

I also collect sealed boosters, I want to have one of each that I'd put on display under Plexiglas and line up with the Manga alt cards from each expansion."

What do you like about the collection?

"I love the fact that I can share the collection and this passion with my family: my wife and my two brothers (whom I've managed to convert to collecting Japanese One Piece cards).
I think it's really great because, being in Japan, I have the role of informer and I regularly send them news about new cards and releases.

They'll be coming to Japan soon, and I can't wait to share the experience of searching for cards in the stores and completing our collection together, as a family.

I love this research aspect: wandering around the stores looking for pepites and window shopping for expensive cards that aren't yet in my collection!"

What would you like to see in your collection? 

 "I'd like to continue my manga card collection and therefore buy them with each new expansion. Currently, I'm still missing Sabo's OP04-083 manga card, and that will be my next card purchase.

Otherwise, I'd like to get the competition cards, which are often in limited quantities and really beautiful:
- Luffy Championship
- Zoro Flagship
- Championship Admirals and Marines

These are my next goals."

How would you describe your collection?

 "MAGNIFICENT" and sentimental because, whatever happens, the cards are released in Japan, when I live there, and this gives me a memory and an experience of my life in Japan: working at cardotaku, discovering each release, researching, picking when opening my boxes... All these memories are engraved in my cards.

Otherwise, from a more "concrete" point of view, I'd say that for my collection, I prefer to have few cards but "bangers" and quality cards that really mean something to me and that I'd like to display and show off.

My favorite character is Trafalgar Law and I dream of one day seeing a manga parallel of this character, you can be sure I'll get it straight away! I'd also like to see a parallel manga of Boa.

Can you give me a Top 3 in your collection?

- Yamato alternative OP01: I drew it from a booster with my wife and when it came out, it was truly one of the rarest cards and one of the first of this standing that I'd picked! I was so happy when I saw it come out of the booster! I love the emotions we get from collecting TCG cards. It was a great time!

- The P-006 magazine promo card: I went to the konbini to get the card myself when the magazine came out, and it was the very first One Piece promotional card in existence (apart from the pre-release booster), so I was really proud to be in Japan, to go and get it out of my Saikyo jump!

- Mihawk promo Standard battle ST03-005: The card looks like a painting in a museum, it really gives off a strong emotion! I also really like Peronna, who's on it and who accompanies it, so it's definitely a card I wanted to have in my collection. 

 

Do you have an anecdote to share with us?

A few years ago, I'd never have put even 50 euros into a card, it would have seemed inconceivable to me, and when my wife spent fortunes on Japanese Pokemon cards, I supported her, but without really understanding.

Today, my most expensive card cost me 600 euros, so you can imagine that I understand her completely, and that we're in this passion hand in hand.

What changed my mind was discovering the different rarities, the difficulties of obtaining cards, the cards limited to certain events or offered to winners, the collection objectives and the final satisfaction of finally having a beautiful card in my hands and for my collection. I have no regrets, and now that I know the business, I'm really enjoying it!

Yes, as you can see, between the interview and the publication of the blog post, I bought myself the Zoro Championship card!

Next objective: the OP04 master set, because I think it's the most beautiful set they've released since the creation of the TCG... To be continued :) 

 

Thanks to Alec for this interview about his collection of Japanese One Piece cards. We love to hear about collectors' passions. If you want to be next, send us a message via the contact form ;)

Article written by Manon