CGC Trading Cards Registry Featured Set: Team Rocket First Edition Master Set

The CGC Trading Cards Registry team is excited to share the first-ever CGC Trading Cards Registry featured set of the month! IrishPrince’s Team Rocket First Edition Master Set set boasts an impressive mix of CGC 9 and 9.5 examples and is a real pleasure to see. Check it out here. At 76% complete, and over half of the cards graded CGC 9.5, IrishPrince is well on the way to reaching the goal of putting together a gem mint Team Rocket First Edition Master set. We look forward to seeing it at the finish line!

It goes without saying that the Dark Charizard and Dark Blastoise — both graded CGC 9 — are crowning jewels, but this set has some fun favorites as well. Meowth is a nostalgic standout and boasts a CGC 9.5 along with 9.5 in nearly all sub-grades! Fans of Jessie can check out the Dark Arbok in CGC 9, and the Here Comes Team Rocket! Holo in CGC 9.5 is a fun example of the iconic Ken Sugimori’s art.

Q&A with the collector

CGC Trading Cards had the opportunity to catch up with IrishPrince for a Q&A about the set, future collecting goals and the CGC Trading Card Registry.

Tell us a little about how you got into collecting Pokémon cards.

My two young sons were fans of the Pokémon TV show in the 1990’s and when I found out that there was going to be a TCG release, I knew that I had to secure a 1st Edition box so that I could build a complete set. Back in 1999 graded cards weren’t a thing — so I put together a complete 1st Edition Base Set and stuck it in a binder in my basement. When the pandemic hit and Pokémon cards became popular again, I decided to get many of the early WOTC cards graded.

What are your favorite Pokémon characters and why?

Gengar was always my favorite Pokémon. My eldest son got a Gameboy with the Pokémon Red cartridge in the 1990’s and he played that all the time. I got interested in what he was doing and began playing the game myself. I built an unbeatable Pokémon team and Gengar was a great a Pokémon on the Gameboy Color.

Your Team Rocket Master Set is awesome. What is your favorite card in the set and why? What card would you most like to add to the set?

Oh my — that is so hard to pick. Team Rocket has the best original set of Pokémon; all the favorites are included. Having said that, I really would love to add Dark Blastoise Holo to the set. The artwork with the cannon pointed right at the viewer can’t be beat.

What other collecting goals are you working on?

Ultimately, I’d like to sell my complete set of graded 1st Edition Base Set to some savvy investor so that I can finish the Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket sets. Just recently I got back from CGC the 25th Anniversary Celebrations set I sent in for grading. I’d like to finish off the Classic Collection next.

Tell us what you like about the CGC Trading Card Registry. What you would tell people who are thinking about joining?

The CGC Trading Card Registry was a big surprise. Like most collectors I was waiting for the Population Report to come out — the Registry was a great surprise. I started adding my cards and the next thing you know, I’m on eBay looking for deals to finish off gaps in my set. It’s so easy to use the Registry. Everyone that has CGC cards graded should really think about adding their cards to it.

About the CGC Trading Cards Registry

Launched in April 2022, The CGC Trading Cards Registry is the newest edition to the suite of Certified Collectibles Group online registries. Since launch, hundreds of trading card collectors have registered nearly 3,000 competitive sets. We’re grateful for such a successful start and unmatched enthusiasm among collectors. Begin adding your CGC-certified trading cards in the CGC Trading Cards Registry here.

The CGC Trading Cards Registry continues to grow daily; we’ve released dozens of new sets in the weeks since launch and are actively working to fulfill new set and slot requests. We welcome all your requests! It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to learn about your collecting interests. If you don’t see a set for your cards, please request a set. You may also review our CGC Trading Cards Registry FAQs for details on how to make requests for new sets and slots.

The CGC Trading Cards Registry team is here to help. Questions or comments? Want to connect with other collectors? Visit the CGC Trading Cards Registry Chatboards.