CGC Trading Cards Registry Featured Set: Southern Islands

August’s featured set belongs to @thepokemonsanctuary! Southern Islands is a unique set among Pokémon cards and falls into the Neo Series. Japan saw the release of the Southern Islands set in 1999, but in the US, Southern Islands wasn’t sold as a complete set until Fall 2001. It came in a special binder that included 18 cards and six “post cards” that when arranged in a particular way formed a complete image. This set definitely embodies the phrase “small, but mighty”!

@thepokemonsanctuary’s Southern Islands set is on its way to completion at 72%, and there are some great grades featured here. All of the cards in the set are CGC 9, with three higher grades. The Pigeot and Tentacruel are both gorgeous in CGC 9.5, and the Lapras is an amazing Pristine 10 with nearly all 10 sub-grades!

Q&A with the collector

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

Tell us about the Southern Islands set. It’s nearing completion. Do you have specific goals for the slots that are left to fill?

This is a tough set to grade because a lot of the time there will be print lines on these old WOTC reverse foils. I'd love another binder to grade, but I'd be stoked to find the last few I need in a CGC 9+ grade.

How did you get started collecting Pokémon cards?

I've been collecting since 1999 when my dad brought home a Base Set booster box from the Wizards of the Coast gaming store at the mall. WOTC and WOTC-era Japanese cards are my absolute favorite.

Do you have a fun story to share about a specific card or cards?

When Southern Islands first arrived in the US it was only available in Japanese. This was before Gen 2 had been revealed, so the Pokémon like Marill were super mysterious.

What collecting goals are you working on for your other sets?

I'd really like to expand my Mew character set, finish my WOTC Black Star Promo set, or maybe pick up some Neo Destiny.

How has the CGC Trading Cards Registry helped you as a collector?

The CGC Trading Cards Registry is a great tool for visualizing a collection, and I love being able to see the scans of my cards even when I can't have them on hand. It's fun being able to track my progress and compete with other collectors.

We’re looking forward to the new additions to @thepokemonsanctuary’s Southern Islands set as well as their other competitive sets on the registry!

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.

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