CGC Cards Grading 1st Edition Pokémon Base Set Cards During Live Box Break with Blake Martinez at The National

Blake Martinez of Blake’s Breaks on Whatnot is hosting a special box-break event at The National Sports Collectors Convention where he will be opening an entire box of 1st Edition Pokémon Base Set packs. CGC Cards™ will be grading every card that is opened live during the event for free, with added incentives for those who choose to have their packs opened live on stage.

Online bidding is already underway for the Pokémon Base Set packs in Heritage’s Blake Martinez 1^st Edition Pokémon Base Set Booster Box Break Trading Card Games Showcase, which is set to end on July 23, 2023. Once the auction ends, the winning bidders will get to choose whether they want their packs opened on stream or sent to them sealed.

Collectors who choose to have their packs opened live on stream will not only get their cards graded for free, but they’ll also enjoy several incentives from CGC Cards. Each card certified as part of the event will receive a pedigree, and the winner will enjoy a $150 grading credit for use on a future submission to CGC Cards.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Heritage and Blake Martinez on such a special box opening,” said Matt Quinn, Vice President of CGC Cards. “The significance of opening a 1st Edition Pokémon Base Set box cannot be understated, because the set is so valuable to collectors and the Pokémon community overall. We’re thrilled that CGC Cards gets to be a part of this historical moment.”

The box break will be streamed live on the main stage at The National in Chicago, Illinois, on July 28, 2023, at 3:30 PM CT. For more information on what CGC Cards has planned for the show, go here.

About the Pokémon TCG 1st Edition Base Set

In 1999, the Pokémon Trading Card Game debuted in the US with a limited print run of Base Set. The cards in this limited print run — called the 1st Edition Base Set — all had a special 1st Edition symbol to the left of the Pokémon’s card art, and on the bottom right-hand corner of the pack itself.

The 1st Edition print run sold out very quickly and was replaced by a reprint, this time lacking the 1st Edition symbol. Because the 1st Edition Base Set sold so quickly and was limited in the first place, finding packs that are still sealed is extremely rare, let alone a whole booster box. In addition, many 1st Edition Base Set cards that were opened back in the 1990s weren’t properly preserved, so finding them in excellent condition is difficult. Getting these cards graded as soon as they’re opened during this box break event provides an exciting opportunity for collectors to get these rare cards preserved for free!

About Blake Martinez

Blake Martinez is a retired NFL linebacker who played for the Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay Packers and New York Giants. Today, he runs constant streams on Whatnot and has an Instagram account devoted to trading cards called Blake’s Breaks. A passionate Pokémon collector and dealer, Martinez has amassed a valuable collection of Pokémon cards, many of which have been graded by CGC Cards, including a Pokémon Illustrator that realized $672,000 in a Goldin sale on October 29, 2022.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes.