CGC Cards Registry Featured Set: X-Men Series 2 Gold Foil

The X-Men Series 2 set was released in 1993 and was advertised as an "exclusive look into the private files of Professor Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men." True to its word, each card's back features interesting details about each character within the X-Men universe, such as their real name, place of birth, a DNA analysis and a profile written by Doctor X himself. 

Additionally, X-Men Series 2 had a subset of special 30th Anniversary Gold Foil cards. The subset included a total of nine cards, each adorned with a gold foil "30 Years" stamp celebrating X-Men's 30th anniversary. Sensei Ryan's Gold Foil set is 100% complete and winner of the Best in Set Type award in the 2023 CGC Cards Registry Awards. His set features every 30th Anniversary Gold Foil card in grades of CGC 9 or better, including a Professor X graded CGC Gem Mint 10 and a Storm graded CGC Gem Mint 10.

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We caught up with Sensei Ryan to talk about how he got into collecting Marvel cards. Check out the Q&A below!

Q&A with the Set Owner, Sensei Ryan

How did you get started collecting Marvel cards?

This is a great question, because it takes me way back to memories of my elementary school experience. I played in a basketball little league during the 1990-1991 school year, and after every game my dad would take me to a service station to get a snack. The station kept baseball cards near the register. One particular day, I noticed a new type of card pack at the register. Little did I know, this would ignite a collecting fever deep within me that would persist to the present day.

These new cards were the Marvel Universe Series 1 (1991) cards. My dad bought me my first pack — he would later come to regret it due to my feverish desire to collect more. I was so captivated by the art and feel of the cards within the packs, but when I pulled my first limited edition hologram, it felt like I had won the lottery.

Later, I shifted to collecting comic books and other similar collectibles. Recently, though, I decided to wade back into the waters of collecting old trading cards. This time I decided to collect the highest possible grades of the cards, and who better to do that with than the world's premiere collectibles grading service — CGC.

While I've obtained close to a thousand graded comic books in my collection, my first CGC-certified trading card purchase was a Magneto graded CGC Gem Mint 10 from the first Marvel CCG series. Fast forward to now, and you can see the progression of my TCG gallery right here on the CGC Cards Registry.

Unfortunately, I no longer have any of my original cards from the Marvel Creator Era (1986-1996), so I'm slowly recollecting them in the highest grades possible to relive the nostalgia of opening packs with my dad when I was younger. One day, I hope to pass on my collection to my children in the hopes that they'll be encouraged to collect something of their own — something that they'll feel just as passionate about.

What is your favorite card in this set and why?

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My favorite card in this set would have to be Wolverine. Growing up, one of my absolute favorite X-Men characters was Wolverine due to the extremely popular animated series. The artwork on this particular card perfectly illustrates the savagery that Wolverine exudes in the comic. It shows him — claws extended — leaping out of the boundaries of the card. While it's not one of the Top Pop cards in the Registry, it still takes the trophy for my favorite card in this set.

Was there a card in this set that was difficult to find? If so, do you have a story about how you were able to finally locate the card?

Finding the cards themselves wasn't as difficult as finding them in the grades that I prefer; that was the true difficulty with this particular set. The goal that I have as a Marvel card collector is to get the highest grades possible for every card, with my standard preference being a CGC 9 or higher. In some sets, this is nearly impossible to do because many cards are scarcely available in high-grade condition, let alone at a Near Mint or Mint condition.

In this set, however, I have been fortunate to find two Gem Mint 10 cards as well as one Near Mint 9.5 card. It is also important to note that five of the nine cards in this set are currently considered Top Pop cards, as they are the highest CGC-certified examples out there. I love to compete, so while I always aim to get the Near Mint CGC 9 grade, I especially strive to go as high as possible grade-wise for all of the cards in my collection.

What advice would you give collectors just getting into Marvel cards?

To anyone who is just beginning to collect Marvel trading cards, be patient when searching for the right ones to fit into your Registry sets. Consider that it has been over 30 years since the Creator Era began, which is my main collecting focus — it can be quite difficult to obtain these cards in high grade. Patience is key when searching for the condition you prefer.

I also encourage collectors to study the guidelines for card grading, such as surface condition, corners, edges and centering to have realistic expectations of what grades to expect when submitting raw cards. Finally, each collector will have their own preferences for the cards they want to add to their forever collection, so try to find out what those are before starting to collect. For example, while I look for cards in the Near Mint / Mint grade (or higher) specifically, I also like them to be well-presenting, so they can also potentially be worthy of display.

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How has the CGC Cards Registry helped with your collecting goals?

The CGC Cards Registry provides us collectors with the opportunity to not only collect, but to also compete with fellow trading card enthusiasts. The Registry sets provide the list of cards needed for us to obtain 100% completion. While these are not Pokémon cards, you still feel the need to "catch 'em all," and with the Registry slots telling us which cards we need or are missing, we absolutely can do just that.

As not only a card collector but also a comic book collector, I have prior knowledge of how CGC Registries work. I've found it very cool that something like it exists, because I get to showcase my collection online with pictures of each trading card as well as with set descriptions that tell stories behind my passion for collecting them. It truly is a fun and rewarding experience and I highly recommend it to any TCG collector!

About the CGC Cards Registry

The CGC Cards Registry is a free online platform where collectors can register and display CGC-certified cards, compete with other collectors and get inspired. The CGC Cards Registry is also a great organizational tool for your collection. Begin adding your CGC-certified cards in the CGC Cards Registry here.

If you don’t see a set for your cards, please request a set. You may also review our CGC Cards Registry FAQs for details on how to make requests for new sets and slots.

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

Previous CGC Cards Registry Featured Sets:

• Pokemon 1st Edition Gray Stamp
• Limited Edition Alpha
• Marvel Super Heroes
• Base Set – 1st Edition
• Snorlax – Main Set
• Happy Little Gathering
• Arabian Nights
• Pokémon Rumble
• Wizards of the Coast Black Star Promos
• Shining Fates Master Set
• Neo Genesis 1st Edition
• Southern Islands
• Fossil 1st Edition Master Set
• Team Rocket First Edition Master Set