While the Pokemon TCG was extremely popular upon its launch during the 1998 holiday season, almost no one would've expected the pieces of cardboard to increase or even maintain their value. Fast forward to over 20 years later, and the cards are as valuable as they've ever been, with some first editions of Pokemon cards selling for up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Fans have been cashing in on the trend the past few years, with stories like a student selling his Pokemon collection for $80,000 to pay for med school. However, one story has managed to tug at the heartstrings of nearly everyone who's heard about it: an eight-year-old boy selling off his Pokemon TCG collection in order to pay for his puppy's life-saving surgery.
Eight-year-old West Virginia resident Bryson Kliemann was like most Pokemon fans, amassing a sizable Pokemon TCG collection. However, according to a report by ABC News, his new puppy Bruce suddenly became sick. Bruce was diagnosed with Parvovirus, a contagious canine virus that can reach a mortality rate of up to 91% if left untreated.
Bruce required emergency surgery in order to save his life, an operation that cost $700. Bryson said how the news "made him sad," and explained that he doesn't "have anybody to play with" except for his puppy. When the young child realized his family couldn't afford the surgery bill, he decided to raise money by selling off his Pokemon card collection.
Bryson began to sell a few of his cards by setting up a sign on the side of a road. The image of the little boy sitting next to his hand-painted sign with the cause behind it went viral, rallying many Pokemon fans to donate to the cause. After Bryson's mom set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $800, the community shattered expectations, going above and beyond donating in excess of $1,900 dollars. The heartening gesture by dozens of people ended up allowing him to keep the majority of his Pokemon card collection.
The gaming community, whether it be a card, tabletop, or video game, has a history of donating to help animals. In addition to companies like Moon Studio and Razer raising funds to protect endangered environments, dog shelter sim To the Rescue donates part of its sales to real-world animal shelters. Stories such as these are a testament to the selfless capacity people can possess, and one of the noblest possible uses of social media.
After the resounding community response and a week of treatment, Bryson and Bruce were reunited. The rest of the funds raised will go towards Bruce's future vaccinations as well as other sick dogs in the community. While some dogs can get into predicaments like needing surgery for eating a Nintendo DS cartridge, hopefully, this puppy has a long, healthy, and happy life. Maybe Bryson will be able to buy back some of his Pokemon TCG collection too.
Source: ABC News