My daughter was trading Pokemon cards with a neighborhood friend. She then showed me what she got and I was floored. This is not how I expected this card to come about haha… The girl who traded it had no idea what it was worth – nor did her parents. We of course did the right thing and reached out to them to explain how valuable the card is and let them know they should trade back. It's kinda fun knowing there's kids out there ripping packs and not caring about value or "chase cards" and then trading for what they like. But it's also kind of a bummer there can be some much value involved which complicates things. TBH knowing the kid I wouldn't be shocked if this wasn't traded again or lost somewhere. So it makes me slightly sad giving it back but I think whatever they choose to do with it is up to them and it would have been wrong to keep it knowing the value. FWIW my daughter took it super well and wasn't too disappointed when I explained the situation to her. I am curious though how others would have handled it and if they would have done any different?
by KyloRem
26 Comments
You’re a good person for reaching out to the parents to explain the value and all. I read some horror stories here about the complete opposite and parents encouraging their kids to try to do unfair deals.
You did the right thing. Others probably wouldn’t. Good lesson about honesty to your daughter too.
I agree you did the right thing. It’s funny to me to see this sub supporting you in this instance, but I got pooped on for doing the same with lesser valued cards.
If the market wasnt so decided that cardboard is worth thousands of dollars this would be just a pair of kids trading for the card they wanted more.
I would’ve done the same thing you did. You did good man.
I think it was right what you did. But this shows us what this hobby used to be. “I like your charizard” “I like your sylveon” “Wanna trade?” “Yes” “Cool”. Both happy.
Kinda silly really, if the cards were traded on both sides without any knowledge of monetary value then so be it. Fair trade, both are happy.
As a parent, if you make your child go back on a trade because YOU know the value of a card then that sucks as well. Especially if it was a genuine trade.
It’s almost reinforcing the stigma that pokemon is all about perceived value and not a fun kids game.
I would not have done it. Let kids be kids. Now if your kid KNEW and did it anyways that would be a different story.
This is just two kids trading for what they like. Value be dammed. This is how the hobby should be.
Good on you. To be fair though – as kids, many of my friends and I were aware of the general dollar amount of what cards were worth. It wasn’t the most important thing to us, but still present.
good parenting
Nah, it’s a rite of passage to trade cards as a kid and realize 20 years down the road that you got absolutely cooked.
Sad as hell parents won’t just let kids be kids
Keep the card. Find a new neighborhood. j/k
maybe tell their parents to sell it and buy some cheaper but cuter card?
You are 100% right. That kid is gonna trade it for a Pikachu ex next lmao
The one thing people seem to be forgetting is that ignorance is not bliss. Older kids who knew/know about the values of cards would purposely trade with younger kids who didn’t know they were getting scammed.
Or even kids unknowingly trading fakes for real cards, or those who did trying to con someone.
I remember making a trade for a card I really wanted when I was kid and gave another kid multiple cards for it but was told by others that it wasn’t a fair trade. Never figured out what was but that was one of the first instances I can remember.
Edit: I’m also surprised that people seem to think this is new. Kids unknowingly make bad decision constantly; we were all kids once. Maybe they traded/sold a game, toy, bicycle, etc and got something lesser out of it.
Isn’t that one of the ways how the expression taking candy from a baby came about?
I’m positive these scenarios have been shown in tv and books.
Edit 2: There’s a lot of people with either bad memories or wearing rose-colored glasses. Unfair trades and theft were rampant when we were kids. It’s what led to TCGs getting banned in schools.
I can’t help but think of how older people talk about how good the old days were when history shows us the opposite.
Now take it out of all the plastic and play with it
Nah you did the right thing for sure. Your daughter has a good eye for cards though haha. But yea man it sucks sometimes doing the right thing but you never know you may have woken the parents up and they may help the kid take care of it. Get it graded and save it for them later hell if you get pristine from tag that’s $16k you can get like a half year of tuition out of that
Good parent thank you
I’ll never forget my own cousin traded me a fake Kingdra sticker card for a Venasaur. I was floored even at 10 years old.
The parents should take her to show and get the sylveon along with other cards she would want. Can probably squeeze a few other eeveelution SIRs out of this
You are a good parent. You showed your daughter a very valuable lesson that she will treasure forever.
Honestly good you let them know but on the flip this is how the hobby became a mess. Its nice seeing kids just trading for cards/pokemon they like n caring if they “got rich” off a card.
I watch goos card YTers who do try n trade fair ($20 card for a $20 card) but will also allow “uneven” trades if both sides are happy with what they get. We need more of that really
Neither kids was ripped off, the value of the card wasn’t their end game. Collecting the cards they like was. That is where the happiness comes from. WE care about the value.
In sixth grade, There was a kid that scammed me out of my Japanese base set charizard for a base set english vaporeon that he’d scratched the pokemon off of the hollow. Convinced me that it was a super rare error card that was way more rare than my zard.. my friends informed me that I’d been scammed after explaining my exciting new acquisition. I didnt do much trading after that experience.
Classic helicopter parenting. Just let the kids be.