I have been attending the CSA Chantilly Show for eight years. This past show that occurred last weekend, marked the eight years exactly, creating a fun milestone and time for reflection. To think that eight years ago, I walked into the doors of the Dulles Expo Center for the first time; I haven’t been able to stop going back.
I started attending this show when I was 13 years old, in eighth grade, with my father. Now, I’m 21 years old, currently working towards making my passion my work, and almost a year removed from the death of my father. Time moves quickly, so I’m grateful this show forced me to stop me in my tracks to reflect.
After having a fellow collector help me out getting a card I’ve had my eye on for a couple years, there was some money left over, and instead of returning the money, he told me, “Pay it forward.” Such a great gesture that I didn’t take lightly. So I sought out to find someone that reminded me of Kayla, the first time she walked through those doors, eight years ago.
I then walked the show floor with a perfect recipient of the money in mind; a father and daughter duo walking the show floor together; just like my father and me all those years ago. It was difficult to find many young girls walking around, so though the pickings of my “perfect recipient” was slim, I’m certain I picked the right one.
The “perfect recipient”
I saw Emily and her dad walking the show floor, and while I first passed up on the pairing due to noticing Emily primarily collected Pokémon, I had another collector point them out to me, and knew then that this pairing was the recipient of “paying it forward”.
I approached them and asked if I could write an article about Emily and her dad, saying that I was in a similar place at the beginning of my collecting journey, and if willing, I had $40 to share with Emily, documenting what her thought process was on what she’d pick up with that money. Luckily they obliged, and we got onto the hunt for a card that met Emily’s criteria for her constantly improving Pokémon collection.
Emily, 11 years-old, has been attending the Chantilly Show for a couple years, though started collecting 5 years ago. Emily collects baseball lightly, as she has been going to Nationals games since she was a kid, but her main collection is Pokémon. She started off opening a pack from her dad, and after getting “a good hit” in that pack, she continued improving her collection.
The booth we headed to first, was that of Adam (@voadamyt); a dealer that Emily said she looks forward to seeing every Chantilly show. There wasn’t anything Emily was specifically on the hunt for this time around, as she recently completed her Evolving Skies set by picking up a Glaceon. Emily is building another set, but since they aren’t the “good cards, they are harder to find.”
While Emily went searching in Adam’s inventory, I decided to hear more about her father’s collecting journey. Her dad grew up collecting, but hadn’t continued it until his daughter Emily had shown some interest in the hobby. He now collects some 80s and 90s baseball that he also collected as a kid.
After looking through binders, Emily originally decided on a card for her Umbreon PC (personal collection), as it wasn’t a card she had. This Pokémon in particular is her favorite, but after looking over prices with her father, it was determined this card was over market value, and continued the search.
After looking through a “price as marked” slab bin, Emily pulled out her next target; a 2017 Ash’s Pikachu “I choose you” promo PSA 9. Although Emily has other slabs in her collection, this card caught her eye because not only does she love Pikachu, she thought it was a “cool card design”, “the I choose you promo caught her eye”, and “she particularly enjoyed the background.”
The deal was done, and we parted ways, but I look forward to seeing Emily and her father at the Chantilly shows to come. Many have watched me and my collection grow over the years through this show, and now I have the opportunity to do the same.
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