Expanded format has 23 banned cards, including powerful Supporters and Pokemon with game-breaking abilities
They were originally given out in 1998 at a Japanese Pokemon conference
This is a subjective, fan driven interpretation rather than any official meaning, but it shows up often enough in collector communities to be worth acknowledging as part of the broader emotional relationship people build with these small icons
I think its the overall style, combined with the lighting and shadow on the central figure, and general details on the characters faces and clothes that stand out most
Paul is certainly heavily invested in the brand, telling a 2022 interviewer that, Pokmon as an asset class has outperformed the stock market by upwards of 3000% in the last 20 years. Last year was a standout year for card collectors, with the $12.9-million sale of a Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant signed basketball card setting a new sports card record