TIFU by leaving my pokemon cards at home

Hello Reddit,

21 year old guy here.

Ever since I can remember I have really loved pokemon. When I was a kid I was very much obsessed with everything pokemon. I had a pokemon backpack, I would buy tins every month. I had binders of binders of cards I traded for.

I initially got into collecting because a dear friend of mine who is no longer with us today unfortunately, began teaching me how to battle at recess. I didn’t really understand at first. And to be honest for the first few years I only collected the cards because I liked the shiny EXs lol. (Mega Charizard Ex 2016 specifically was a card I worked weeks to get. My all time favorite card.) my favorite Pokemon is actually Bulbasaur.

Anyways, life goes on and even though I grow, my obsession with pokemon cards doesn’t age out. I was spending at least forty bucks a month on opening cards and packs to finish sets. Before my collection got donated (heartbreaking) I had finished 12 complete sets of cards.

So after highschool I really decided that I was going to focus on my future and decided to leave most of my pokemon card collection at home. I still have two very sentimental cards, one from a grandpa who passed away, and my first ever pokemon card which my friend gave me.

I initially assumed these items would be safe untouched on my bookshelf. My mom knew how much I loved pokemon cards and even when I was 11-15 she would purchase me cards on my birthday and holidays. I just don’t understand.

Anyway, I get a call this Friday from my excited mom and she told me how she qoute “decluttered my room.” From all the old mess that was in it. Instantly my heart began to race because my collection was worth well what I’ve paid into it. I would say around 4000 total. But a lot of cards I went to places to trade for or traded at events so there’s immense value I just can’t calculate that’s now completely gone.

I asked my mom what she meant by decluttered and she explained to me about how she was going through the old rooms, (I have an older sister) and donating must of our old junk.

I of course panickingly asked about my pokemon cards. Silently praying that she didn’t touch them. But in the most gut wrenching gleeful tone I could hear this woman who birthed me utter.

“Oh those old pieces of cardboard, I donated them to goodwill.” I genuinely didn’t even know how to react in that moment. I could feel the months, hours of videos, memories, flooding and fleeting. What had felt like a treasure trove I had collected now faded into nothing and what was replaced was the feeling of waste.

Like I feel like a part of my life itself has been tossed in the trash. Hours of openings and working to save for a new booster box; just zip. I would spend hours on the floor as a kid organizing just the extras I had because I appreciate these cards.

I won’t lie reddit. I cried, I cried heavily, I am still crying heavily. This collection meant the world to me. I should’ve brought it with me to college so I could’ve better protected it. Like I genuinely regret not bringing them because I really thought about it.

I am so angry and devasted with my mom. Not only did she not even ask me, she flat out took what feels like a small part of me and gave it away. However, I really shouldn’t of left it at home. I didn’t know something like this was going to happen but my mom is crazy eccentric and manic sometimes.

I feel so angry and betrayed. I’m teetering on cutting this stuff woman out of my life and deleting her number. These cards meant the world to me and she knew it. She refuses to acknowledge their potential value, she doesn’t think qoute “cardboard” can go for that much. I can’t tell if it’s ignorance or just plain a lack of understanding.

TLDR; My whole life I’ve collected pokemon cards. After gaining an impressive collection and heading off to college, my mom decided to, without warning, donate my collection of pokemon cards. Which practically grew up beside me.