SPECIAL FORCES

2001 TOPPS CHROME TRADED ALBERT PUJOLS/ ICHIRO

SUZUKI #T99

A card for the ages, with the two 2001 rookies who turned into baseball royalty. What Ichiro did for the American League, Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals star, did for the National League.

2004 SP CHIROGRAPHY ICHIRO SUZUKI/KEN GRIFFEY JR. DUAL AUTO

There's only one thing that could make this rare dual autograph any better: if Griffey was still in his old Mariner uni. Don't worry — there are plenty of classic Ichiro/Griffey combos out there.

Of the numerous Ichiro/ Ohtani multi-signature cards, none are cleaner than this triple on-card auto, also featuring former Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui. You can’t go wrong with classic bat-on-shoulder poses and big, bold autographs.

2020 TOPPS MUSEUM COLLECTION TRIPLE AUTOGRAPHS ICHIRO SUZUKI/ HIDEKI MATSUI/ SHOHEI OHTANI #TAIMO

Featuring the next Seattle star and Mariner mainstay, Rodriguez' Topps Update rookie card has one sweet variation.

2022 TOPPS UPDATE JULIO RODRIGUEZ #US44

By Dustin Porras

For collectors of Japanese-originated TCGs, the release of a new product is an experience that is enjoyed twice: cards are first released in Japanese, and later in English. While many collectors relish the duplicated appeal of collecting two languages, others prefer to stay in one lane. Most Japanese sets eventually get adapted for English collectors, often creating a mixture of multiple releases in one. When the English Pokémon Skyridge set debuted in 2003, for example, it featured cards from the Split Earth and Mysterious Mountains sets, which both dropped in Japan several months prior.

However, while the majority of Japanese sets receive English counterparts, there are certain cards throughout the years that never crossed the cultural barrier and remain exclusive to Japan to this day. These cards often increase in value over time due to their singular, unrepeated nature. The reasons for cards remaining in their native language are varied, but it is commonly due to the fact that certain cards — especially promos — are tethered to regional, one-time events such as contests, tournaments, or Pokémon Center grand openings.

And though there is no shortage of Japanese-exclusive gems across characters and eras, nobody does it with as much style — or variety — as Pikachu.