By Chad Neal
John Nelson is an Ellicottville local who is trend-setting and on the fleek*. He moved here quite a while ago with his now wife, Samantha. They are both quite an enthusiastic couple and they are very truehearted about Ellicottville. They both helped to keep the ski tree in the village by planning a grand fundraising party at Madigan’s. And that’s just a minuscule deal they’ve done here. Samantha is a business owner and John is a lawyer who helps the community and also sat as judge in Ellicottville; this was just the beginning of their lives in this little ski town. They have a son, Weston now and are a well-known family. John went abroad to start and finish a documentary about a popular 90’s craze, Pokémon! He and his family went on an adventure to find the first one of the whimsical cards that the Japanese inventor made, and the movie called “Cardbound” which Nelson produced and presented in is the journey into getting the prized paragon.
This writer watched the documentary “Cardbound” the day it came out on Amazon Prime, it’s also on a few other streaming sites. I found it fascinating to see what my friend was up to all this time I hadn’t seen him. The film was put together well and following him and his son and his new found friends in this epic expedition was fun and exciting. It’s a story where you’re rooting for them to get what they are after.
The Villager caught up with John Nelson and got to find out a little more about his voyage into gaining his desired treasure.
The Village (V): How did Pokémon find you?
John Nelson (JN): I found Pokémon through my son, Weston. We started collecting together as a family, and it really took off during the McDonald’s Pokémon cards. That was the moment collecting became something we enjoyed together.
V: In the movie you say that you collected {other things ie: Star Wars} since you were young with your mom and now you are reliving that with Weston in a way. Did he introduce Pokémon? Was it together?
JN: It was something we discovered together as a family. Collecting had always been something my mom and I shared growing up, so being able to experience that again with Weston has made it even more meaningful. Sam, my brother Alan, and Weston really love Pokémon Go, catching shiny Pokémon is always their mission together around town or on vacations.
V: What made you serious about finding the “sacred” cards and elements of the trending phenomenon?
JN: back in the ‘90s, I was passionate about collecting Star Wars toys. I built a website where collectors could share information and discuss new releases. It was a lot of fun, but over time interest shifted away from the modern collectibles of the 1990s and toward the original toys from ‘70s and ‘80s.
When my friend Phillybeatzu introduced me to the earliest Pokémon TCG cards, it made me wonder; if collectors care so much about “firsts” in other hobbies, what was the first in Pokémon? And why isn’t that history more widely understood? That question ultimately started the entire journey to find the earliest card.
V: How did you find the other super collectors?
JN: It happened over time. I built trust and friendships through countless conversations, texts, and years of collecting together. The Pokémon community is surprisingly small once you get into the earliest cards, and these relationships became one of the best parts of the project.
V: What made you decide to make a documentary about it?
JN: Originally, I had planned to make a 15-minute YouTube video explaining the history and timeline of the earliest Pokémon cards because there was—and still is—a lot of debate over which cards actually came first. I also wanted to tell a simple story about why grown adults become so passionate about collecting pieces of Cardbound.
But as we started filming, new discoveries kept happening, more people became involved, and the story kept growing. Eventually, it evolved into the feature-length documentary you see today.
V: Seeing the Ellicottville posters and the Madigan’s shirt was really cool, and everyone from Ellicottville will appreciate those clips. What was the connection like with the other super collectors when they saw Ellicottville?
JN: There’s a great moment when Pokegangsta corrects himself saying Upstate New York, and calls it Western New York. I had to include that in the film, us Western New Yorkers always appreciate when we’re properly credited. I wanted the film to reflect where this journey actually started.
V: How did they enjoy it? Did they have a favorite place or anything worth bringing up?
JN: MaxMaxCity really loved Brad’s gym, Warrior Fitness. We got a lot of funny B-roll there that will probably end up in future videos. The night before filming, we all went to a Bandits game, and they couldn’t believe how many people showed up to watch lacrosse. It was fun getting to show them a little bit of Western New York.
V: How cool it was to see the great ending and you getting your prize card. How did you and your family feel and celebrate that moment?
JN: Getting the card was exciting, but it was still stressful. It was a huge gamble, and we had no idea if I was right or I’d just made a very expensive mistake. The biggest relief wasn’t owning the card— it was having CGC authenticate it. My family and I took one night off from worrying and just enjoyed the moment before getting back to work.
V: Now that you’ve completed the mission, I can’t foresee you stopping your ambition. Is there another collection or more Pokémon you’re interested in? Where will you go from here, Cardbound 2?
JN: I’ve been quietly collecting every publicly available Pokémon product released in 1995 and 1996, and I have some bigger plans for the future. It isn’t Cardbound 2, though. Right now, I’m taking little break to spend time with my family and friends, who were incredibly patient through the last six months of filming.
Finding Cardbound on a streaming link isn’t hard, and it is definitely worth the watch especially if you know the Nelsons. It is definitely a great plug for Ellicottville and it is a sentimental piece because of the family togetherness you notice in it. Let’s hope another great documentary comes from the mind of John Nelson and family.
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