On Wed, 29 Sep 1999 Frimip@aol.com wrote:

> The set description that you have at the beginning is a help to me. I sort of 
> go back and forth to double check myself. The really confusing one is that 
> Gym1 and Gym2.
> Also what does "colorless" mean? I don't play the game. I just collect the 
> cards.
> Thanks so much for your help. Hope to get myself straightened out soon and 
> will, I'm sure with your patience.
> Thanks again,
> Florence
> 


There are 7 "colors" of monsters in the card game
(In the Game Boy game there are actually 15 "colors/types").

These 7 are:
Fighting
Fire
Grass
Lightning
Psychic
Water
Colorless

"Colorless" are somewhat unique in the game (from a rules/
strategy standpoint), but from a collecting standpoint 
you can consider it just one of the seven different "colors/types".

Gym1 and Gym2 ARE confusing because people TRY to lump
the cards they find in the THEME DECKS with cards from
the Gym1 and Gym2 EXPANSION SETS.  They should NOT lump
these together.  Altogether there are EIGHT! (8) different
"Gym" Sets of cards to collect:

Brock's Deck
Misty's Deck
Lt. Surge's Deck
Erika's Deck
Sabrina's Deck
Blaine's Deck
Gym Expansion #1
Gym Expansion #2

If you were collecting japanese cards, you would want to
buy SEALED (unopened!) Gym THEME decks and NOT open them.
These SETS (decks) are FIXED (you ALWAYS get the SAME
cards in them no matter how many different copies of the
deck you buy.) Any particular card out of one of these decks
is NOT valuable unless it is accompanied by all of the
other cards, plus the box, plus the plastic coin, plus
the rule books, etc.

What many people are confused about:
Some of the cards that can be found in the Theme decks
look identical to cards from the two expansion sets ALMOST!
MOST people overlook this ALMOST part...  ALL OF THE THEME
DECK CARDS DO NOT HAVE RARITY SYMBOLS.  So, even if everything
else looks exactly the same, you COULD NOT try to sell a
Gym Expansion #1 Set unless ALL of the cards had rarity 
symbols, and you can ONLY find cards with rarity symbols
from Gym Expansion booster packs (NOT from the theme decks).

It is different with the U.S. cards (and this is the source
of most of the confusion I am guessing.)
WOTC decided to print rarity symbols on the theme deck cards.
So if you are collecting your Unlimited edition Jungle set,
and ONLY missing a Kangaskhan Foil card... NO need to buy
any more booster packs!  Just buy the theme deck that comes
with a Kangaskhan Foil.  It will cost you $10, but if you
bought enough boosters to find one, it would cost you
lots more I bet ;-)

Hope this helps a little,
Brian