Hey there! Actually, there's a very active playing and collecting community in the Chicago area. There's a thriving league in Crystal Lake, where I live, a slightly smaller league in Cary, a league in Deerfield, and a league in Chicago itself.
People to contact, depending on where you live, would be...
Jimmy Ballard (ShopCCNC) - Chicago
Rob Downs (SLOW DECK) - Crystal Lake
Carlos Pero (losjackal) - Deerfield
Now, leagues are primarily for playing... however, if you're looking for cards to complete your collection, it might not be a bad idea to stop by. We can also help you appraise your collection, offer tips, etc. etc. Now, as for your other questions...
Gold star cards are secret rare cards found in EX-series packs from EX Team Rocket Returns-onward. A full description of what Pokémon star are, along with a list of every Pokémon star, can be found
here, on Bulbapedia. Read up! Hope that helps.
Storing holos in sleeves and/or binders is usually a good idea... I have some of mine in soft sleeves stored in deckboxes, some in soft sleeves in toploaders, and some in binders. Store your commons wherever you like. Personally, I use the white cardboard boxes you can get at local card shops. Makes the most sense.
please help
