Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Old cards of a lower quality?

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xl Aero

New Member
So, onto the main event.

Recently I got back into collecting, and I went through the cards I had originally before I took a long break from Pokemon TCG.

These cards are in the Base Set and the early Wizards cards, but I noticed that some of my cards appear to have printed in error.

By this, I mean that the pictures are of a lower quality (slight discoloration in tints and a blurrier picture of a lower resolution), and the blue backing appears to be of a darker shade of blue than the normal card (it is noticeably darker). Upon first notice, my friend had called them fakes, but I had never bought any fake cards and there is nothing to imply that it is a fake, other than the card's resolution (it is cut the same as any card and retains the same thickness). They are all still in mint condition, so it can't be due to any sort of damage.

What do you guys think? Are they fake cards? Or simply just misprints and errors of the original set? I'd like to know what your insight is.

Some of these cards (that I can remember) are the original Base Set "Onix", the Base Set "Starmie", and the Base Set "Super Energy Removal".
 
If you think they're fakes you should take some pictures. I was young when Base set and all that were coming out, but I remember being given plenty of fake cards from relatives who bought them at flea markets, fairs, etc.

And I'm no expert, but if they're not fake it's probably just because they were of lower quality (I would assume), and are now over a decade old.
 
The thing is, I'm just not sure; if they are indeed fakes, then hot dang, these counterfeits are the closest to any real card I've encountered. Tomorrow, I'll take a picture of them and show you people here.

Same with me; I was young and didn't really know much, but the only fakes I ever got were in China, and henceforth they were Chinese. The other fakes are all stickers.

That indeed may be true as well, after all the only cards these affect are all from the Base Set. Being the first batch of the first generation of Pokemon cards, I suppose a printing error easily could have occurred. I suppose I'll keep an eye on them and be sure to check with others before I attempt to use them in Unlimited play (after all, that SER is the only one I own).
 
Do they have a shadow to the right of the picture box?
If not, then that would explain it.
The first print run had some differences than later print runs, including some color changes.
 
Yes PokePop, they contain shadows.

They are, though Base Set, not the shadowless edition. They are just of a lower print quality.

It is, however, likely that these were in the first print run of the shadowed base set.

When taking a picture, they look as normal as any card, so I am unable to take a good accurate picture at this moment to show you. However, it is easily and noticeably different. Say, if the cards now are printed with a 300 dpi, these appear to be printed at 100-200 dpi and with a lacking ability in accurate coloring.
 
I'd say they are fake, then.

If you're willing, you can rip a common card and see if you can see the layers of the material making up the card.
Real ones will have a dark layer.
Or, without ripping them, hold a non-foil card up to a strong light. Can you see the Pokeball from the back of the card shining though?
If so, they are fakes.

Are any of them holo?
If so, are they the right holo pattern?
I've never see the correct holo pattern faked.
 
Ahah; I'm not sure I'm willing for that, Pokepop. I'll continue to believe it is real.

Actually, I have enough Base Set Starmie's, and this one appears to be a blatant fake upon first glance. I'll rip this and get back with results.

I do not actually have any holos of these low-quality cards. I do have a Hitmonchan Shadowless that is holo, the entire background appears to have been masked over with a layer of green holofoil, and the discoloration has made energy symbols very dark and the fighting color of the card has become from a tan-orange to a dark brown.
This may just in fact be due to the condition of the card when I first received it, as it had been in a closet collecting dust. I will check this as well and tell you if that is fake also.

EDIT: It appears it is a fake. That's odd though, I don't remember getting any fakes of the Base Set. I ripped the Starmie of LQ and a real Machop for comparison. In ripping the Starmie, I lacked seeing the dark material between the layers. Also, in ripping halfway, the card bent and retains a sort of paperboard crease, while the Machop simply curved inwards.

Whoever created this batch of fakes that I apparently have must really have been good. The cards were able to stay in mint condition as easily as a regular card; they weighed the same and were of the same thickness. The cut size was the perfect size and the backing was very identical except for a slightly darker coloration, which some Pokemon cards do have (upon further inspection, though it is darker and the backing is printed on a very high quality, it still does not match the quality of the real Pokemon backs, which are just barely better).

If it were not for the image being at a poor quality, I believe these cards would very EASILY have been able to pass off as real. I have to say, kudos to the one who created this fake back in the Base Set days. I just haven't seen any fakes as close to the original as this (excluding image quality, every aspect of the card is perfectly followed and pristinely identical to the original).

Thanks for helping me solve the mystery, guys. I owe you one.
 
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I always thought shadowless Base Set cards looked much better than the newer Base Set cards. The younger runs of Base Set looked like they were printed on a printer that was low on ink; they didn't have as much color as the originals.

Additionally, I can verify that I have some Pokemon cards where the blue borders on the back are lighter or darker than others. It happens.
 
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