1st edition Shadowed Machamp: why?

General
1

(Almost) all of us know the holo Shadowed Base Set Machamp isn’t available as unlimited edition, but what I don’t know is why. I know we have the following English variations for this Machamp artwork:

  • Base Thick 1st edition Shadowless Holofoil
  • Base Thin 1st edition Shadowless Holofoil
  • Base Grey 1st edition Shadowless Holofoil
  • Base 1st edition Shadowed Holofoil from the 2-Player Starter Set
  • Base 1st edition Shadowed Cosmos Holofoil from the 2-Player CD-ROM Starter Set
  • Base non-1st edition Shadowed non-holo with Red Bordered back from the Trainer Deck A
  • Legendary Collection Holofoil
  • Legendary Collection Reverse Foil
  • XY Evolutions Holofoil
  • XY Evolutions Holofoil Pre-Release Evolutions stamp
  • XY Evolutions Holofoil Pre-Release Evolutions STAFF stamp
  • XY Evolutions Reverse Holo

(And many more Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Dutch variations…)

I also know the Machamp wasn’t available in unlimited edition booster packs, but only in the 2-Played Starter Deck.

So my question is why? Why did they exclude it from the booster packs? Why did they place the 1st edition stamp on it?

Greetz,
Quuador

2

Answer: To sell more Starter Decks (you’re welcome) :wink:

4 Likes
3

I’m pretty sure there’s no machamp in base 2

1 Like
4

Probably to force players to purchase a 2-Player Starter Set :stuck_out_tongue:

I’ve always found it odd that they used a picture of a non-1st edition Machamp on the back of the 4th print 2 Player Starter Set.

1 Like
5

Actually I think this is a good reason why.
WotC has learned from MtG that product sells if it offers something unique to that item.
Also, unlike MtG, Pokemon had a very good ‘starter product’ with the 2-Player Starter Deck, the PC CD-ROM and the Theme Decks.

And since cards for decks are printed on their own sheet, it’s not strange that they printed Machamp enmasse on it’s own foil sheet to be later added into the (theme) decks.

6

You’re right. Removed.

Greetz,
Quuador

7

The Grey only affects the shadowed version as far as I know. I’ve never seen a Shadowless Grey Stamp Machamp.

1 Like
8

Isn’t that kind of weird considering the 1st edition shadowless Machamps were printed on the same sheets as all the other 1st edition shadowless base set holos?

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9

You’re right, but grey stamped holos are only on the thin stamped versions. This would also be a part of the earliest English Base printed. Maybe none have surfaced yet, not sure. It is a specific part of the process.

10

A Machamp without the foil or 1st Ed stamp can be found in a trainer deck pack.

11

I recall Gary saying he graded a grey stamp shadowless machamp a while back

12

I find shadowed 1st Ed Machamp to be one of the ugliest cards in existence. I think it stems from it being such a ‘common’ card as a kid, I’ve just seen too much of it. Having the Japanese version is a breath of fresh air, it’s like a slave without chains. Even the shadowless version is a lot nicer.

2 Likes
13

… But most Shadowless Machamps have a thin stamp anyway? I’m not sure I follow your logic. Not saying you’re wrong, though.

Also what do you by “the earlier English base printed”?

As far as I can tell here’s a timeline for Shadowless cards:

1 - Shadowless cards printed
2 - Thick 1st edition stamps applied to some holos and all non-holos
3 - Thin 1st edition stamps applied to remaining holos
4 - January 9, 1999 - Earliest 1st edition and shadowless cards made available in some parts of the country (1st edition unavailable in most regions)
5 - Shadowless cards continue to print for only a short while longer
6 - The Shadowless print run comes to an end

Only steps I’m not sure of are 5 & 6 - that’s more of an educated guess based on what I’ve learned.

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14

I agree. And while I find my preference for Japanese base set colors vs English shadowless colors depends on the card, I find the the English unlimited is pretty much always the ugliest color. I have no idea why WOTC made the choices that they did.

For just one example…

Shadowless Gyarados

vs

Unlimited Gyarados.

I mean… why? Look at how much more vibrant the colors on the Shadowless Gyarados are!

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2 Likes
15

@hyruleguardian Yeah I think it’s cool though how some I prefer in shadowless, some Japanese and some even English unlimited. Would make for a good discussion to go through them all.

16

Gary’s was shadowed. Along with Shadowed Machamp being one of the most available cards, its grey stamp variant is also the most common of all grey stamps in my experience.

1 Like
17

This is true. Not sure if I sold it to someone here or kept it?

18

There you go. I guess I forgot it was shadowed lol. My dad used to say, "The mind goes second":wink:

19

Anyone graded the CD cosmos one? A sub-collection of Machamp variants would be nice.