Hey guys! This is my first post here, so if it’s in the wrong spot please let me know! I made a post on reddit.com/r/pkmntcgcollections and was told that the Alakazam card I have may be part of an extremely rare test print pre-1998. I was told to post my card & some info about it here in hopes that we all can learn more about my card, and if it’s real / what it’s worth!
If you have any ideas as to whether or not this card is truly part of one of these test prints, or want more information about it, please let me know! I want to learn as much as possible about this card, and if it’s worth anything!
Hmm. I’ll email Rusty to see why he thinks that over fake.
Isn’t it an incorrect holofoil, incorrect dimensions, hand-cut edges, and miscolored borders? What is it about the card that’s making it seem definitively real?
It is definitely hand cut from one of the “test” sheets. However, I remember there was a debate about their authenticity. The fraying on the bottom of the card is suspicious.
Where did you purchase the card from? Also, do you by chance have an alakazam base set holo? That would be ideal for comparison.
I already contacted The Charizard Authority and he believes it is hand cut from one of these sheets. Unfortunately, I do not have a normal Holographic Alakazam. As for where I purchased the card, I have no clue. I cleaned out my room at home to move out, and re-found all of my cards. I know I’ve had this card for over 10 years, and I don’t believe I (or my mom) ever bought it. So I must have traded for it or have it given to me.
Hmm that makes the origin of the “test” sheet even more suspicious. It is very improbable that someone who casually collected when they were younger would stumble upon something that was never supposed to be released to the public.
Truth be told, I didn’t take that good care of my cards when I was little. I have a lot of cards that have the same type of bends/tears in them. So the fraying you had mentioned may be due to that.
At any rate, I’m just trying to learn as much as I can about this card, so any information is good information!
No problem! It is definitely handcut from the “test” sheet. However the larger dilemma is authenticating the “test” sheets themselves. During the original release there were a lot of counterfeits produced. If we can get definitive confirmation on the “test” sheets that would be ideal.
If anything, your card will help get that discussion/investigation started.
This is exactly why I posted here! Up until this past Saturday, I had always wondered about my card and whether or not it was anything special. I posted it on Reddit, it got noticed, and I was then pointed here! I have no more information about the test sheets, but if you do want more info about my card specifically, I will do my best!
I just know that I have it. I really don’t have any recollection of every buying it, trading it, or getting it as a gift. I just… have it. I can tell you that I’ve had it for probably closer to 12-14 years, and would have had to gotten it within the Twin Cities area.
By any chance did you hand cut the corner of the card yourself at any point. The bottom left corner is the only one that might pass off as being machine done, but it’s clearly the wrong size as a normal pokemon card would have. That alone is proof that it’s not WOTC produced.
I know we already have enough evidence that the “test” sheet wasn’t WOTC, the miscut of the corners just further reinforces that belief.
Also I didn’t realize Rusty bought a test sheet for himself, as pointed out in Bluey.:* link.
The thing that bothers me is in Rusty’s article he says the sign off person was the same as his shadowless sheet. There’s obviously many theories that can come out of that. It could be authentication that the “test” sheet did come from Wizards, it could mean that that is the individual who is faking these test sheets, but the scary theory is whomever is making the test sheet might have gotten their hands on the actual hologram foil used by Wizards and is reprinting actual cards.
Think of the cigar label hitmonchan, that crown roll leaf logo is a hologram printing company. It’s not too far fetched to think that someone could have contacted them to get the same foil, assuming crown roll leaf is the one who provided the holofoil.
Of course this is all speculation, the easy way to disprove this theory is for Rusty to get his shadowless sheet authenticated by his contact. If it’s authentic, then nothing to worry about. If not, well… let’s not get into that.
I don’t remember if I did or didn’t cut them. Knowing me as a child, I know I didn’t take that great of care of my cards, but I don’t see myself mutilating any of them either. If you have any ideas on how to get the ball rolling on trying to find the actual origin of this, or how to authenticate Rusty’s sheet, please let me know. As I might have mentioned, this is my first time posting on any forums about this, so I am really new to this whole thing!
At any rate, thanks for the info! I really do appreciate it!
On that note. What’s your earliest memory of it? Intuitively I would think that card would be a bit unforgettable due to it’s oddity and it’s rarity. But that’s not to say it’s not possible.
Also, what made you think to seek it out? You mentioned that you “finally” found it, so what prompted you to look for it? Just hoping we can piece this puzzle together because this could mean you have an incredibly rare card, or a very interesting and well done fake.
My third paragraph and downward was more intended to be for the general community. Rusty is a member here, and many people here know him. He also has his own Wizards contact so to get his sheet authenticated is something he’s more the equipped to do, he just needs to see the post/get time to do it.
If you want to try and find the origin, knowing where you got your card, then asking around the community where CrazyPokemon got his test sheets; or ask him themselves if they have his contact info, Crazy is an individual known to have “test” sheets. Then figure out where Rusty got his. As well as any other known whereabouts of “test” sheets that anyone else might have.
I know you don’t remember where you acquired your card, so best case scenario for you is to take a general area, AKA city, state.
My earliest memory of it is when I was putting all of my cards into my new (at the time) card holding book thing. I never really played TCG, so I mainly sought out the rare cards and held on to them. I remember thinking that the card was really strange because of the things that were/are off with it.This was over 10 years ago, so I’m a little fuzzy on the whole thing…
To answer your second question, I was moving out of my mom’s after moving back from college and into my new apartment. I was going through the stuff in my room and had stumbled upon this card album, along with my rare Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I looked through both, and remembered about the Alakazam, which then led me to make the original post on Reddit over the weekend. A user on Reddit linked me to the couple websites about the test sheets and told me I should contact The Charizard Authority, as well as make a post about it here. And now here we are!
Sorry for the wall of text, I’m just trying to be as detailed as I can be so I/we can figure this whole thing out!
I have been trying to contact the former print production manager since January - but no luck. Last I heard was from a family member that she had been taken to Hospice.
PSA has the ability to encase and certify certain sheets if they know print patterns, but I have not gotten around to contacting them. I doubt that they would be able to do something like that for Pokemon, but it is worth a shot.
Most likely case is that we will be stuck only with the information that we can gather ourselves. After picking one up myself, I am leaning towards them being printed by WOTC… but owning one makes me partial haha.
I have the same feeling as you. I’ve had this card for over a decade and never thought of it really. Now that it *may* be real, I’m 100% sure it’s a thing, and I’m hoping it is in fact real. Then again, we have to try and gather as many facts as possible, along with my poor memory of how I actually got this card.
The sheet I have was bought off someone who got it at a flea market in NY. I know 1 of the 3 print facilities was in NY, but that is about it. Whoever hand-cut your Alakazam would have undoubtedly cut more in all but a few unlikely scenarios that I can think of.
