With the upcoming anniversary set, we will get reprints of at least one Gold Star and introductions of at least one new Gold Star. This begs the question what can be considered a complete Gold Star set. Until now, the case was pretty clear as most Gold Stars were released only once ( with the exception of the Kanto Eeveelutions in Japanese), so if you had 27/27, you had the full set. But how will the situation be post 25th anniversary?
For example, will a set of 26 old Japanese Gold Stars minus the Play Promo Umbreon but with the new Umbreon reprint still count as full set? Or another example: will a set of all old Gold Stars but without the new Greninja Star be considered complete?
There’s probably not one definitive answer to this question, but I’d like to hear your opinion on this.
The wonderful thing about collecting is you can determine for yourself which cards you want to pursue and which ones count towards your collection goals. I’ve always wanted a Japanese Umbreon Gold Star, but I’ve never been able to have one. The new one is absolutely going to “count” for me. But I’d also understand if someone else felt that having a reprint wasn’t acceptable, and they wanted the Play promo copy for their collection. Regardless of which one you personally would pursue, the collections are different.
So to answer the question, there are (and always have been) different types of “complete” sets. Some people think complete sets are just one of each numbered card in the set. Some think that includes reverse holos as well. Some include variants and prerelease cards. Others won’t be satisfied unless they have all the promos as well.
Someone that has the original 27 gold star cards has a complete set. So does someone who has the original 27 plus whatever new reprints are out there. They are just different types of “complete” and while one has more cards than the other, you could make a solid argument that each one is the “true complete set.” Personally, if I were going after a “complete” gold star set, I’d want the new ones solely for the thrill of chasing more gold stars after so long.
@fourthstartcg’s answer completely nails it for me. It’s up to you how you define your collection goals.
For me, I collected the English Gold Stars as a set, and that’s a collection goal I have completed and which won’t change anymore. I might pick up the new Umbreon on the side if I like it enough and manage to justify it within my collection, but it doesn’t belong to the original set to me personally. In the same way I considered adding the Gold Star Mew from the Championship Deck at one point, but ultimately decided against this as I didn’t find it fitting. We’ll see where the Umbreon ends up.
I guess a similar question can be asked about Evolutions and Base set. In the end it’s personal, but for me I didn’t feel that my base set collection had to grow after Evolutions came out. They are different set and different collection goals.
A core part of the gold star identity is their history. I love that they’re releasing Evolutions-style reprints of them, but I personally would never consider having them in place of the originals. I’m sure TPCI will make these new ones look amazing, but they can’t replicate the organic collectability that the original gold stars have. What makes the gold stars special is that they were released when the hobby was at its low and while the collector-base was near-exclusively comprised of children. There’s also so little sealed product from that era left that there’s really no way to acquire more mint, raw copies. All of this and more is what makes gold stars (minus the dogs) so organically collectible, and it’s something TPCI can’t replicate.
That said, collecting is all about satisfying yourself. The above is solely how I feel – it’s not meant to be prescriptive. Don’t collect a certain way just because I or anyone else says so. If you feel satisfied having the reprints over the originals, then that’s totally valid.
Thanks for the answers, everyone. @fourthstartcg 's answer helped a lot, because at times I forget that everyone collects for themselves in the first place, so it’s less about what can be considered “complete” in canon, but what’s satisfying for the individual. However, I can also understand if someone else would have stricter requirements for “completeness” of a set than simply substitute a card for a modern reprint, as @zorloth and @voltagic said, so proclaiming that one certainly has the “complete set” of something like Gold Stars is always a slippery slope, unless the entire master set is present.
I did ask that question also out of personal interest and not just out of curiosity, as I naively decided to collect all Japanese Gold Stars when I entered the hobby in 2019, not knowing what I got myself into and how crazy 2020 would be. The problem is that I tend to obsess over personal goals once they are set in stone (no turning back), and the constant feeling of being obligated to finish the set despite increasing financial pressure to keep up with the prices is doing a number on my mental health. I’m not sure if I can continue like this, but I also feel even more awful if I stop collecting them now, as the prices will likely increase further while I’m taking a break and end the chase forever. The announcement of an Umbreon reprint was somewhat of a silver lining, as it would be a way to still get this Gold Star species and come closer to a “complete set”, but I wanted to see other opinions on this because I don’t want to be considered a cheater for settling with a reprint among all the other originals.
I agree largely with @zorloth and @fourthstartcg, though I will add that my mind forces me to recognize a complete set of Gold Stars and a complete set of original Gold Stars as two different sets. Similar to the difference between a complete set and a complete master set. Both are complete, but one contains the 2021 prints while the other caps at the 2007 eeveelutions. With this distinction, anyone can collect either set and call it a complete set of Gold Stars.
I’m in the same boat, gotta just do what you feel looks the best. I only wanted a full holo GS set that’s why I went with the play Espeon, I’ve since through in the towel and got an English Umbreon as the play has been insane, did you get the Espeon play for your set?
I feel these new reprints will be extremely attainable unless I’ve missed something!? If anything, they will just make the old gold stars even more revered. I do hope that the pull rates are low so they can create a sense of scarcity with them.
My opinion is that your set should expand as the qualifying cards increase. I am a pretty rigid collector and do not collect cards outside the first two generations, but I occasionally make some exceptions like with the modern reissues of Ancient Mew in Japan and Korea. I wanted “all the Ancient Mews” - so when they made more, I bought them.
I think even if you view them differently within the context of your collection, a complete set would/should include additional cards made in that specific tradition. You can always make a personal decision to exclude them, which is perfectly valid and needs no justification, but I think including them would 1) be more complete and 2) more fun.