1st Edition Fixation Syndrome

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When it comes to WOTC, I can’t bring myself to purchase an unlimited copy for my PC if it has a 1st edition variant.

I know I can get the same art at a lower cost (or purchase a higher quality unlimited copy for the same cost as the 1st edition) but for some reason I can’t bring myself to do it.

It feels irrational because I don’t miss the 1st ed stamp. In fact, I hope Pokémon doesn’t bring it back.

I don’t know what it is. There’s just something about that stupid little stamp that hits different for me…

I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on this.

If you like the art do you care if it’s 1st ed vs unlimited?

If you have an unlimited copy of said card do you secretly wish it was 1st ed?

Am I just nuts?

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You’re not nuts. That stamp is literally kewl

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1st edition stamp makes me irrational too, I get stuck in the same conundrum as you laid out.

It gets expensive but buying doubles of things helps sometimes

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Eric?

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1st edition. :1st:

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1st edition. :1st: :1st:

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…and some more 1st edition. :1st: :1st: :1st:

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I like the stamp but I don’t care if it’s there or not when I’m actially buying a card. It’s not worth the premium to me.

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the funny thing is this is only true with WotC era. anything after, generally, the 1st ed stamp is a negative

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Imagine if they brought it back now? 0% chance people could handle it

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People would get fusion reactors to work trying to figure out the ratios.

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I don’t care about 1st edition for binders. I do for graded cards.

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Thanks for the response!

Are there any instances where you’ve been able to justify the premium for the first edition stamp?

The only reason I ask is because it seems most collectors are all or nothing.

Either they have to have it, or they couldn’t care less.

I’m curious if there’s anyone in the middle

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The only “big” first edition card I have is a Dark Alakazam. It wasn’t that expensive and it was the actually part of the first raw card/TCG Player order I made when I got back into collecting. The price was fine and I didn’t think about it much.

If I find a good deal on another I’ll buy it. Just hasn’t happened. I don’t collect slabs and try to keep purchases to in-person. Since I’m not going to card shops and shows all the time there aren’t many chances.

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I have a binder with Unlimited Base, Fossil and Jungle in order of the Pokédex. I considered 1st Edition but I disliked the lack on consistency, with shadows on 1st Ed Jungle/Fossil but not on Base.

Generally the 1st Edition stamp is not enough to sway me from Unlimited. However I do collect 1st Edition Base holo slabs, because the richer colours and lack of shadow is visually appealing and feels significantly different to unlimited. Guess that makes a case for collect shadowless, but 1st Ed Base is the very first English Pokemon set…

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Ahah it’s funny because I have the opposite syndrome !
I love collecting unlimited cards when they are much much rarer than the 1st ed ones !
That’s why I am doing the full unlimited WCP set, I only miss 4 cards. It’s extremely hard to find them but what a pleasure when you do !

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Good point! I completely agree that base 1st Ed/shadowless is much more visually appealing than unlimited. Now that you have me thinking about it, if I take historical significance out of the equation I might actually prefer shadowless over 1st ED for base set. They’re just so clean looking

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I appreciate variety and bigger collection more than part of it having the 1st edition stamp for a hefty premium that would prevent me buying something else, i also prefer the uniform look of my whole wotc collection as unlimited than some of it with stamps (i do have an odd 1st ed here and there so i’m breaking my own rule a bit)

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