GROUNDBREAKING New Error - The Blue Dot + Hair Pikachu

Alright error collecting community, prepare to be WOWED!
Jk, but it is kind of neat. I noticed that a couple of my 1st Edition Red Cheek Pikas show small blue dots and identical imperfections that resemble a hair in the exact same spots. These two cards were acquired from entirely different collections. Anyone else have a copy with these imperfections? I couldn’t find any on eBay, but I didn’t check every listing.
Blue Dot + Hair Pikachu #1 (Please excuse the actual hairs.)

Blue Dot + Hair Pikachu #2

Dotless + Hairless (Normal) Variant

11 Likes

I actually did a lot of digging and found 10 more with the same error on eBay, some of them are pretty blurry though haha. Seems like (very roughly) somewhere around 5%-10% of 1st Edition Red Cheek Pikachus have this error.

www.ebay.com/itm/Pikachu-Red-Cheeks-1st-Edition-58-102-CGC-9-Mint-Base-Set-Shadowless-330/254754070461?hash=item3b50869fbd:g:fv4AAOSwQV1fjlfy

www.ebay.com/itm/Pokemon-PSA-8-Pikachu-58-102-1st-Edition-Red-Cheeks-Base-Set-Shadowless-1999-Min/174622587138?hash=item28a8513902:g:kwgAAOSwm9dgGfCb
www.ebay.com/itm/Pokemon-1st-Edition-Shadowless-Base-Set-Pikachu-Red-Cheeks-Misprint-PSA-Ready-/363240513767?hash=item5492d260e7%3Ag%3Az-0AAOSwYX9f7Ty9&nma=true&si=59lc88B41IzhFKnBFbzq%252FMQgbHE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
www.ebay.com/itm/1st-Edition-Shadowless-PIKACHU-RED-CHEEKS-58-102-1999-Pokemon-Card-PSA-/402658964051?hash=item5dc0583253%3Ag%3AKTkAAOSwZ51gDxIa&nma=true&si=59lc88B41IzhFKnBFbzq%252FMQgbHE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
www.ebay.com/itm/PSA-9-MINT-POKEMON-1999-1ST-EDITION-BASE-SET-RED-CHEEKS-PIKACHU-CARD-WOTC-58-/363269512095?hash=item54948cdb9f%3Ag%3AAZEAAOSwTMhf4kht&nma=true&si=59lc88B41IzhFKnBFbzq%252FMQgbHE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
www.ebay.com/itm/1999-POKEMON-1ST-EDITION-RED-CHEEKS-PIKACHU-58-PSA-1-/293964504701?hash=item4471a65e7d%3Ag%3AV0kAAOSwoLxgBhgB&nma=true&si=59lc88B41IzhFKnBFbzq%252FMQgbHE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

www.ebay.com/itm/1999-POKEMON-TCT-1ST-EDITION-SHADOWLESS-PIKACHU-58-RED-CHEEKS-ERROR-BGS-9-PSA-/184633866309?hash=item2afd093845%3Ag%3AgzEAAOSwToJgDJSH&nma=true&si=59lc88B41IzhFKnBFbzq%252FMQgbHE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

www.ebay.com/itm/Pikachu-First-Edition-Red-Cheeks-PSA-8-Near-Mint-Pokemon-58/143801316353?hash=item217b39f401:g:FVgAAOSw7PVfkgnT
www.ebay.com/itm/Pokemon-Pikachu-Shadowless-1st-Eddition-Base-Set-Red-Cheeks-58-102-/133649798515?hash=item1f1e261573%3Ag%3Av%7EkAAOSwPv9gEi9d&nma=true&si=59lc88B41IzhFKnBFbzq%252FMQgbHE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
www.ebay.com/itm/1999-Pokemon-Base-Set-1st-Edition-Shadowless-Red-Cheeks-Pikachu-58-PSA-9-MINT-/353332668873?hash=item524444a9c9%3Ag%3A2SIAAOSwIwpf562L&nma=true&si=59lc88B41IzhFKnBFbzq%252FMQgbHE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

4 Likes

Wow, your really digging deep to find those printing errors on Pikachu. One extra pixel of blue and the world goes nuts.

12 Likes

Lmao, yeah I know it’s a super minor error! Just surprised that no one’s picked up on it yet (to my knowledge) considering that it’s such an iconic card and it seems to be a fairly prevalent printing defect.

Wouldn’t this be considered more of a “printing malfunction” than an actual “error” in the cards intended appearance?

I guess I am trying to argue the semantics of actually using the term “error” to describe this.

Blue Dotted Pube Pikachu. Quite the title for an error :stuck_out_tongue:

18 Likes

Grey Stamp is a printing malfunction too, but people differentiate it with regular stamp

Maybe it doesn’t change a ton, but this type of knowledge inherently does change a bit in someone’s purchasing thought process. All I’m sayin is I’d rather have this card if it looks immaculate like a 10 in every way other than the printing defects; rather than another 9 with like whitening that makes a 9. So I would pay a good bit more for the latter if I was in the market for one.

Thanks for the info. I’ve added it to my checklist. Not sure I’ll pick up one, considering the price of 1st edition Red Cheeks Pikachu in general and how minor the misprint is, but I’ll keep my eyes open. I’ll also add it to my Base Pikachu variations article when I have some time.

Greetz,
Quuador

3 Likes

This is quite a astonishing discovery, it’s amazing that new things like this are being found. I guess it really shows the strength of the community and the appreciation they have for Pokemon

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Up next: CGC confirms with late 90s warehouse worker from WOTC that it is indeed his hair, confirms via DNA test, certifies and labels the card “Red Cheeks with Warehouse Worker Hair”, sells in auction for $500,000.

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Interesting, I have one 1st edition red cheeks Pikachu with this hair/blue dot and one without it from the same box.

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Red cheeks late night splittin cheeks hair error

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I can see the PSA label now

1999 POKEMON GAME
BLUE DOT PUBEACHU
1ST EDITION - RED CHEEKS

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Wow, nice find

Amazing eyes, bro!

Cant believe there are new things to learn about after 25 years…

that’s a pube

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I found a similar ‘hair’ on the back of one of my Dark Charizard graded holos. I’ll see if I can dig up the pics.

You mean the pube dot pika

Dang it Doug! For the last time…there is NO bring your pet to work day!

2 Likes