Disclaimer: I couldn’t find any topic to attach this question to, so I created my own. Apologies in advance if this was not the right way to do so.
I’m currently on a journey to collect all Mewtwo cards, and I recently added one of my favorites to the collection: the CoroCoro Mewtwo Strikes Back Jumbo card from 1998. Since I grade all my cards, I aim to find them in the best condition possible. As you might know, vintage cards—especially CoroCoro ones—can be tough to grade, so whenever I come across one in better condition than mine, I make sure to buy it.
That brings me to where I am now. I purchased these two cards recently, but there’s something strange about the second one. I’m unsure whether it’s a fake or just a print variation. Any information or insights would be greatly appreciated!
1—Color: There is something weird about it. The first one is a bit more pale. It feels like comparing different versions of the Base set. 2—Centering and weird cut: The second one has this diagonal cut on the left side. The worst thing about it is that it’s not just bad centering. The cut makes the card smaller on the top compared to the other one. And the top-to-bottom centering is quite bad. The bottom red logo collides with the edge of the card, but that can be a production mistake. 3- No Peeling marks (I don’t know their name in English): The second one does not have the little cardboard connector that holds it to the cardboard frame where it came in. Nor Top or bottom. This is my strongest indicator that something is not right here. 4- Texture: The front has a similar glossy texture. But the back has an extra touch of glossiness that is hard to capture in pictures.
On the other hand, the graphics do not show visual discrepancies (at least, I couldn’t see any). That’s why I’m still confused about whether this is a terribly produced card or a fake one. Any help or insights would be very welcome!
If both copies have the same pattern, I would not be concerned. If they’re different, then it becomes questionable.
Here’s an example from another card:
The example above is what I would expect to see, it follows the “rosette pattern” used to separate cyan, magenta, yellow, and black colors. It’s great that you have the first copy and now you can compare both copies.
I own a few of these, and they are all like that. I don’t think there is enough interest in these vintage jumbos to necessitate proxies and subsequently authentication. They occupy a niche similar to other non-tcg cards
One thing I noticed, when I saw the photos of the OP’s back of the card I thought my physical copy was more muted in color and matte.
But then when I took photos of the back of mine with my phone it looked the same as OP’s above.
So smartphone cameras seem to upscale a little. If you’re ever in doubt try and take a photo and then compare the colors and crispness so it’s apples to apples
I wouldn’t consider the lack of glossiness a red flag, especially on a card that shows signs of being played/handled. Like the OP’s, your copy looks authentic.
