Prochaos will be updating this thread when he has time but in the meantime I wanted to fix your statement so people don’t go buy the wrong one.
The Coro Coro 1998 lottery corrected illustrator pikachu is the one that matches all the other copies shifted to the left in the frame. In the 1998 Coro Coro magazine which describes the lottery, the pikachu position matches this card.
In The newly discovered variant pikachu is shifted to the right (opposite of what quador mentioned). The reason we think it may be a proof copy (please don’t take this as fact as it is just conjecture) is because the pikachu position matches the cover of the 1996 November copy of Coro Coro as well as the back of the unpeeled Coro Coro sheet inside the November 1996 book. It is also featured in a few other documents from 1996. We have not found documents past 1996 that feature the pikachu position shifted to the right.
If anyone wants to embed photos feel free to but I’m on mobile and it’s difficult. I made a post on my Instagram showing both though if anyone is curious.
@quuador , It is an interesting new development for sure, I went through my 1996 Corocoro and can add some information but nothing concrete about its release just ancillary info in the hopes we find the truth:
After the release and success of the Pokemon games Corocoro held a survey asking readers what their favourite Pokemon characters were, the winners were Pikachu and Jigglypuff. (Pokemon Story, 2000) This is the reason why Pikachu and Jigglypuff were used as the first Pokemon card promos.
In the September issue (released August) the Pikachu template used is similar to the composition of the newly found Pikachu, however I’m thinking it might be just a coincidence but it is noteworthy at least:
Since the new Pikachu has the corrected illustrator I think it is more likely to be a 1997/1998 release rather than 1996. Hopefully we can find the origin of this card!
We were actually discussing that! So my theory is the following
Proposed Timeline:
96 September magazine survey mock-up - wrong illustrator and centered right
96 November magazine - Proof created which fixed the illustrator but used original pikachu positioning featured in September. the image was sent to coro coro as well as the printing facility for the back of the laminate sheet inside the coro coro. This can be seen because inside the coro coro the back of the insert you can see the pikachu position as well as the illustrator displayed as keji kinebuchi even though the pikachu once peeled says ken sugomori.
Proof is reviewed and deemed pikachu centering should be adjusted and incorrect illustrator was accidentally used again maybe from a prior mock-up or the typesetter referenced the September image which resulted in the pikachu in the coro coro as the left shifted (normal) ken sugomori.
Later releases the illustrator was corrected and the pikachu position kept because it was as desired.
Arguments against it being a 97/98 release:
If released prior to 98 lottery - it wouldn’t make sense because they wouldn’t move the pikachu then move it back
If released in or after the 98 lottery - 2000 copy release which means no reason to move pikachu mid print. If pikachu position was an issue there were 2 other variants between this to correct the position as well as the English releases. Also 2016 rerelease of ivy pika match the pikachu positioning of sugomori glossy, keji non gloss, keiji gloss, grey star, black star, and black star 1st. If it was moved in or after the 98 lotto print the 2016 would have the same pikachu positioning.
Sorry for the essay on my thoughts. Link to some photos below
@subf , OK yeah that makes sense I will see if I can find any mention past 1996! New Pika is also featured in Base poster poster (Dec 1996 corocoro). Here are a few more all however are the corrected position: (imgur.com/a/Zlktz3w)
That August 1996 (CoroCoro September 1996 volume) mock-up image does show a Ken Sugimori artwork, though. So technically it isn’t wrong on that white-bordered mock-up, but they incorrectly transitioned it towards the actual first promo card of October 1996 (CoroCoro November 1996 volume), even though that Pikachu is made by Keiji Kinebuchi.
The first Pokémon card promos were Pikachu and Jigglypuff, though. Not Clefairy.
@subf Can you check if your Pika looks like it was peeled because I’m thinking since it is glossy it must be from a Corocoro release/peeled promo sheet as opposed to a print proof?
Is there a way to tell if it’s peeled vs not peeled? Also curious if you know about any Coro Coro promos that are similar to Pokémon ones peeled from a sheet before the 1996 pikachu and jigglypuff. Promos from other games etc
Hi guys. Sorry if I’m not allowed to bring up an old thread like this, and if there’s a newer one I’m unaware of. I heard there’s a discord too which I’d be really interested in joining to talk about these sorts of things in, if possible.
Anyways, I wanted to propose a possible timeline, and make sure I have it all correct.
First we had the error Pikachu, then the gift box corrected chu a month later, before finally getting the lottery glossy chu years after. However, we now have this new, off centered chu based on the original corocoro peeled image, and the promotional images. This makes me think it was the first ever printed, however, that’d mean they changed it mid printing of the magazine, AND messed up the illustrator somehow. That seems very odd, and to me, the Ken error Pikachu makes more sense being the first printed since they ripped the card layout from the original mockup with Ken’s actual art on it.
What makes a lot more sense to me is: Upon realizing the illustrator error, they changed the card mid print (or very very late) by simply ripping the promo image they used which had the correct illustrator, but not centered perfectly, since it had only been made for promotional use, not printing originally.
This also makes more sense than them having to fix the centering, because honestly, the off centering would have matched the promo image, and the image on the back of the peeled card itself. It would be odd for them to have went back and tried ripping the mockup image to fix the centering, and then not catch the wrong name. I find it more feasible personally, that the centering was simply reverted back after having to use the promo image as a quick fix to the illustrator name issue in the beginning.
heads up on the 1996 Ivy Pikachu GLOSSY. PSA graded a third PSA 1O in the past week or so. Count went from 2 to 3. If the prior two were a mistake and this one isn’t, that means we now have an official PSA 10.
Just jumping on the post as just came across it and thought would share my ivy pika 1998 reprint psa 10 that’s glossy. The picture Mika attached above is when it was mislabelled but I had it correct now and it’s back
