I bought one of the Alpha playtests for around a couple of thousand dollars. I did think of it as a kind of calculated risk, perhaps this time it was indeed a loss. Oh well. I currently feel fortunate I missed out on the earlier waves where I was outbid for larger sums…
I was one of the more skeptical posters in the old threads, but if this is true even I am surprised at this discovery. If this is indeed true, personally I am not interested in ‘grabbing a pitchfork’. It is what is, perhaps refunds can be processed where appropriate (that seems a fair approach given the situation if it is as it seems). I wish all involved the best.
A few things I have pondered reading this thread, some of which has been touched upon by others already.
It is quite possible that unfabricated original materials exist that could be used for fabricating new cards. For example, think of the card that the paper is mounted to. It is possible there is a supply of original blank card that can be used for mounting newly printed paper to.
The date dots. An offline printer can have its date artificially altered to whatever? Perhaps even originally in the 1990s the printer had an erroneous date of 2024 programmed? This possibility is likely negated because the dots seems to indicate a printer that was only in existence around 2005… Though while pondering this, what would stop someone from using a printer contemporary to the 1990s with an artificially altered date anyway? This is why trust and documentation is helpful.
The possibility of removing authentic cards from CGC graded capsules and then replacing them with reprints. Could it be possible for someone to have gotten authentic examples graded by CGC and then scanned/printed new examples and switched them out?
Even with all this new information, I am still withholding any conclusions so far. If everything turns out to be reprinted, for me it is a lesson in how with non-careful spending money is easily dissipated. Even if they were authentic, collectables like these can represent a big money sink. I feel it can be helpful to have some perspective with collectables in regards to this, to know your underlying priorities in life. And also to not buy CGC(sry guys)
Additionally, I take some reassurance in the fact a number of Disco Holos were in childhood collections and rediscovered on the internet over 10 years ago. Which, I believe, is well before “entrepreneurs” got hold of uncut sheets. Anyway, this probably deserves a topic of its own.
If any original partially unfabricated materials exist as well as the age appropriate original equipment, if these protos/playtests turn out to be copies my Spidey senses are personally on high alert for pretty much anything. Technically any of this stuff can be copied, though at the same time I would not want to get too carried away with this line of thinking.
I just got back into collecting cards since I was a kid and I suppose I was too trusting of a grading authority. This definitely tarnishes this whole hobby for me. I also can’t believe that CGC wouldn’t have checked the print dots for cards. If they didn’t check something the world has known about since around 2005, what the hell were they testing/verifying?
Like literally, WTF. Moving forward, companies like CGC need to be more transparent about what they do to verify authenticity of graded items. If they don’t, then hopefully no one buys from them. I’ve unfortunately had to learn the hard way.
I have to disagree here, not everything can be replicated. You are comparing a test print that has been known for some decades to exist and have the exact same printing quality as a regular shadowless card to a toilet paper photocopy that was first known in 2024. Good luck making Disco Holos in 2025 with your desk printer at home
With the original equipment/materials I would think any of it can be replicated, but this is presuming access to original equipment/materials as well as the will to do such things.
Excellent job @pfm i have to commend that you have shed light on this even though you appear to have a stake in these cards. Even having been out of the hobby for a while i was intrigued with these cards to the point of potentially buying one but the sheer volume that kept appearing put me off. Condolences to anyone who owns any amount of these i hope there is some sort of recourse for you and that the people who printed and distributed these see appropriate justice.
I mean - its really just common sense actually. This shouldn’t be shocking to anyone
I’m very sorry if you rushed to spend thousands on paper glued to card stock that was printed in 2024 but you should have been more discerning of a buyer.
For one, these cards were being graded by the most dubious and shady company in the game. Then they’re just showing up out of nowhere with no back story and the instagram account promoting them is an imposter pretending to be the creator of the TCG.
So many red flags, let alone the fact that its just PRINTED PAPER ON CARD STOCK.
I’ve got no stake in the cards, but i think it says a lot about your character to add to the pain of a multi thousand dollar loss to someone by calling them stupid
I meant TPC are gonna go full-litigation on Akabane (if it’s proven he had a deliberate, nefarious role in it all, which I’m now starting to doubt, though enough money can make good people do questionable things) and the middlemen.
Never bought or even bothered to look at them in the first place, just kinda suprised that someone with basic tools managed to find it quicker than CGC itself.
This may be a stupid comment, but is it possible that the print marks your seeing are not on the card themselves, but potentially coming from the sleeve the card is placed into?
Probably just copium lmao but haven’t seen anyone mention it.
The thing is it doesnt even take “basic tools” to realize they’re fishy. I feel bad for anyone who bought these things but a few moments of critical thinking was all it took to keep me from pulling the trigger.
And yes, I’ve been trying to tell people for months and months when I talk about this on here and instagram and anyone else that I’ve talked to about it - that these could have been easily printed in 2024 but considering I wasn’t about to spend thousands to get one and investigate, I wasn’t going to be going into the detail that @pfm did
The fact is, before this we had zero evidence other than CGC and Akabane’s word that these cards were what they represented them to be. On the flipside, we also had zero evidence that the cards weren’t what CGC and Akabane said. Congratulations to those who ended up falling on the right side of suspicion, you win. If you want to use this situation to dunk on people that’s your prerogative, but let’s avoid the unproductive sniping back and forth and keep this thread on topic.
I’ll be removing future posts that just serve to argue about this.
