Question about the holy grail of the hobby

[kurtosisblakeinfini]

@pfm

@kurtosisblakeinfini

Correct me if I’m wrong but there doesn’t seem to be much recognition for the winning cards the Illustrator was made for in the first place due to the Vending copies to which I still have confusion identifying unless it’s only by having no rarity symbol. No one seems to talk much about the cards that made Illustrator what it is when every related contest after had the artist’s work as the prominent force.

I presume also Snap winners didn’t win this but there screenshot only?

There’s no way to distinguish the winner’s copies from at least one of the mass produced version (don’t remember if it’s the vending or quickstarter version)

Also to more directly answer your question, the noteriety of the illustrator comes from the rarity, uniqueness and artwork of the card itself so in a funny way the actual contest has very little to do with the appeal of the card

Besides the rarity symbols not present, another area could be the paper finish, glossy or not. Even when I see listings of them with the graded description on eBay asking for an infinite amount does feeling like both Mulder and Scully in wanting to beleive it, but. *insert conspiracy related Smpratte meme.
Of course, how the card made the champions’ attempts seem obsolete in all those factors hasn’t been really seen since by the franchise.

[pierce]

@cullers

As someone who considers himself a webmaster, where I create content based on keywords, I promise you that’s not a good metric. If you give me a year I can make base set caterpie the only thing you see when you google Pokémon holy grail.

[cullers]

@pierce

@cullers

As someone who considers himself a webmaster, where I create content based on keywords, I promise you that’s not a good metric. If you give me a year I can make base set caterpie the only thing you see when you google Pokémon holy grail.

I reject the term internet entrepreneur.

[pokemar]

@kurtosisblakeinfini

Correct me if I’m wrong but there doesn’t seem to be much recognition for the winning cards the Illustrator was made for in the first place due to the Vending copies to which I still have confusion identifying unless it’s only by having no rarity symbol. Poliwrath, Snorlax and Mr. Mime. No one seems to talk much about the cards that made Illustrator what it is when every related contest after had the artist’s work as the prominent force.

I presume also Snap winners didn’t win this but there screenshot only?

Poliwrath Illustrator, Snorlax Illustrator and Mr. Mime Illustrator are one year older than the Pikachu Illustrator. They might be rarer.

It’s difficult to distinguish them from the red/green gift set.
I heard that there is a difference in the printing (clarity/shade?) and that PSA graded Snorlax Mr Mime or Poliwrath Illustrator only if they had evidence.

Does someone know the Winner of the 1997 Corocoro illustrator contest and where are their trophy cards?

[cullers]

@pokemar

@kurtosisblakeinfini

Correct me if I’m wrong but there doesn’t seem to be much recognition for the winning cards the Illustrator was made for in the first place due to the Vending copies to which I still have confusion identifying unless it’s only by having no rarity symbol. Poliwrath, Snorlax and Mr. Mime. No one seems to talk much about the cards that made Illustrator what it is when every related contest after had the artist’s work as the prominent force.

I presume also Snap winners didn’t win this but there screenshot only?

Poliwrath Illustrator, Snorlax Illustrator and Mr. Mime Illustrator are one year older than the Pikachu Illustrator. They might be rarer.

It’s difficult to distinguish them from the red/green gift set.
I heard that there is a difference in the printing (clarity/shade?) and that PSA graded Snorlax Mr Mime or Poliwrath Illustrator only if they had evidence.

Does someone know the Winner of the 1997 Corocoro illustrator contest and where are their trophy cards?

There’s no difference between the mass produced red/green gift set cards and their winners counterpart till evidence comes. PSA graded them as different but they’re regular red/green cards. Do not pay a premium for anything labeled by PSA as the illustrator winners versions for those cards.

[xzini]

@smpratte

I wish that No. 3 was a plush! Ill have to settle for this guy:

I have the same big fatty Pikachu plush and I found him from a flea market yeeeeears ago for 5 €!

[KingPokemon]

Even though I have no interest in Japanese promos I do love and respect my brothers who own them. I’m also very grateful for what they’ve added to the hobby we all love.

[pokemar]

@cullers

@pokemar

Poliwrath Illustrator, Snorlax Illustrator and Mr. Mime Illustrator are one year older than the Pikachu Illustrator. They might be rarer.

It’s difficult to distinguish them from the red/green gift set.
I heard that there is a difference in the printing (clarity/shade?) and that PSA graded Snorlax Mr Mime or Poliwrath Illustrator only if they had evidence.

Does someone know the Winner of the 1997 Corocoro illustrator contest and where are their trophy cards?

There’s no difference between the mass produced red/green gift set cards and their winners counterpart till evidence comes. PSA graded them as different but they’re regular red/green cards. Do not pay a premium for anything labeled by PSA as the illustrator winners versions for those cards.

I dont get why I shouldn’t believe in PSA.
PSA has graded some of those cards (so PSA had evidence for sure). I believe in PSA certification, it has value.
There are less than 10 cards graded as Corocoro illustrator Poliwrath Snorlax or Mr mime. The maximum available is 20 each one. If there were 30 corocoro illustrator poliwrath, PSA would have been wrong, but there are just 5 (I’ve just looked at PSA population).
If you buy a wrongly psa graded card, you can ask the remboursement. This mean that if the psa illustrator poliwrath is not the corocoro illustrator one (but it’s the red/green gift one), you can be refunded by thousands usd from PSA.

[Frosty.Puppy]

@pokemar, If you think there’s a difference on the Coro Poliwrath and R/G Gift sets, why don’t you spend 100k if you think it’s rarer than the Pika Illustrator and find out for yourself

PSA can make mistakes you know

[pokeolivr]

Are we all talking about Base Weedle?

[smpratte]

@pokeolivr

Are we all talking about Base Weedle?

Nah Base Caterpie!

[Fireftw_TCG]

@pokeolivr

Are we all talking about Base Weedle?

I thought base ‘gust of wind’ was the grail? Technically it has a weedle on it which should make it even rarer!

[cullers]

@pokemar

@cullers

There’s no difference between the mass produced red/green gift set cards and their winners counterpart till evidence comes. PSA graded them as different but they’re regular red/green cards. Do not pay a premium for anything labeled by PSA as the illustrator winners versions for those cards.

I dont get why I shouldn’t believe in PSA.
PSA has graded some of those cards (so PSA had evidence for sure). I believe in PSA certification, it has value.
There are less than 10 cards graded as Corocoro illustrator Poliwrath Snorlax or Mr mime. The maximum available is 20 each one. If there were 30 corocoro illustrator poliwrath, PSA would have been wrong, but there are just 5 (I’ve just looked at PSA population).
If you buy a wrongly psa graded card, you can ask the remboursement. This mean that if the psa illustrator poliwrath is not the corocoro illustrator one (but it’s the red/green gift one), you can be refunded by thousands usd from PSA.

PSA aren’t Pokémon card experts, I am. I’m telling you there’s no difference in appearance between the cards. If there is tell me what the difference is.

Not only am I well versed in Pokémon cards I’m knowledgeable about PSA’s process. I can tell you right now I can get 100 cards labeled by psa as illustrator versions. You can do it too, just find a red/green card send it to psa asking for the illustrator labels.

Don’t get scammed. I’m trying to help you here.

[sacari]

To me a holy grail is a card everyone knows about, everyone wants it, AND it is difficult to acquire for whatever reason. In my opinion there are also different tiers, for example a 1st ed base charizard is a low tier holy grail in my eyes.
Memes aside I think something like T17 actually has potential to become a low tier holy grail card in the next 10 years.

I think the term is completely subjective from person to person and everyone has their own holy grail.

[yz2428]

it’s like why the Mona Lisa is the holy grail of the painting/art world…

[yz2428]

@smpratte

@EnlightenedBulbasaur

Good to see you haven’t changed your position from when we discussed this 11 years ago.

pokegym.net/community/index.php?threads/700-for-a-psa-10-1st-edition-base-set-charizard.111691/

For what it’s worth, I agree that the Illustrators and the 1997 Pika Trophies are the “Holy Grails” of the hobby. But the 1st edition Base Set Charizard will always be the most iconic card of the hobby.

I’m glad you referenced that old discussion! That was before I owned an Illustrator!

y’all need to print out that thread and frame it. that’s gonna be a very historic piece of conversation. well, it already is.

[raichuforyou]

@pokemar

I dont get why I shouldn’t believe in PSA.
PSA has graded some of those cards (so PSA had evidence for sure). I believe in PSA certification, it has value.
There are less than 10 cards graded as Corocoro illustrator Poliwrath Snorlax or Mr mime. The maximum available is 20 each one. If there were 30 corocoro illustrator poliwrath, PSA would have been wrong, but there are just 5 (I’ve just looked at PSA population).
If you buy a wrongly psa graded card, you can ask the remboursement. This mean that if the psa illustrator poliwrath is not the corocoro illustrator one (but it’s the red/green gift one), you can be refunded by thousands usd from PSA.

PSA has been known to mislabel cards frequently.
Two good examples of this:

1. There are 17 Tropical Mega Battle Exeguttor in the pop report. Only 4 of those are known to be the real deal. The rest are Trainer Mag Volume 3 mislabels.
2. PSA refused to grade certain Snap Photo contest cards for a long time despite their existence being widely known.

PSA is not an authority on Pokémon cards. They are an authority of condition and authenticity.
God forbid you should spend a lot of money and need to use the Financial Guarantee…

[papafrankgod]

@sacari

To me a holy grail is a card everyone knows about, everyone wants it, AND it is difficult to acquire for whatever reason. In my opinion there are also different tiers, for example a 1st ed base charizard is a low tier holy grail in my eyes.
Memes aside I think something like T17 actually has potential to become a low tier holy grail card in the next 10 years.

I think the term is completely subjective from person to person and everyone has their own holy grail.

Oh no you didn’t…

[pokemar]

@cullers

@pokemar

I dont get why I shouldn’t believe in PSA.
PSA has graded some of those cards (so PSA had evidence for sure). I believe in PSA certification, it has value.
There are less than 10 cards graded as Corocoro illustrator Poliwrath Snorlax or Mr mime. The maximum available is 20 each one. If there were 30 corocoro illustrator poliwrath, PSA would have been wrong, but there are just 5 (I’ve just looked at PSA population).
If you buy a wrongly psa graded card, you can ask the remboursement. This mean that if the psa illustrator poliwrath is not the corocoro illustrator one (but it’s the red/green gift one), you can be refunded by thousands usd from PSA.

PSA aren’t Pokémon card experts, I am. I’m telling you there’s no difference in appearance between the cards. If there is tell me what the difference is.

Not only am I well versed in Pokémon cards I’m knowledgeable about PSA’s process. I can tell you right now I can get 100 cards labeled by psa as illustrator versions. You can do it too, just find a red/green card send it to psa asking for the illustrator labels.

Don’t get scammed. I’m trying to help you here.

How can you be sure? We need the winner of 1997 coro coro contest… I’d like to see a card of the winner and a r/g gift set one.

I know that every print run is different but how noticeable is it?
A real trophy card could value thousands us $. If I buy this card and psa admit it was wrong, will psa refund me the difference?

[smpratte]

@pokeolivr, The people grading your bulk order pokemon cards are paid less than minimum wage workers at Amazon. They are not experts.

I won’t publicly comment about those cards, because it will create more work, but in short, If there is a difference, no one at PSA is qualified.