I have asked this question for some time now, that has left me questioning my insanity. For those that know me and may not know me but have seen my posts on the gym from awhile back then you’ll know or remember that I am looking for a very bizarre and possibly the rarest trophy set to have ever existed.
Awhile back whiling surfing yahoo auctions when we (U.S.) still had yahoo auctions there were two trophy cards that belonged to one tournament, it was a Japanese sponsored one and from vague recollections one card had a picture of ho-ho and the other of Gengar. The price of this set was $10-$20k I was going to buy it but backed out since I was looking for some ‘old-school’ trophies and this set was a new set.
No one I have asked has heard of this set and I have asked, the only answer I have gotten other than ‘no’ was Brian G.'s answer which was ‘no, but I have heard of fake/fan art trophy cards that were at a time popular.’
I’m curious on knowing does anyone have some pics of these so called fake customized trophy cards? If the set I saw was in fact authentic from an authentic tournament then I guess I lost the rarest set that I am aware of.
very, very curious on where you have heard about this set before. Please no BS (if from a reliable source just give me the first name, either I or someone else on this site *minus the person I am inquiring* should have heard of the person). I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard about this set from me either directly or indirectly, cause I did put ‘feelers’ out asking people to ask other people about the whereabouts let alone existence of this set.
The fact that you mention that you heard about it two years ago gives you plausibility, if you said over 4 yrs ago I would have dismissed your statement. The set is I believe 4yrs old. This is significant since it implies tournaments with trophy cards was still going around in Japan. (after the era of Battle Roads 2002-2004 *time line may not be entirely correct* the rarest cards as far as I and the majority are aware were stadium trophy cards after the ‘worlds’ tournament that is sponsored in the U.S.)
This set however wasn’t a stadium set, it wasn’t even a holo set from what I recall, the only give away of the cards being trophy cards was the fact that the word 'Trainer followed by the No.1 was above the illustration. It was a two card set, both had the No.1 as I recall.
weird I don’t know if tis is right but I think the cards might be fake because wouldn’t bulbapeada have some sort of record of it?
But there is always be a chance ;D
Bulbapedia does not have all of the Pokemon cards pictured out there.
There are trophy cards and promo cards that hardly ever see the light of day. We know of at least 2 trophy cards that no body has seen, that being the No.3 and No.1 of that No.2 that was provided by gym member poke-geri.
OMG I just remembered or maybe I am just going slightly more insane, the set I saw was a Battle Road set! Could it be that this set was a customary made set, since said winner didn’t want his or her face on the card so was given two cards because they were not holo and issued upon request of tournament!?!
That would be greatly appreciated. I really wish I had saved the pics from the auction and if the cards were authentic then that was an opportunity of a life time that was lost.
Due to the elusive nature of this supposed set I consider this set to be the most valuable in the world. From what I recall there are only two sets out there.
There is only one other set that can claim such scarcity and that is the '97 trophy pika set however other sets were produced in '98 and '99 with the same artwork, only difference being the text below the illustration.
I’m fairly sure that was my pic, or at least, we got it from the same source: promosen on eBay.
I gotta tell you though Will, I’m not convinced that the cards you’re looking for are real. They might be - as you said, some cards definitely aren’t recorded anywhere official yet we know they exist.
But for that much cash I would email TPCi, asking PCL to confirm they are not fake if you ever find them…
Well the pic on the gym says posted by poke-geri. Yes I know it was promosen who had the card.
Would emailing them really let me know what is out there? I would think after all these years that someone like the host of bulbapedia already ask for such a request.
Unless people have asked and were sworn to some sort of secrecy.
dogma you should ask, just show them your articles on Pokemon and mention you want listings and scans of all tournament required-acquired cards, unless you already have and you too have been sworn to secrecy ;D
What what what! is that the only pic of those cards? Is that the front or back of those?
But about that one geri had, it is definitely real. I remember someone showed me the japanese pokemon site and the tournament where those ones came from with lugia. There are a ho-oh edition too. Mozz has seen them before, but never had them
Thank you very much Sven for providing those pics, I can honestly say that I have never seen those pictures before.
We as outsiders are only given access to the cards that winners sell to buyers who in turn are sellers who sell to a much wider audience. The reason why everyone knows about the trophy pikas is because of people like Clive, promosen and Smason (all of whom who purchased them from the winners or just about) and also because of that official card book. Yet that book has cards up only to 1999 not beyond.
To think that Japan doesn’t have its own ‘Persins’ buying up rare cards on site at the tournaments is to put it mildly, ridiculous.
Also to think that Japan hasn’t had anymore specialized tournaments like the SSB is also erroneous thinking.
Scott, is the ho-oh version like the lugia one (picture of said winner on the card)? The auction I saw on yahoo had a ho-oh as one of the cards but no picture of the winner.
Those, pics were yours? Well I’ll have to thank you also viper.fox
Do you have anymore pics of ultra-rare cards that you would like to share with the rest of us? ;D
Were the two sets divided by age or gender? I take it, the division was gender. The '97 pikas were age-divided under 14 and over 14 from what I remember being told.
Regarding the elusive trophy set, it also had only two sets and from what I remember the seller said the set was purchased on site and was going to purchase both but had failed to obtain the second set. The seller, (really wish I could remember the name) I felt was quite honest and had a positive history.
People counterfeit Pokemon cards all the time but its like, ‘whatever is the most valuable card in play ATM’ or scans of the illustrator For someone to forge a completely made up trophy cards and expect someone to buy them is a bit silly. (this auction was a month or so just before Yahoo closed its auction site for the U.S. in 2007)
Though if what Brian told me was true, then maybe… Yet from what I gathered the made up trophy cards still sell for a high price even though the person buying them knows its a fake because the card is one of a kind unique not a counterfeit.
Yet this seller mentioned nothing on having the set be fake and gave a detailed description which I have been picking my memory piece by piece for, for the last several years.
Well there is from what I remember a glass wall case of cards in that Pokemon official card book by game freaks. (I think one of the cards in it was the University Magikarp) Then again the picture is pretty small.
I’ve never been to Japan, so I’m wondering are there year round pokemon establishments that just have cards framed up on their walls or is it like here where fast-food establishments, card shops, and hotels host tournaments?
(I know next to nothing of game play or tournament structure both here and abroad, all I care is if the card is rare and has a history behind it.)
Scott what magazine do you have that shows the Illustrator and other trophy cards, as you describe them?
Damn it! why don’t we have high resolution scans of all trophy cards! Seriously hasn’t anybody tried contacting the people who are behind the tournament structures in Japan or is everyone who asks sworn to secrecy!?!
I am starting to get borderline paranoid about all of this…
The one from 2000 the official collectors magazine. And someone would have to know japanese. I know brian does but I doubt he would just look for scans
I’m now very interested in the distinction of cards that are on the Master CD (released in 2005) and those that are not. Snap cards, No. 1, 2, 3 trainers and Victory Medals TMB promos and all sorts are there.
;D
because that picture can’t really be blown up to see the actual cards…