# Why don't people just stamp 1st edition on cards?

**URL:** <https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [January 7, 2021, 7:13am UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349 "2021-01-07T07:13:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Tapp](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/tapp/32/77737_2.png) [@Tapp](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/Tapp)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 4:54am UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/41 "2021-01-08T04:54:13Z")

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Regardless of your level of investment in this hobby, if you own graded slabs and haven’t had to wrestle on phone lines for hours at a time with PSA reps you should consider yourself lucky. I know Fazool’s case was wrapped up years ago, but it’s important to keep experiences like this in full view for others having the same problems today. I wish I could say PSA has learned from their mistakes, but with record numbers of submissions a month (consistent) slip-ups like this routinely fail to get rectified or even noticed at all.

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**Author:** ![KingPokemon](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/kingpokemon/32/283_2.png) [@KingPokemon](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/KingPokemon)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 5:40am UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/42 "2021-01-08T05:40:03Z")

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> [@cullers](#):
>
> > [@zorloth](#):
> >
> > Maybe at first glance, sure. But it’s impossible (or nearly) to perfectly replicate something that was mass-produced in a very specific way two decades ago. So with the right equipment, any fake should be detectable. Unless, of course, someone actually got ahold of the original printing equipment/ink.
> > 
> > As an aside: This is all assuming that there aren’t any consistent, subtle differences between Shadowless and 1st Edition Base cards (outside of the stamp). Do we know that that Shadowless and 1st Ed. Base minus the stamp were totally identical? Or is it possible there are highly subtle differences that could be detected (along the lines of text alignment in Alpha/Beta)? If so, this would make all of the fake stamp worry moot.
> 
> Shadowless and 1st edition were the same print run. They’re exactly the same minus the stamp.

Yes. Same identical stacks.

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**Author:** ![zorloth](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/zorloth/32/1561_2.png) [@zorloth](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/zorloth)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:42pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/43 "2021-01-08T13:42:11Z")

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> [@cullers](#):
>
> > [@zorloth](#):
> >
> > Maybe at first glance, sure. But it’s impossible (or nearly) to perfectly replicate something that was mass-produced in a very specific way two decades ago. So with the right equipment, any fake should be detectable. Unless, of course, someone actually got ahold of the original printing equipment/ink.
> > 
> > As an aside: This is all assuming that there aren’t any consistent, subtle differences between Shadowless and 1st Edition Base cards (outside of the stamp). Do we know that that Shadowless and 1st Ed. Base minus the stamp were totally identical? Or is it possible there are highly subtle differences that could be detected (along the lines of text alignment in Alpha/Beta)? If so, this would make all of the fake stamp worry moot.
> 
> Shadowless and 1st edition were the same print run. They’re exactly the same minus the stamp.

Interesting; gotcha.

Do people know if the same is the case with non-Base Set 1st Edition and Unlimited print runs? Were 1st Edition sheets printed before Unlimited sheets, or did they print a bunch of Unlimited sheets and then put 1st Edition stamps on some of them? If 1st Edition cards were actually printed earlier then it’s very possible that there are consistent, subtle differences between the print runs other than the stamp.

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**Author:** ![gildri](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/gildri/32/2045_2.png) [@gildri](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/gildri)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/44 "2021-01-08T14:03:31Z")

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> [@KingPokemon](#):
>
> > [@cullers](#):
> >
> > Shadowless and 1st edition were the same print run. They’re exactly the same minus the stamp.
> 
> Yes. Same identical stacks.

Makes sense. Considering that, is the demand for shadowless 100% organic or are some people buying shadowless to fraudulently convert them to 1st edition? The reward to fake a 1st zard seems obvious. Not that we will ever know, its just where my mind goes when I see ungraded 1st zards selling. Who wouldn’t grade it?

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**Author:** ![kingboo64](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/kingboo64/32/1534_2.png) [@kingboo64](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/kingboo64)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:13pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/45 "2021-01-08T14:13:42Z")

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> [@gildri](#):
>
> > [@KingPokemon](#):
> >
> > Yes. Same identical stacks.
> 
> Makes sense. Considering that, is the demand for shadowless 100% organic or are some people buying shadowless to fraudulently convert them to 1st edition? The reward to fake a 1st zard seems obvious. Not that we will ever know, its just where my mind goes when I see ungraded 1st zards selling. Who wouldn’t grade it?

1. Yes, the demand for shadowless is organic, it’s sort of a budget 1st edition, and some prefer the aesthetics of shadowless to 1st.
2. Newbies selling their child zards probably don’t know about grading. I personally haven’t graded my zard yet because I don’t have a shadowless zard for my binder.

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**Author:** ![cullers](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/cullers/32/291_2.png) [@cullers](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/cullers)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/46 "2021-01-08T19:01:40Z")

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> [@zorloth](#):
>
> > [@cullers](#):
> >
> > Shadowless and 1st edition were the same print run. They’re exactly the same minus the stamp.
> 
> Interesting; gotcha.
> 
> Do people know if the same is the case with non-Base Set 1st Edition and Unlimited print runs? Were 1st Edition sheets printed before Unlimited sheets, or did they print a bunch of Unlimited sheets and then put 1st Edition stamps on some of them? If 1st Edition cards were actually printed earlier then it’s very possible that there are consistent, subtle differences between the print runs other than the stamp.

The process is the same for all WotC cards. Usually an industry standard to have a print run where a percentage of the first print is 1st ed and the rest unlimited.

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**Author:** ![haggiscollects](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/haggiscollects/32/1933_2.png) [@haggiscollects](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/haggiscollects)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 9:56pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/47 "2021-01-09T21:56:50Z")

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Often wondered this myself. Interesting thread linked earlier. I’m sure now with the awareness on the hobby it’s being done regularly.

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**Author:** ![chewy](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/chewy/32/762_2.png) [@chewy](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/chewy)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 5:42am UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/48 "2021-01-10T05:42:45Z")

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People replicate all the details and security placements on a 100 dollar bill and pass them off everyday.

Why wouldnt they put the same work on a 6 figure Pokemon card with less effort? They could easily reproduce the entire thing. Wotc wasnt using high security government regulated printers.

That is my biggest insecurity as a new collector. What can I do

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**Author:** ![KingPokemon](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/kingpokemon/32/283_2.png) [@KingPokemon](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/KingPokemon)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2021, 10:40am UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/why-dont-people-just-stamp-1st-edition-on-cards/31349/49 "2021-01-10T10:40:02Z")

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> [@chewy](#):
>
> People replicate all the details and security placements on a 100 dollar bill and pass them off everyday.
> 
> Why wouldnt they put the same work on a 6 figure Pokemon card with less effort? They could easily reproduce the entire thing. Wotc wasnt using high security government regulated printers.
> 
> That is my biggest insecurity as a new collector. What can I do

Leica

[www.leica-microsystems.com/products/stereo-microscopes-macroscopes/](https://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/stereo-microscopes-macroscopes/)

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