English WotC Black Star Japanese Promos
Hi everyone!
EDIT: All side-by-side photos depict the special version on the right side.
I wanted to share a new collection I've recently completed over the past 6 months or so. These are all of the Japanese black star promo variants released in English from back in the Wizards of the Coast era. I'll go into detail on each one and how to differentiate them below.
All of these cards are made from Japanese cardstock, which means they are slightly thinner and have a different card core pattern to them. The Japanese cards have a smaller and more even core pattern while English has bigger blotches and/or linear streaks through them. They are also just a touch different in color, with a whiter area around the art and inside the yellow border. I will provide images of the Japanese vs English cores as well as the color comparisons for people who are interested in taking a closer look. I have also heard that that a blacklight can help distinguish between the Japanese and English cardstock, but I don't have any experience or a blacklight to verify, currently.
Several of these cards are incredibly hard to tell from their English-printed counterparts; even in-person. This includes the CD Promo Pikachu, the Stamp Rally Mewtwo, the Kanzenban WB Stamp Mewtwo, and the Gotta Comic Glossy Mew. The Meowth and Eevee are easy to tell as they are non-holographic while their English-printed counterparts are holographic. The Grey Stamp Pikachu and Jigglypuff are also pretty easy to tell, but I will include a side-by-side photo for comparison.
Here they are laid out as followed; left to right and top to bottom:
1. JR Stamp Meowth - This card along with the Eevee and the Mewtwo in the middle of the image are from the JR Stamp Rally in Japan. You had to complete a booklet in Japan with multiple stamps to get them. I managed to find a complete stamp booklet with my Meowth listing, and will attach a picture of it as well. I thought it was a really cool piece of history to have. Again, this is a non-holo variant compared to the holo English-printed run.
2. JR Stamp Eevee - This card along with the Meowth and the Mewtwo in the middle of the image are from the JR Stamp Rally in Japan. You had to complete a stamp booklet with multiple stamps to get them. This is card is also non-holo and easy to differentiate from the holo English-printed version.
3. Grey Stamp Jigglypuff - This card is very glossy like the Grey Stamp Pikachu and the Gotta Comic Mew. It came out with the Grey Stamp Pikachu in the March 1999 edition of Hyper Corocoro Magazine in Japan. If one didn't know better, the Japanese glossy promos feel very fake compared to other cards, so be careful!
4. Kanzenban WB Stamp Mewtwo - This was by far the hardest card to find. It is incredibly rare and I gambled on 3 different regular WB Stamp listings on Ebay before finding the actual Kanzenban version. It was released in the Mewtwo Strikes Back VHS advertised as the "American Version" in Japan. It is almost impossible to find them on Ebay as most people don't know about them. I was lucky enough that someone knew what they had and included it in the listing. Another tip for people would be to check out Mercari Japan or Yahoo Auctions Japan to look for this card.
5. JR Stamp Mewtwo - This is the only JR Stamp without a holo counterpart. It is incredibly hard to differentiate it from the English-printed version. The only real ways I have found to verify this card are the lighter hue to the purple around the art and the Japanese core pattern. This was also available from the JR Stamp Rally in Japan with the Eevee and Meowth.
6. Gotta Comic Glossy Mew - This card was released in the May 2000 edition of the Japanese Gotta Comic. It is very glossy just like the Grey Stamp Pikachu and Jigglypuff. If one didn't know better, the Japanese glossy promos feel very fake compared to other cards, so be careful!
7. CD Promo Pikachu - This card was released in the The Pokémon Song Best Collection music album in January 1999. The only ways I have found to verify it are the lighter coloring and the Japanese core. I have found several of these at card shows and card shops and the vendors had no idea. Keep an eye out!
8. Grey Stamp Pikachu - This card is very glossy like the Grey Stamp Jigglypuff and the Gotta Comic Mew. It was released alongside the Grey Stamp Jigglypuff in the March 1999 edition of Hyper Corocoro Magazine in Japan. If one didn't know better, the Japanese glossy promos feel very fake compared to other cards, so be careful!
Please let me know your thoughts! I am happy to help people with any questions they may have, and may be able to help track down some as well.
Happy Hunting!