Collector Guides

Blaine's Charizard and the Fighting Symbol Error
Almost every Blaine's Charizard has the wrong energy symbol printed on its attack. The corrected version exists, it is much harder to find, and the market does not always reward it. Read more...
Dark Dragonite 5/82 With No Holo Is a Real Card, Not a Fake
If you have a flat, non foil Dark Dragonite numbered 5/82, stop worrying. It is a known Wizards of the Coast print error and graders recognise it. Read more...
Why Dark Raichu Is Numbered 83/82
A card numbered higher than the set it belongs to looks like a misprint. It is not. Dark Raichu is the first secret rare ever printed, and the odd number is the whole point. Read more...
Fossil Holo Patterns, and Why Cosmos, Starlight and Starburst All Mean Different Things
Ask three collectors what foil pattern Fossil uses and you get three answers. The confusion is real, and it comes down to language versions plus nicknames that were never standardised. Read more...
The Jungle No Set Symbol Error, Explained
Some Jungle holos are missing the little flower symbol altogether. They are not fakes and they are not Base Set. Here is what happened and how to identify one. Read more...
Base Set Print Runs: How to Tell 1st Edition, Shadowless and Unlimited Apart
Four print runs of Base Set exist in English. Here is the order to check them in, including what to do with Trainers and Energy cards where the usual shadow test does not work. Read more...