I agree with Captoats, the holos from the first few set (and some from neo) look better imo than the newer cards. Quality was also better in the first few set as I still have those cards and as a kid I obviosuly played and handled them. The fact that they have survived 10-12 years is a testament to quality that cannot be said of the previous sets. I doubt my BW and EP cards would last 5 years if I actually held them and played with them as I played with the cards as a child.
On the shattered glass holo, Idon't exactly like it but don't really care. I just tend to avoid them and don't buy many decks or tins
Personally, I actually like the holo style from Base through Rocket the best. Rocket starts going towards the style they have now, but it still isn't quite the same. Then again, I like everything about them better from an aesthetic point of view, from the layout of the card to the actual picture. Then again, that might be partly sentimental as well. The backgrounds of the pictures (which were never really based around an actual setting, but rather the pokemon's behaviors, actions and/or typing) really popped with the card when holo and it made pulling holos really cool. Even then, though, the Japanese cards still looked better. Now, with the reverse holos being printed on everything it kind of takes away from the holo idea in general. "Oh cool, I pulled a holo! Oh, nevermind, it's just another holo caterpie." They took away the specialness from holo cards, and to be honest, I don't play with holos at all anymore, they look stupid now they just curve horribly and stack your deck. If you can't sleeve them almost immediately they almost lose all play value imo. I just down-trade everything I get for the same exact card, plus 1-2 dollars of something else.
As for shattered glass holos, I don't mind them one way or the other anyway more than regular holos/reverse holos, but I think the FA shattered glass style like the virizion posted a few posts above mine looks descent. If you could see it in real life and could see the shimmer effect I think it would actually look really cool.
Overall, the card quality in general has gone down considerably when you look at what it was in the past (not just the 1st few sets I like best) and what it is now. Primes and legends had beautiful artwork, but that's about it. Even the new reverse holo with the type embedded in it look bad imo, although it's a step in the right direction I guess. Cards should just focus on the pokemon themselves imo, and have less to do with the background.
And yes, I know the earlier sets had them just standing around in some cards, but it was the very beginning, cut them some slack.
edit: typo. fat fingers :|
Time for some scans!
Probably one of my (if not my) favorite holos from base set. You can hardly tell it in the picture, but he has extra sets of arms on both sides and when you flip the card around you see them go up and down. I miss stuff like this, where the creators/artists obviously put time into designing the cards to make them look special.
And everything wasn't always holo, which seperated them a bit. Ninetails has holographic fire behind it, and Jolteon has tiny holographic lightning coming from it's body (you can't see it in the scan), along with the bigger lightning.
There are more eyes you can't see in the scan of Hypno. Finally, there were some 'plain' holo, where everything was holo, like the Dragonite.
Quality still helps. This is a pretty good case here:
Different materials = different refraction = drastic difference in BG preservation or loss. The old english base through fossil holos have terrible problems with scratching, in addition to not being that appealing (and I even grew up with them, but was never too fond of them especially once they bought Galaxy in with Rocket) personally. But the biggest issue is scratching. I seldom see beautiful original holos because they were just so hard to keep. The print quality was okay, but had problems with colour clarity and saturation. Something which is a WORSE problem even today now under TPCi.
Agreed. Scratching is something that you can't really avoid with the older cards, but the art style of the older cards is what I really love. They are just...better imo. But then again, the old cards don't bend horribly like the new ones do, which I think is a severe problem as well. Scratches don't effect gameplay, bending does. And both are aesthetically displeasing, so I think the bending is actually a worse issue. But to a serious collector (like yourself, I believe?) scratching is probably a much larger issue. They were just so hard to avoid, really. You would scratch them as you tried to put them in a binder, or sleeve them, although not always. They were quite durable, though, as Bigbija pointed out.
The japanese cards you linked (thank you, btw) are case in point. They just look so much better! From the more detailed holographic to the minute details like the set symbols looked better, such as rocket and fossil, with a white outline edging the plain, flat black symbol the english cards used. It didn't seem like all of them had it, though, so Idk, maybe some of mine are fakes. The Magnemite you linked didn't have the white outline, but most of my Rocket and fossil do. I will have to say, though, that the english layout looked better imho.
I must agree that most of the Japanese cards look more aesthetically sound (better art and holographics) and I would prefer them if I was a serious collector. The language barrier alone turns me off from them. I always had english cards and prefer them.
I personally love the shattered glass holos They are soooooooo darn pretty! The reverse holos are kinda ugly, except the new BW emerging powers reverse holos ( im in love with the emolga one!!! ) actually.... the shattered glass did appear in the the old cards too! I have a base set Abra that was given out at an event or something special ( cant remember, its been a while!) and its totally shattered glass effect. I can takes a picture of me in in holding the card if you dont believe me! =3
Big post time! These are only ever in the TCG section...
catutie said:
Speaking of shattered glass holo's (I LURVE THEM). I got a 2 Blastoise blisters. 1 was full awesome shattered glass and one only some parts of it would gleam in the light...very strange. If you don't turn it in the light it looks like a regular just UL Blastoise...
I personally love the shattered glass holo's. It's different from the boring holo's we have now. Your telling me you would want a Reshiram just standing there with weird holo behind it than have a better looking and vibrant card?
I agree with this completely. 'Shard' holos are a bright, easily visible and easily obtainable idea. Much better on all grounds than your regular holo. Sure, it marks the card out as cheap, but who cares about it's rarity when it looks so good? I understand for promo Level X/Primes, but shard holos are good-looking and a smart marketing plan. Plus, it's great for collectors and Blastzel players.
Pokefan4000 said:
But why care about how your cards look if each variation of it does the exact same thing?
Because there's something awesome about having the normal, reverse and shard holo versions of a card. This can go back to theme deck holos, too, such as Milotic SV which is only a holo in its deck. The pleasure of having the normal, reverse, holo AND league promo is very great.
Although we're admittedly lacking in fanciness (which BW holos have shown), shard holos are helping is get back in the game because they're not available in Japan as far as I know, giving us some cards of actual value in another country. I'd be very disappointed if they stopped making them soon.
Although we're admittedly lacking in fanciness (which BW holos have shown), shard holos are helping is get back in the game because they're not available in Japan as far as I know, giving us some cards of actual value in another country. I'd be very disappointed if they stopped making them soon.
Heck ya! Amen to thaaat!!! I feel like the japanese have all kinds of amazing cards that are very hard for other countries to get ( by that I mean expensive and rare) Isnt it so nice to have something unique compared to japan for a change? I really wonder if they want the United states shattered glass cards. Maybe their corocoro shiny holo mew is too common for them!!!! ROFL the japan are spoiled with amazing exclusive cards I personally feel its so nice to have something they dont for a change!!!
Uh. You guys clearly missed the bright, shining memo up there on the prior page: we have shatter holo in Japan, it's even better again due to a glossy coating with high refractions:
When in the light on this angle it just presents the gloss without refractions.
Angle it a smidge and it explodes into a rainbow.
There are three holos from the JP releases which haven't been bought over yet in any form to the English releases, which are Static and Bubble. Static was used on every card in the Friends on the Start of a Journey files, and the Bubble holo was used on the Beginning Set cards. The third is simply a mirror holo with a gloss coating of stars from the Victini deck.
In saying that, the only holos unique to the English side of things in the current era run now are the new reverse holos, and the McDonald's holos. The new "3D" jumbos are simply lenticular cards, which Japan did one of with the Deoxys movie deck. 9/10 Japan has it
It's weird. I'd personally put it under something like.. Mirror Holo +. In that, the base of the card is done in the Legend-era Mirror finish, but has a glossy coating to it (sort of like how the DPt Lv.X cards didn't technically change holos, they just scored a glossy coat with a starry finish as well.)
actually.... the shattered glass did appear in the the old cards too! I have a base set Abra that was given out at an event or something special ( cant remember, its been a while!) and its totally shattered glass effect. I can takes a picture of me in in holding the card if you dont believe me! =3
