Amada 1996 : the first print run
Does it really exist and how to recognize it ?
Does it really exist ?
After a few years of asking my self I can safely say there is a first print run for this set with very noticeable differences between the print runs. However there's no concrete information about the first print run (why, where, when ?). The article's objective is to acknowledge its existence.
Things I've noticed about the first print run :
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There's no real hard evidence on the non-holos and gold holos
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I've seen no differences on the booster packs, lottery packs, booster boxes. However the only sealed product seen that contains at 100% certainty the first print run is the lottery packs (of course it is easier since the lottery packs have a holo sticker in front.
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The first print run must have been printed for a small while because they do appear quite often.
How to recognize ?
First print run
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The red lines in the back stand out less
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In each square of the holo pattern you can distinguish lines, a bit in the shape of sun rays.
Second print run
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The overal holo reflects more light.
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No lines in each holo square, regular prism holo we can see in many other sets (including card sets)
The backs are easier to distinguish because the first print back is yellow and has a plastic feel to it, the second print run has a white back and paper feel.
Conclusion
You might be wondering "My gold holos have yellow backs, that means they are also from the first print run right ?". That isn't something I can confirm at the moment because all my 1996 gold sticker have a yellow back and no plastic feel to them like the regular holos do. Maybe it has something to do with the gold layer making the back go a bit yellowish.
If you have any information please feel free to contact me and this article will be updated in the future when more information is discovered. The scans for the first print run will only be available once I get them all unfortunately.