Pokemon card collector’s rare Charizard ruined by rogue printing error
Game Freak / The Pokemon CompanyA TCG collector was stunned after pulling the rarest Charizard Pokemon card from the Brilliant Stars expansion, only to discover it was destroyed by a printing error.
Despite being a modern set, the 2022 Brilliant Stars expansion has already been a massive hit with Pokemon card collectors. Players have been trying to find the elusive Rainbow Charizard VSTAR as it is already fetching hundreds of dollars online.
One fan’s excitement pulling the incredibly rare collectible was completely dashed however when they discovered the holographic was ruined by a major printing error. The production mistake ended up in the worst spot possible.
Game Freak / The Pokemon CompanyTCG collector has the worst luck ever pulling rare Charizard Pokemon Card
While Pokemon card values have skyrocketed in recent years, a collectible’s worth is dependent on the scoring it gets from grading companies such as PSA or Beckett. So its quality is everything.
One TCG collector’s worst nightmare came true when they finally managed to pull the rare Rainbow VSTAR Charizard from the Brilliant Stars set, only for it to be damaged out of the pack. Unlike most errors, however, this one completely destroyed the card’s artwork.
“Pulled the Rainbow Charizard VSTAR but it looks like it is damaged/an error. Has anyone seen this before?” the fan asked, posting an image of his card on the r/PokemonTCG forum. In the picture they uploaded, the Charizard card had a large line of its holographic rubbed right off down the middle.
The TCG community reacted to the misprint in dismay, such as one user who wrote “That is not a pretty error. Oof.” Another fan agreed and said, “It’s not even a good error either, just looks like you scraped it across concrete. I’d be mad.”
According to several users, the error was possibly the result of a print roller during production. While there have been many reports of Brilliant Stars misprints, this is easily one of the worst. On the bright side, it’s also the rarest card out of the whole expansion. Given its unique error, the Rainbow Charizard could end up being worth more later down the line due to being one of a kind.
Of course, it should be pointed out in order for a modern Pokemon card to fetch thousands of dollars it needs to be a pristine PSA 10 grade of quality. And even then, the prices sellers ask for aren’t what they always end up going for, such as one PSA 10 graded version of the card being listed for $5,000 on eBay at the time of writing. Still, the Rainbow VSTAR Charizard is already proving to be one hobby’s latest hot ticket items.