JSS Test Print Foil Sheet Analysis and Insights?

[Mattalic]

Hello ladies and gents,

I posted this inquiry on mtgsalvation yesterday while my account here was activated. Although I've been following mtglibrarities for a long time, this is my first post here - huzzah!

I picked up 4 uncut sheets from a storage auction in California about 5 years (or more) ago. Two were damaged, one had a slice across the center (seemingly on purpose as it was a cut, not a tear), and two were relatively untouched. Not knowing what I originally had, I sold the two damaged ones to a local collector and it easily paid for the entire auction and then some - which surprised me. He wanted all four, but I simply couldn't let the other, cleaner ones, go. I am now posting pictures of one of the two remaining sheets for the purpose of obtaining any information, value estimates, or comments.

The sheet is in near mint condition in an acrylic-type frame. Any warping you see is due to the light passing through the flimsy front and glares are just that, glares.

The one I am showing is clearly an uncut JSS firework promo sheet. English cards make up the top 60% while the bottom transitions into other languages of which I believe is Japanese.

The interesting thing to point out, is that in the bottom left, there is a release sticker for print "press approval". This includes information on the entire print, including card stock type, vendor, printer type, paper set, shift amount, down sequence, print densities, ink types, dot grain percentages, gloss averages, coating type etc. of which I have blurred most out - I don't want someone using this information to some sketchy advantage given counterfeits on the markets these days!! It also includes more info at the bottom (purposefully cropped from the photo) the approval of [name removed by author out of concern for any WOTC employees if this sheet was meant to be destroyed] and acceptance date to go to print. The second sheet does not have this.

I have never, in my decades of trading, seen a sheet with a print press approval sticker. Is this rare or is it common and I've just happened to have missed things like this?

What do you guys think of it and if I were to sell, what should I be looking for?

[l0qii]

Welcome to the board!

This is a very nice sheet! Thanks for sharing.
I have seen press print stickers before but they are rare. Some members here should be able to given more information about them and the value.

It would be good to know the go to print date, since we do track the order things were printed in. Also the 60/40 ratio of English to Japanese is cool, and gives us evidence that one is more rare than the other.

[Mattalic]

Welcome to the board!

This is a very nice sheet! Thanks for sharing.
I have seen press print stickers before but they are rare. Some members here should be able to given more information about them and the value.

It would be good to know the go to print date, since we do track the order things were printed in. Also the 60/40 ratio of English to Japanese is cool, and gives us evidence that one is more rare than the other.

Thanks very much for the reply!

It's actually a bit more than 60% English. Didn't think anything of that information until you said it's helpful. I will get the exact ratio later this evening - Japanese begins I believe somewhere along the 4th row from the bottom of the sheet.

The date listed on the acceptance sticker is 7/16/2004 although I am going off the original image I took. I believe these were awarded for JSS the following year? I will confirm the dates and update appropriately when I return home to verify.

[Mattalic]

I can confirm a few things.

The Japanese begins two cards into the fourth-from-bottom row. Meaning 66% is English. There are 11 English Royal Assassins and 5 Japanese Royal Assassins. There is a secondary (?) foiling on the Japanese variants replacing the words "Junior Series" with "Japan Junior Tournament". The back is typical Magic The Gathering card backs.

The acceptance date and time is indeed 07/16/2004 with a time of 09:00 PM according to the release sticker/seal.

[dragsamou]

Hi

I did add some pics of those that I did get recently from one of our member:

http://www.magiclibrarities.net/35-rari ... index.html

As for others Test Approval:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9795

Over the years, they show up from time to time on different websites.

of which I have blurred most out - I don't want someone using this information to some sketchy advantage given counterfeits on the markets these days!! It also includes more info at the bottom (purposefully cropped from the photo) the approval of [name removed by author out of concern for any WOTC employees if this sheet was meant to be destroyed] and acceptance date to go to print. The second sheet does not have this.

Don't bother with that part, a lot of them are offered publically, the sheet was aimed to be destroyed but ended up in the wild, like so many Rarities....And they all come from the same place.

[Mattalic]

Hi

I did add some pics of those that I did get recently from one of our member:

http://www.magiclibrarities.net/33-rari ... index.html

As for others Test Approval:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9795

Over the years, they show up from time to time on different websites.

of which I have blurred most out - I don't want someone using this information to some sketchy advantage given counterfeits on the markets these days!! It also includes more info at the bottom (purposefully cropped from the photo) the approval of [name removed by author out of concern for any WOTC employees if this sheet was meant to be destroyed] and acceptance date to go to print. The second sheet does not have this.

Don't bother with that part, a lot of them are offered publically, the sheet was aimed to be destroyed but ended up in the wild, like so many Rarities....And they all come from the same place.

Has more than one other been posted - I know the person I sold the other one too. I cannot see a line "slice" through your image however, so I am thinking this is a different one.

Thanks for all the information. Any ideas on current collector value and just 'how rare' this is?

[dragsamou]

Has more than one other been posted - I know the person I sold the other one too. I cannot see a line "slice" through your image however, so I am thinking this is a different one.

Thanks for all the information. Any ideas on current collector value and just 'how rare' this is?

You're welcome, others exist, I think there's few somewhere on the forum, and I know some collectors owning different ones. Value is what someone is willing to pay for that uncut sheet, well, with 5 at least in the wild it's not the rarest uncut sheet.

[cataclysm80]

I'm curious whether this was printed by one of the companies we are already aware of, or if it was made somewhere new.

[Mattalic]

Has more than one other been posted - I know the person I sold the other one too. I cannot see a line "slice" through your image however, so I am thinking this is a different one.

Thanks for all the information. Any ideas on current collector value and just 'how rare' this is?

You're welcome, others exist, I think there's few somewhere on the forum, and I know some collectors owning different ones. Value is what someone is willing to pay for that uncut sheet, well, with 5 at least in the wild it's not the rarest uncut sheet.

I think your definition of 'rare' and my definition of 'rare' are completely different . "Five in the wild" still seems pretty rare to me

[Mattalic]

I'm curious whether this was printed by one of the companies we are already aware of, or if it was made somewhere new.

The sheet I posted here, is the same as the one that is shown on dragsamou's link. However, I cannot determine if that is the one I sold previously (the "slice" I mention in my description is relatively faint unless you are looking for it. It slices through the foil not the full card into the back - somewhere in the top half) or if it's a different one. I do know the person that I sold the previous one too, so if they have posted the image on here, I can coordinate.

[dragsamou]

I think your definition of 'rare' and my definition of 'rare' are completely different . "Five in the wild" still seems pretty rare to me

I didn't say it was not Rare, but that it was not the Rarest...

I'm curious whether this was printed by one of the companies we are already aware of, or if it was made somewhere new.

Tav, this info should be mentioned somewhere on the sheet.

[Mattalic]

I think your definition of 'rare' and my definition of 'rare' are completely different . "Five in the wild" still seems pretty rare to me

I didn't say it was not Rare, but that it was not the Rarest...

I'm curious whether this was printed by one of the companies we are already aware of, or if it was made somewhere new.

Tav, this info should be mentioned somewhere on the sheet.

I think not only was it the same location, but the sheets all were from the same lot. The dates, numbers and approval are exactly the same. It seems that a small number that were meant to be destroyed simply got "lost".

[l0qii]

I know the press approval sticker says "JSS PROMO", but the Slith Firewalker in the 3rd pic down clearly says "Junior Series". That is the logo for the European event, where cards were numbered E05. The Junior Super Series was in the US, had a logo that said "Super Series", and cards were number J05. Are both english versions present on this sheet? How many of each are there?