Base Set print runs: where to look
12345- 1 The Edition 1 stamp. Only 1st Edition cards have it, just under the bottom-left corner of the picture.
- 2 No shadow on the right edge of the picture box. 1st Edition and Shadowless cards have none. Unlimited cards have a dark drop shadow here.
- 3 Thin HP text. Early prints use a finer font. Unlimited prints have bolder, thicker HP numbers.
- 4 The copyright line. Read the dates. A card ending "© 1999-2000 Wizards" is the later print collectors call the "UK" or "4th" print.
- 5 Card number and rarity. 4/102 = card 4 of 102. The black star means Rare. Because the picture shines, it is a Holo Rare.
The checklist
- Is there an Edition 1 stamp? Yes: 1st Edition. No: go to 2.
- Is there a shadow on the right of the picture box? No: Shadowless. Yes: go to 3.
- Read the copyright line. Ending "© 1999 Wizards": Unlimited. Ending "© 1999-2000 Wizards": the 1999-2000 print.
Go deeper: the "UK" or "4th" print, explained
Late in the Base Set's life, a print run changed the Wizards copyright date to 1999-2000. Collectors in Britain often call it the "UK print" or "4th print", because many copies were sold here, and it was also sold in Australia and parts of Europe, mostly outside North America. Apart from the date it looks like Unlimited.
One quirk: some 1999-2000 packs still contained holos dated 1999, which makes holos with the 1999-2000 date harder to find than the commons.
Sellers mix these terms up all the time. If a listing does not clearly show the stamp, the shadow and the copyright line, ask for close-up photos before you pay.
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