Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

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Celebrindor
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Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by Celebrindor » Sun Sep 19, 2004 4:29 am

I noticed something on the tournament packs.  On the right side (if you are origally holding it in a manner such that you are looking at the front), there is a sticker, with a seven-digit code composed entirely of letters.  As far as I can tell, all 26 letters are used, and no numbers.  Furthermore, I am personally in possesion of 3 of these boxes, and they have unique, non-senquential codes.  Assuming that codes are not repeated, there are 8,031,810,176 unique codes available.  Since I find it unlikely that anywhere near that many tournament packs have been produced, it would seem that the numbers are printed completely at random.  

Furthermore, there is a series of black dots above the number, distributed in a 14x14 grid above the code.  I suspect that (since any given space in the 14x14 grid is either "off" (white) or "on" (black)) this is some sort of binary code that would allow some sort of scanner to "read" the code.  

I speculate that is yet another way to track product.  In this way, Wizards could potentially track not only cases to their destination, but even the placement of individual boxes within the case.  (The obvious application being to track down stores that are selling packs early).

Also, the sticker on which the code and barcode-like symbol were printed is not a part of the box - it is actually a sticker.

So, can everyone who went to a prerelease confirm the existance of this sticker on their tournament packs?  I am especially interested in tournaments held outside the US, with foreign language cards.

and for future reference, the code for Kamigawa Tournament packs is 969060000

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themike314
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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by themike314 » Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:15 am

I'm going to the pre-release tomorrow, so if no one responds to you I'll let you know what I get.

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flatmatt
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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by flatmatt » Sun Sep 19, 2004 9:18 pm

Yes indeed they're here in Detroit.  It's just like the tracking things on Fifth Dawn boosters, except as a sticker instead.

On another note, those boxes and boosters... they're so pretty.  :D

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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by Vilan » Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:40 pm

My tournament pack has this. They put these identifying codes and the black-dot-grid patterns on Fifth Dawn boosters too. There are stickers on Fifth Dawn booster boxes too but I think they just have the letter codes, not the grid thing.

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themike314
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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by themike314 » Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:26 am

Both Tourney packs we got have the stickers on them, but include both numbers and letters:

7YN2FDB; CY69YDB

The black/white grids are noticeably different.

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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by MOT » Mon Sep 20, 2004 5:45 am

Our tourney organizer would let you have empty boxes (display boxes not individual deck boxes) only after marking out the IDs.  These are unique IDs to identify where the product came from.  All part of WOTCs new policy that US dealers can't sell overseas anymore I imagine.

The black and white grid is a two dimensional barcode, as opposed to a one dimensional barcode like your UPC codes.  Most likely PDF417 (I think that is the right name).  I deal a lot with barcodes in my work, but I don't have anything that would read this type barcode.  I'm sure there is more info in the barcode than just the ID code below.  Two dimensional codes let you pack in more info and also provide redundancy for reading damaged labels.  They have some that look like a circular bulls-eye pattern.

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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by Celebrindor » Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:19 am

thanks for the info, guys.  Here's what I don't understand - why aren't adjacent packs consecutively numbered?  Wouldnt that be much easier to do, and still allow them to track product?

(on a related note - for the record, I am the first to predict it - they WILL find a way to individually number and track each card, like maybe some embedded code only visible under certain light, or something, but it WILL happen - I give them 2 years.)  ;D ;D ;D

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dry cereal
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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by dry cereal » Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:33 am

I don't know if they'll do that.  My DCI identification inplant is still itchy and it's been like 2 months.
I can't believe I ate the whole thing

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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by silver.paladin » Mon Sep 20, 2004 8:47 am

I don't know if they'll do that.  My DCI identification inplant is still itchy and it's been like 2 months.
STAY OUT OF MY GARBAGE CAN.  Nobody was supposed to know about those!!!   [smiley=smartass.gif]
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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by aleksandr » Mon Sep 20, 2004 9:20 am

Here in Boston, they had been giving out the empty booster boxes to those who asked.  Later on Saturday I asked for one as it was being emptied--the guy told me that they had to return each and every one of them (or maybe just the codes) to WOTC.  I of course asked about all the folks walking around with them.  He said that they had been giving them out in error and asked if I saw anyone with one to ask them to come back to the judges desk to return it.

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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by dry cereal » Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:58 pm

I'll stay out of your trash can the day you stop throwing out trash
I can't believe I ate the whole thing

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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by James » Mon Sep 20, 2004 3:04 pm

Those codes are for tracking product. The number on the pack tracks the box. The number on the box tracks where the product was purchased. So they can check on who sold at which time. It's mainly to catch the early sellers.
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Re: Labeling on Kamigawa Tournament Packs

Post by mintcollector » Mon Sep 20, 2004 8:46 pm

Actually any tourney organizer is required to send back any unused tourney product back to WOTC.  I am sure this new system is used to identify tourney product versus the normal print run we will see here soon.  so in effect it is another deterant and means to track early sellers moving tourney product when they aren't supposed to.

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