I share that info from the owner:
It is now official. Beckett has taken my story of the last known copy of a misprinted Mesa Pegasus from a test run of Anthologies I have. They printed my story, word for word from my Facebook page, (well, the first 2/3 of the story, just removed some names, sorry everyone). 3 Full pages. This August I meet with Beckett, Troll and Toad, and anyone else wanting to join the festivities at National in Cleveland to open the last sealed box and have the card graded. Since it's one of a kind, it's not legal for tournament, and only a collector item for the individual who wants it, I think it's best to seal it up. This story is about me and my discovery of this card. Unfortunately in the beginning, when I made the discovery, I barely knew about the collector side of Magic so I never took notice to the importance. I owned all 5 sealed boxes. I opened 4 to get the play set. I was the only one to ever have these cards. To answer your question, no, the play set was lost to the winds and rain of the storm several years ago, and are now worm food in Barrie Ontario.
Lee Lalonde wrote:
https://www.facebook.com/MisprintedMesaPegasus
THE HISTORY SO FAR: A recap
NOTE: Whether or not this is a big deal, is ultimately up to you. I only ask you, the reader, to take it for what it is. Good, bad, indifferent, the solution to this, I am relieved to announce, is finally in the works. I feel the truth of the existence of this card needs to be revealed publicly. This is a card produced by WOTC, (as near as anyone can speculate), to serve a temporary purpose, to test the Anthologies set as a stand alone introductory game for beginners without the inclusion of any of the cards intended for the official production release, of the sets from Weatherlight on. The White and Green deck of this set included the Sacred Mesa. This card required a Pegasus for sacrifice to benefit from it's ability to create more. The only reason for the Mesa Pegasus to exist in this test set, and not the mass produced set released after Unglued, is simple. It was the only Pegasus in Magic at the time. It is well known that Anthologies contained several misprints. A relatively high ratio compared to any other set. The Misprinted Mesa Pegasus is the only card that was not carried over to the official set. All other 'vintage' cards produced before Weatherlight were, misprints intact. As an added bonus, the card that replaced the misprinted Mesa Pegasus to produce the Pegasus tokens, the Armored Pegasus from Portal 1, was also misprinted. Only 5 of these test sets of Anthologies containing a single copy of the misprinted Mesa Pegasus have ever been discovered. Unfortunately, by a novice, average Joe, non professional player: me. Hence, the lack of speed in which this discovery was realized, and the difficulty in bringing this to light. (Since all 4 of the only copies of this card, not sealed in a box, were destroyed). Whether or not you agree, arguably, this last card has the potential to be ranked along side the rarest of cards ever produced and released, by purpose or mistake, by WOTC. There is however, a few right ways, and many wrong ways to prove this card. Opening the sealed box privately by myself and waving this card around that seemingly just suddenly appeared from nowhere is the wrong way. Whether you agree to any potential value or ranking of this card or not, is of your opinion. Collectively, every opinion serves to further press the need to prove or disprove this card's existence. Either validate it and place it in MTG history / obscurity, or disprove it and stifle it immediately. I know many people just want this to go away. There is, however, a greater audience who would like to know, irrefutably, if this card is real or not. Ultimately, everyone, myself included, just want this case closed as quickly as possible.
In this updated post, of my 'Misprinted Mesa Pegasus' Facebook page, I have edited out some of the fat, to lean up the meat. It is however, a running history as best I can document, so I apologize in advance for it's length and dryness. Due to much controversy and cries of foul from several skeptical visitors who have read 'The History So Far', I have now decided to include the names of those involved to help every reader realize, the lengths in which I have gone, to legitimize this story, this pursuit, and claim to the actual existence of this card as fact, not fiction. In no way is this meant to cause slander or associate them as being 'on board' with my claim that this card is real. These individuals and/or organizations earned my respect, gratitude and the recognition they deserve, in part or in whole, for their positive influence and assistance in trying to do the right thing. By simply helping. You have all gained my gratitude and deserve mention, but if you should read this, and wish to be removed and remain anonymous, I will respectfully follow your lead, as I have since the start of all this.
Respectfully:
Lee Lalonde
(It should be mentioned, I have never played in a competition, I hated 1 on 1 games. 3 or more in a game was much more to my liking... the more players, the better. Also, your knowing I'm a tradesman and family man, nearly completely computer illiterate at the start of all this, will help you understand why it has taken so long. I primarily collect Magic, not live and breath it).
-1-
In the beginning...
I started collecting Magic The Gathering at the release of 4TH Edition. 4 of my friends started playing now and then during our nights of nothing else to do. They lent me a deck so I wasn't left out, resulting in the inevitable. First starter box I bought had a Lord of the Pit. (I was as novice as novice could be, so I had no idea at the time, the starters I was buying were actually Alternate 4th Edition). One friend quickly dropped out, so I bought his cards. Collecting came naturally, and the first sealed item I kept, was one of the 4th edition starter decks, (recently recovered from storage and confirmed as Alternate 4th Edition). By the time Homelands was released, I had more cards than all of my friends combined. Sealed boxes now part of my collecting, my local card shop, Wayne's World of Sports Cards, (Pickering, Ontario, Canada), knew me very well...
Just after the release of Visions, but before 5TH Edition, (remember this time line...), in the midst of several visits, I noticed a smaller sealed box on his shelf. He told me he had just gotten it from a friend, (his distributor or maybe another store owner). It was a box of Anthologies. Wayne told me it was not released yet, in fact, he said it wouldn't be released for over a year. Still a novice, I didn't take that as anything super special. It was just an intro set of 2 decks for 1 on 1 play. I took a closer look at the box. Nice art, and on the front of the box at the bottom, there was a ribbon of expansion symbols I recognized. Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, The Dark, Fallen Empires, Ice Age,... The ribbon continued around the side,... Homelands, Alliances, Mirage,.... and across the back and last side. I saw the Visions 'V' next, but the rest of the symbols were unknown. An open book, lightening cloud, a gate, a bridge, gears, some 5 sided thing, a round, segmented circle, and a broken egg?..... I asked him about them, he suggested they were the next sets to be released before the official release of Anthologies, and that this box had cards from these future sets in it. That caught my attention. I had started collecting sealed boxes, and was serious about collecting at least 1 copy of every card in Magic, so I bought it. I opened it at home and flipped through the cards. Lady Orca and Pendelhaven from Legends, the set of 6 Mountains from Arabian Nights, Strip Mine from Antiquities, 6 'M' promo forests, I didn't have any of these... Wrath of God, Armageddon, Nevinyrral's Disk.... There were no new cards from the unknown future sets, but still, some very nice cards for that era. I tried the 2 decks against each other, but the decks sucked. The decks were too small and slow. I added the strange goblin and Pegasus cards I had never seen before, (we all know them now as tokens), but quickly realized, there was no way to play them. (Remember, this was before 5TH Edition was released, therefore, way before Unglued was released which also contained these Goblin and Pegasus token cards, so back then, there were no such thing as token cards in Magic). I noticed the misprinted casting cost on the Samite Healer (2W, should be 1W), Warrior's Honor (1W, should be 2W), Mesa Pegasus (W, should be 1W), and the wrong expansion symbol on the Carnivorous Plant, (shows Legends, should be The Dark). The only thing I really liked was the misprinted Mesa Pegasus... My friends and I played cards the way they were printed, not by the most up to date wording rule, so the Mesa Pegasus and Warrior's Honor were a definite bonus. Since these decks were obviously shy of 60 cards and didn't perform well, I counted the cards in each deck:
Black / Red Deck:
1 x Nevinyrral's Disk
1 x Aesthir Glider - Alliances
1 x Terror
1 x Hymn to Tourach - Fallen Empires
1 x Unholy Strength
1 x Feast of the Unicorn - Homelands
1 x Cuombajj Witches - Arabian Nights
1 x Knight of Stromgald - Ice Age
1 x Black Knight
1 x Hypnotic Specter
1 x Ihsan's Shade - Homelands
1 x Lady Orca - Legends
5 x Swamp - Ice Age
6 x Mountain - Arabian Nights
6 x Mountain - Mirage
1 x Strip Mine - Antiquities
1 x Lightning Bolt
1 x Pyrokinesis - Alliances
1 x Goblin Grenade - Fallen Empires
1 x Fireball
1 x Pyrotechnics - Legends
1 x Goblin Warrens - Fallen Empires
1 x Goblin Balloon Brigade
1 x Goblin Digging Team
1 x Goblin Recruiter - Visions
1 x Goblin Tinkerer - Mirage
1 x Goblin Hero - The Dark
1 x Uthden Troll
1 x Goblin King
1 x Goblin Snowman - Ice Age
1 x Goblin Mutant - Ice Age
1 x Volcanic Dragon - Mirage
(+ ? x Goblin Tokens)(More than likely 5, like the new set)
Total: 46 playable cards / 51 total cards
White / Green Deck:
1 x Jalum Tome - Antiquities
1 x Serrated Arrows - Homelands
1 x Giant Growth
1 x Hurricane - Ice Age
1 x Llanowar Elves
1 x Scavenger Folk - The Dark
1 x Spectral Bears - Homelands
1 x Woolly Spider - Ice Age
1 x Giant Spider
1 x Carnivorous Plant - Legends (Misprint, should be The Dark symbol)
1 x Erhnam Djinn - Arabian Nights
1 x Gorilla Chieftain - Alliances
5 x Forest - 'M' Promo
6 x Plains - Mirage
1 x Brushland - Ice Age
1 x Pendelhaven - Legends
1 x Swords to Plowshares
1 x Disenchant
1 x Warrior's Honor - Visions (Misprinted casing cost: 1W, should be 2W)
1 x Armageddon
1 x Sacred Mesa - Mirage *This card required a Pegasus in this deck, so the Mesa Pegasus, the only Pegasus in Magic before 5th Edition, was added, but misprinted in the process.
1 x Pacifism - Mirage
1 x Icatian Javelineers - Fallen Empires
1 x Infantry Veteran - Visions
1 x Mesa Pegasus (Misprinted casting cost: W, should be 1W)
1 x Freewind Falcon - Visions
1 x Order of the White Shield - Ice Age
1 x White Knight
1 x Combat Medic - Fallen Empires
1 x Samite Healer (Misprinted casting cost: 2W, should be 1W)
1 x Serra Angel
(+ 5 x Pegasus tokens)(More than likely 5, like the new set)
Total: 40 playable cards / 45 total cards
96 total card set
The decks were not even legal, and the mana counts were way off. Since I liked the Mesa Pegasus, I went back and asked Wayne for more boxes. He made the call. The guy at the other end said he only had 4 left. I said I would take them all. I wanted a play set and a sealed keeper.
When the boxes came, I stopped in. Wayne emphasized that I was lucky. The person who gave these up only ever had the 5 boxes given to him as a gift and wanted to keep one for himself, but reluctantly passed them on to be bought by me. Now I had all 5. (At this point, I was still unaware of the significance of that piece of information).
I went home, opened 3 of the boxes, placed all cards together in a separate binder, leaving an empty pocket for the 4 Pegasii, (my word), which were quickly sleeved and a deck was built around them. The last sealed box was boxed up with the rest of my sealed booster boxes to collect dust for the next 10+ years. The misprinted casting cost sped up the deck considerably. I only played them a few times before we all stopped playing. 5Th Edition was released shortly after, then Weatherlight, but since the releases were getting out of control, and my friends couldn't keep up with my collecting or abundance of cards they didn't have, we all agreed to limit our games to 5TH Edition, nothing after. I took notice of the Weatherlight 'open book' symbol, from my Anthologies box but that was it. None of the cards in the set were in my Anthologies sets, and we had decided not to play them, so I decided not to collect them. Shortly after, we all stopped playing completely. We all moved on for a couple years..... Once in a blue moon I would stop in at the card shop to say hi. I saw Tempest, and it's symbol. Much later I saw Urza's Saga when it came out, and I was told it was a hot set, would rival Alliances one day... but I didn't buy one.... I hadn't played in such a long time, nobody else played... why bother?....
-2-
How it's death was necessary, to bring attention to it's existence......
It was around this time, the time of Urza's Saga, that one of my friends, who had moved far away and found new friends who played, paid a visit. He wanted to borrow some cards so he could compete with their 'modern' cards. I lent him a few play sets, and... the 4 Pegasii..... I stressed that of all the cards, I wanted the Pegasus cards back.
Much time passes by,... enter Mirrodin....
I have now moved to the same city as the friend. (Barrie, Ontario). He eventually invites to take me to a game and introduce me to Eric, Jeff, Rick, Bruce, Jay and Dan. Inspired, I bring a few old decks... Wow. They didn't do a damn. Of coarse, the friend has bragged about my collection and how good my decks were, so they pounced on me. During the games, I asked for my Pegasii back.
"I traded all my White cards away for Black and Red" He said.....
..........
Those words still ring harshly in my ears.......
****FAST FORWARD*****
-I play for a couple more months.
-I find a few local card shops.
-I find a shop that can get me 4 more Anthologies boxes.
-I finally get the boxes and open one.
This is when it was discovered that the Anthologies set I knew of, is a different version of the set the rest of the world knows of.
As I flipped through the White/Green deck, there were all these new cards... and no Mesa Pegasus!!! The rest of the older, misprinted cards were still there, still misprinted, but the Mesa Pegasus was gone. Replaced by the misprinted Armored Pegasus from Portal I, (casting cost: 2W, should have been 1W, which made the deck worse to fire off and made the Mesa Pegasus much more desirable). All the new cards from the new sets with those funky symbols that came out after 5th Edition were now included. Now with 60 cards in each deck.... and more misprints added to the mix....
Black / Red deck: (**= new card not included in the first set of Anthologies)
1 x Nevinyrral's Disk
1 x Aesthir Glider - Alliances
1 x Terror
1 x Hymn to Tourach - Fallen Empires
1 x Unholy Strength
1 x Feast of the Unicorn - Homelands
1 x Cuombajj Witches - Arabian Nights
1 x Knight of Stromgald - Ica Age
1 x Black Knight
1 x Hypnotic Specter
1 x Ihsan's Shade - Homelands
1 x Lady Orca - Legends
5 x Swamp - Ice Age
**5 x Swamp - Tempest
6 x Mountain - Arabian Nights
6 x Mountain - Mirage
**1 x Polluted Mire - Urza's Saga
**1 x Smoldering Crater - Urza's Saga
1 x Strip Mine - Antiquities
1 x Lightning Bolt
1 x Pyrokinesis - Alliances
1 x Goblin Grenade - Fallen Empires
1 x Fireball
**1 x Goblin Offensive - Urza's Saga
1 x Pyrotechnics - Legends
1 x Goblin Warrens - Fallen Empires
1 x Goblin Balloon Brigade
1 x Goblin Digging Team
**1 x Goblin Vandal - Weatherlight
**1 x Mogg Fanatic - Tempest
**1 x Raging Goblin - Exodus
1 x Goblin Recruiter - Visions
1 x Goblin Tinkerer - Mirage
**1 x Mogg Flunkies - Stronghold
**1 x Mogg Raider - Tempest (Misprinted casting cost: RR, should be R)
**1 x Goblin Matron - Portal II
1 x Goblin Hero - The Dark
1 x Uthden Troll
1 x Goblin King
1 x Goblin Snowman - Ice Age
1 x Goblin Mutant - Ice Age
1 x Volcanic Dragon - Mirage
(+ 5 x Goblin Tokens)
46 original cards + 14 new cards
Total: 60 playable cards / 65 total cards
White / Green Deck: (**= new card not included in the first set of Anthologies)
1 x Jalum Tome - Antiquities
1 x Serrated Arrows - Homelands
**1 x Ranger en-Vec - Tempest
1 x Giant Growth
1 x Hurricane - Ice Age
**1 x Overrun - Tempest
1 x Llanowar Elves
1 x Scavenger Folk - The Dark
**1 x Canopy Spider - Tempest
1 x Spectral Bears - Homelands
**1 x Mirri, Cat Warrior - Exodus (Misprinted twice: Expansion symbol rarity color is silver, should be gold, and toughness is 2, should be 3).
1 x Woolly Spider - Ice Age
1 x Giant Spider
1 x Carnivorous Plant - Legends (Still misprinted, should be The Dark symbol)
1 x Erhnam Djinn - Arabian Nights
1 x Gorilla Chieftain - Alliances
5 x Forest - 'M' Promo
**5 x Forest - Portal II
6 x Plains - Mirage
**5 x Plains - Portal I
1 x Brushland - Ice Age
**1 x Drifting Meadow - Urza's Saga
1 x Pendelhaven - Legends
**1 x Slippery Karst - Urza's Saga
1 x Swords to Plowshares
1 x Disenchant
1 x Warrior's Honor - Visions (Still misprinted, casing cost: 1W, should be 2W)
**1 x Pegasus Stampeed - Exodus
1 x Armageddon
1 x Sacred Mesa - Mirage *requires a Pegasus in this deck.
1 x Pacifism - Mirage
1 x Icatian Javelineers - Fallen Empires
1 x Infantry Veteran - Visions
0 x Mesa Pegasus (Misprinted casting cost: W, should be 1W, *no longer in the set*)
1 x Freewind Falcon - Visions
**1 x Youthful Knight - Stronghold
1 x Order of the White Shield - Ice Age
1 x White Knight
1 x Combat Medic - Fallen Empires
1 x Samite Healer (Still misprinted, casting cost: 2W, should be 1W)
**1 x Armored Pegasus - Portal I (Replaced the Mesa Pegasus, misprinted casting cost: 2W, should be 1W)
**1 x Pegasus Charger - Urza's Saga
**1 x Benalish Knight - Weatherlight
1 x Serra Angel
(+ 5 x Pegasus tokens)
39 original cards + 21
Total: 60 playable cards / 65 total cards
130 total card set
I took note of the rampant misprints in this set, and upon it's official release, the original misprints were still misprinted and new misprints were added. The number of misprinted cards in this 2 deck set is unprecedented. A combined total of 7 misprinted cards, 8 misprints in 120 cards. The Edsel of Magic.
Given the multitude of errors, believing the misprinted Pegasus should be fairly common knowledge to at least the misprint collectors.... Surely WOTC would have definite insight and the ability to confirm the first set's release and where they are, so I could find the replacement play set I so desperately wanted. I messaged Wizards of the Coast, but the few people I spoke to had no knowledge, nor could find any evidence of any first set of Anthologies. A dead end. No records, too long ago....
I kind of gave up for a while, but I was back playing with the new group so I quickly educated myself on the sets I had missed out on so I could compete. A card shop I frequented downsized and Matty, (now of OMG), sold me all their excess stock. 13 - 5 row boxes. Most were full. Only a small stack of missed rares among them, thousands of uncommons. After several weeks of buying collections, taking all my cards out of their 4 foot stack of binders, sorting all cards together, sleeving and 4 row boxing them, I knew Magic again. I built a rolling skid to hold them. The skid held 6 boxes flat, most stacked 8 boxes high. I loved Kamigawa, Mirodin and Darksteel when they came out during this process.... I played a few more times and one night, a new guy showed up. I was introduced, and was then told; "This is the guy who traded for your cards"....
After a chat, he said he would look for my cards.
About a month later, he comes to another game. He begins to tell the story of his mishap the weekend before.....
He went to visit a friend, parked his convertible in the drive, cards in the back seat, and enjoyed his stay. Stayed warm and dry the whole time the storm went through, but when he went to leave, he realized he had left the top down.....
The fate of the cards was left open though.... I was aware the cards were all soaked and ruined, but I still wanted them. Alas, he lost his job and therefore everything shortly after that and moved away. To a different Province... The cards were thrown out.... (or so I had presumed).
I myself at this point had since moved several times and finally back home. I still visit the boys for a game from time to time, and yes, my collection has grown. In the moves, my sealed boxes ended up in unmarked boxes somewhere along the line, and mixed together....
2012, I reignited my vow to find another copy of this card, goal: a play set.
I reinstated my search with the biggest dealer I knew of. Power Nine. Dan tried to find one, but eventually could not. I believe he was the one who directed my attention to several other places I would be most likely find a copy or at least someone who has heard of it.
I reinstated my search through Star City, Troll and Toad, Eternal Central,... every card dealer I was directed to, bought from or stumbled upon. I began searching eBay for any hint of this card. Many searches, watched categories, alarms for related posted items..... nothing. I messaged countless sellers, nothing. Nobody, not no one, has ever heard of this card...... Many, not willing to take my claim seriously.... Understandably, if the likes of Troll and Toad, Star City, etc., have never heard of it, it doesn't exist...... They are the foremost experts, hands down. I too, in their shoes, would rapidly lose interest in this claim with absolutely no proof from anywhere.
Frustration sets in. I laugh at the fact that; had these cards not been destroyed, I never would have had the need to look for one. The rarity of this card would never have been realized. There would have been no need to say a word to anybody, much less everybody.
-3-
"It's a'all Mesa'd up"....
At this time, I am now aware of the importance of this card, (but yet unaware there were only 5)....... Proving it exists has now become an obsession....
I now know this card is extremely rare. I began offering rewards for any proof of this card, or a photo, an actual card.... a lead to someone who could verify it existed.... Nothing...
I figured that any other copy may have gone unnoticed. A throw away common that not a single collector or shop would look for. An overly common, mass produced Mesa Pegasus? I must have been the only person to have bought one of these old sets, noticed the misprint, and bought a new set to replace the missing old card, discovering the problem.... I still had faith someone, somewhere, had a copy... I summarized that the boxes I bought came through Toronto, or Montreal, so I was wasting my time in the US. I had to start over.
****FAST FORWARD****
-I call Eric, one of my card friends, to find Pat, the guy who traded for my cards. I get lucky, Pat had now moved back. I get a phone number.
-I called, but he was not home.... I left a message.
-Call is returned a couple days later. Fate of the cards is verified, but in a little more detail. Turns out, most of his cards blew out of the box before the rain soaked what remained.... He did not throw out the cards. He gave them all to Eric, the friend I called... to get... this... number!!!.... ARRRGGG!
-I called Eric back. Told him the long winded story. He was in his garage, staring at the box in question the whole time..... Bonus: he never throws a card out either....
-He searched, and carefully separated the cards, but they were not there. He searched his collection. Not there. Most of the cards that suffered the storm, blew out of the box, and scattered all over the City of Barrie, Ontario..... the Pegasii took flight..... the 4 1/1's became none. It was now painfully clear, all that remained, was the one Pegasus inside a sealed Anthologies box. Identical in every way to every other sealed box of Anthologies. Every number, every detail, even the plastic wrap. An exact copy to the other 3 newer sealed Anthologies, boxed with it. Hidden somewhere in an unmarked box, surrounded by other unmarked boxes in a completely disorganized basement. Apprehension to carry on my quest set in yet again....
I continued my search via Internet. The further in I went in my search, the bigger the fish I hooked. After several attempts to be heard and not just shluffed off, Star City finally accepted the fact that I was not some kid with a shoe box full of cards and a rumor, but instead had a detailed, legitimate claim. We talked for a while, and like many others I have spoken to, he suggested I just 'open the sealed box to prove the card exists, then quickly realized what he had just said... If it isn't the last card in existence, it certainly is the last sealed box... "This sort of thing has happened before" I was told, so the possibility of this card was very real. He agreed to do a story, but wanted proof first. Understandable, big reputation that place...
Searching major dealers in Toronto, I start with MTGIsland. Kyle has always found what I'm looking for. He not only searched his stock, he searched his contacts. Nada. I then did a proximity search of every seller on eBay and every retailer listed on the internet, with my home as ground zero. Working my way out until the distance was turning ridiculous....... I realized these boxes only made it to Toronto. From there, to Pickering, (next door), where I acquired them. I went so far as to track a Toronto seller's entire inventory, that he had sold in bulk to California when he quit selling. They too searched... Not one shred of evidence from anywhere. I summarized again...: If I'm the only one who knows it exists, and I have had a multitude of people search millions upon millions of cards..., my seller got the only 5 boxes his supplier ever had...., it's quite possible, I have the only one left.... As stated, this sort of thing has happened before....
Remembering Star City wanted proof, how can I prove the card exists without opening the box?..... How can I prove the boxes are different when the exterior of the boxes are completely Identical?!!!....
BING!!!! (a light went on... if you didn't catch that...)....
If the new set had all these extra cards,.... they should weigh different..... Unless WOTC packed mine with extra tokens to fill it... (I couldn't remember how many tokens came in a box, they were the only cards that were mixed in with all my other cards in the token section of my new collection).
After several days and destroying the entire basement, I found them. I quickly ran to the kitchen scales...
Drum roll please?...
3 boxes weigh 14.5 to 14.6 oz., 1 weighs 12.5 oz.....
New set = 130 cards
Old set = 96 cards
Difference: 34 extra cards in the newer set.
34 cards weigh around 2 oz.......
I contacted Star City.... "not good enough" was the jist......
I contact Rick, the friend that occasionally comes out and play. He now own OMG! Games and Collectibles in Barrie. Rick, his son Josh and Matty from the old card shop are, by far, the smartest people I know when it comes to Magic. To say Rick, Josh and Matty know MTG like a sports caster knows their stats on every player, is still an understatement. Those in the know of who can help, where else to investigate. Surely they must have a lead, a supplier, a distributor, a lead at WOTC, I even requested info on how to contact a PSA or BGS card grader should I resort to opening the box.... Unfortunately, no contacts. They are good, just not globally known. (Outside of tournaments).
I again, search eBay for the next couple of months and contact every seller posting an Anthologies box for sale. I asked every seller to weigh their naked, sealed box. Every one of them replied. A resounding 14.5 oz or slightly more... "Not good enough" still echoes in my thoughts.....
Stumbling through the internet one day, as I searched the world again for more ideas of where to look.... I see this header for 'The Misprint Guy'.... Specializes in misprinted and miscut cards. I posted on his site, but the only responses are of the 'Wald' plains card or the like comments from other members. Weeks later, I searched for him again. I caught a mention that he is affiliated with one of the major stores for Magic.... Eternal Central. I emailed them and begged for my concern to be heard. A few days later, I get a message from Keith Adams. Wanting more info. I gave him a brief story. Keith Adams, 'The Misprint Guy', has now agreed to seek info through his contacts. Meanwhile, he wanted a picture of the card. I had a friend who prints foil altered art cards for me to do his handy work and send me a copy. He made me the picture, (the one you see on this page). It is beautiful............. to me... not so much to you, you are only seeing it for the first time.... I sent a copy to "The Misprint Guy". He started looking into his sources for information.
-4-
The solution.....
I recall the conversations when I purchased these first boxes, and compiled the fact that not one person, not WOTC, not one major store, nor 'The Misprint Guy', have ever heard of this card. I am now suspecting that these were the only copies of the card. Of the other 3 witnesses of the card, the 3 guys I first played cards with, either have disappeared, or do not remember for sure due to the years passing.
I listed a few solutions to my dilemma, but one by one, they became improbable. Save one. Using an MRI or comparable equipment, wouldn't work. Tracking down Wayne, the seller I bought the boxes from, and back track...., but that would not prove the card. My goal was to prove the existence without having to open the box. It is the last sealed box... but it seems inevitable....
If opening the box was to be the only option left, I want it done right. In the presence of a card grader to grade and seal it, a rep from WOTC, to authenticate it, and hopefully Keith, for obvious reasons. The biggest obstacle, was not getting these people in the same room, it was getting them to come to me. My job requires my remaining close to home. I run renovations at functioning hospitals. Touching various kinds of water lines, med gas, chiller, heating and sanitary lines that are vital to patients, physicians, labs and multi million dollar equipment, there is little margin for error. Both for patients and workers, lives are on the line. I can't just up and leave.
About a month or so ago, I posted a mention on a Facebook group. 'High End Magic stuff for sale!'. It sparked interest and criticism alike, but mostly well received. No takers in any other copies known to exist... I still waited for word from Keith Adams......
Recently, I posted on another Facebook group. 'Magic the Gathering Card Price Request'. Just to pose the question, what this card was potentially worth. It didn't go so well. I was criticized and just shy of verbally attacked. Be it a tad harsh, for just posting a question to which the site was designed, I did get the push to not give up. I was advised to re visit those in the know. I messaged Keith again. Explained the situation, and that I just wanted to get this over with. I was hoping there was a large enough event in Toronto in the near or far future, he could attend. This was a no, unfortunately. He suggested I set up a camera. Place a new box and the older box in the camera frame, open the boxes, and produce the card. All in one take, and he will do the rest for getting the word out. I trusted his judgement, but that still left the card ungraded, or verified as authentic. Back to the internet....
I tried to find any grading company that would be attending any major event in Toronto. This was Saturday, November 9th. After trying one site, one I had already contacted twice for assistance but never received a reply, and found only US appearances in their calender, I tried BGS. I checked their calender, and they just so happened to be at a major sports card show in Toronto at the International Centre for the weekend. I gathered my boxes, a stack of choice cards, the binder with the 2 sets for comparison, a set of kitchen scales, another odd misprinted item and packed them in a box. The next day, Saturday Nov. 10/13, my eldest son and I, headed out.
Jake and I were directed to the back of the gala, where finally I had the chance to speak to a BGS rep. I began to explain what I needed done, and tried to find a short form of this story to relay the importance as quickly as possible. Before long, he admitted he didn't know much about Magic..... but Bill, sitting beside him, did. I think at this point, Bill had caught enough of the conversation to justify his switching chairs, and coming to me, and hear me out. After a brief explanation, Bill apologized, but BGS does not bring their equipment for sealing graded cards, nor were they able to produce the expert staff to authenticate the Magic card, at a sports card event. Well, it was a shot in the dark, but while I had Bills attention, and he was genuinely curious, I continued anyways. I showed him the original set in the binder. The foil copies of the misprinted Mesa Pegasus I had made for me to replace the ill fated set, to point out the misprint, then the newer set in the back of the binder that included all the cards from Weatherlight on, but excluded the Mesa Pegasus. I then set the kitchen scale down. One by one, I placed the sealed boxes on. 14.5 oz. 14.5 oz. 14.6 oz. then 12.5 oz. He witnessed the identical boxes, and that one box, weighed very differently. I told him how I wanted things to go, when I open the box. Bill thought about it all, looked at me, and gave me my wish.
An article in Beckett associated magazines to help promote awareness.
An invite to join Bill Dumas at the National Event, August 2014 in Cleveland.
In attendance:
Beckett Expert Representatives to verify, grade, seal and document.
Members of Troll and Toad to authenticate, and document.
Associated media to document, report and publicize.
A multitude of top MTG vendors and countless members of the MTG community, wouldn't be an event without them.
This event is the only time the BGS card sealing equipment leaves their facility and is brought to site.
I have the time to prepare for this event, work wise, get passports, and I can drive there... Doesn't get any better.
Why is Bill so on board with this?.... Have you seen the Beta Black Lotus graded 10 for sale? Graded by Beckett, and going for $100,000 on eBay, it is the worlds most expensive single card in Magic. Why not add the only misprinted Mesa Pegasus to the Beckett family of graded cards?
-5-
Fodder
I tell you though, when the Mesa Pegasus finally reveals itself, again, I will have mixed feelings...
The criticisms and frustrations of nobody believing me, the void of any information to suggest it's existence without opening the box, the loss of the last sealed box in existence, the loss of the first 4 Pegasii still gnawing at me, the countless hours pursuing this.....
VS the jubilation of finally seeing it again, proving it exists, the history of this card being published and known.... the possible value of the card.......
I will hold the card before it is sealed away. I will never be known for the one who found it, or discovered it, so I'll take my own claim to fame of being the only person who has actually held all 5 cards. Hopefully, the Misprinted Mesa Pegasus will earn it's rightful, legendary spotlight, and contend for the title of MTG's most sought after cards.... After all, there is only one other card, that there is only one of, the 1996 World Champion, and it isn't a misprint. The miscut Genesis was on eBay for a few grand. Does the Mesa compare to these? The Summer Hurricane? Shichifukujin Dragon, Fraternal Exaltation, Teferi's Domain, Mind Theft, Curse of Nazir, either Proposal, or how about the rumored foil Fork, produced as a one off example to convince WOTC to go with foiling cards? 5 of these Pegasii were made, but only one has survived. This card, the entire sealed box has a history behind it. It's not an old, frozen chicken nugget that resembled an ex President, that fetched like $10,000 on eBay, probably tastes the same, but I think this card would stand higher in the bragging rights department.....
A special thanks to those involved who have helped over the years, and those named in this running history, for their agreeance to allow their names to remain.
C'mon August!!!!!
Lee Lalonde
