StarCityGames.com Offers Alt 4th cards for Sale

[gzeiger]

I just started looking last week. I've looked through approximately 14,000 cards (one store box and one private collection) and found ~45 alt-4th. This is in Seattle.

[Celebrindor]

So, can we all agree that there were more than 10 cases of alt. 4th distributed, and more widely than in the midwest?

[sylvanstu]

alot more

[fvzappa]

I'll second that. On that note, who wants to trade? Still want to finish my set.

[Tha_Gunslinga]

Has anyone run across any miscut or otherwise misprinted Alt 4th cards?  I have a Word of Binding that's missing maybe half of the top border, and I was wondering if anyone else has seen a similarly miscut Alt 4th card.

[squt]

I think there's a TON more  I flipped through a friend's collection of 4th (About 150 cards) and found a Drain Power.

I think that ratio is actually pretty accurate to all of the cards I've flipped through - about 1 in every 150 4th edition cards in circulation that I've seen is alt 4th.

Squt

[Mr.C]

1%? that´s be, oh, 8 million cards, right?

[squt]

Sounds about right.  That would make it...almost shameful to sell uncommons for $25, wouldn't it?

Squt

[fvzappa]

Has anyone run across any miscut or otherwise misprinted Alt 4th cards?  I have a Word of Binding that's missing maybe half of the top border, and I was wondering if anyone else has seen a similarly miscut Alt 4th card.

Yes. Several miscuts but none showing another card.

I own a Radjan Spirit that is misprinted. The yellow print is off about 1/4" to the top left, causing it to look severely miscolored & odd. The former owner of it gave it to me thinking little of it, & I was like hey... thanks a bunch.

This, along w/ my misprinted Summer Plains, goes in my "misprinted misprints" collection. ::)

[GraueEminenz]

Beware of this ratio, squt and Mr.C !
Remember rg found 1 in 500 and pp found around 60 out of about the same amount.
I searched at least 10.000 4th cards and found NONE (mine 121 don't count here)
OK, you might say, this is all Germany but ...
Greetings
Jan
PS: OK let's see, what's that probability thing called .... Gauss   ?  ;D

[squt]

Oh sure.  This isn't a fact, just a guestimate from the 2 collections I've been through in the last 24 hours.  We'll never really know the print run, but it's becoming quite obvious that there are many, many more than 25 of each rare out there.  Remember - this is Starcity's estimate based on none being destroyed or lost!

I do think that at this point, Starcity should take down their stated claims of this set's rarity.  People are quoting it in ebay auctions and referencing it as information about the set, and it can't be right.

I think it is fine to sell the cards at whatever price they want - there's obviously a market for them - but I also think it is irresponsible to perpetuate the myth of their rarity for their profit.  We now know that those numbers are not accurate.

I recently spoke to a shop owner on the west coast who scanned his collection and found over 100 alt 4th RARES - some in multiples of 4.  Odds are extremely thin that this one guy has 16% of all of one rare in circulation!  

I have a Drain Power, Starcity has 2, and there's one on ebay...if I buy them all, will I have 16% of every alt 4th Drain Power!?  Come on!

Maybe this site should do a poll - how many total 4th edition cards you own, how many alt-4th cards you found in your collection, and where you live.  If enough people contribute, we might be able to figure out a roughly accurate ratio.

Squt

[silver.paladin]

Maybe this site should do a poll - how many total 4th edition cards you own, how many alt-4th cards you found in your collection, and where you live.  If enough people contribute, we might be able to figure out a roughly accurate ratio.

Squt

In all honesty, would even this be able to provide a more accurate ratio?  My thinking is that, say, in Montana (I do not recall hearing anybody from Montana or even trading from there), that there could have been 1 case, 10 cases or no cases made available in this one state alone.  If nobody works or trades with people from Montana, how could it be known how many Alt-4th cards are available there?  If 30 cases were distributed somehow in this one state alone, it would blow all estimates out the window.
So, without even considering non-American distribution, if one is unable to get a good estimate of each American state distribution, how is it possible to estimate at all?
And I am just suggesting Montana as one possible states.  How many other states possibly, are there that could have gotten these cards, but nobody really knows, because those states are not represented in the Library, and those states might not even realize what these cards are yet (though this is reduced as the 'net is able to inform people more and more).

So, with seeing the fact that some of these Alt-4th cards were distributed internationally (i.e. Germany-rg) and who knows where else, it is quite possible that it may be impossible to even guess an estimate on the release of these cards.

My only question being (and I imagine WoTC will never answer this) is are these cards legit or illegal.  Was the whole distribution run supposed to be destroyed, or was the conflict that Wizards had with this company happen after some of the print run was releaseed?
Will Wizards/Hasbro ever properly explain what has happened in this regard.

[misterpid]

Does anyone know if any Alt 4th came from boosters?  
I've only heard about it in starters.  

My Alt 4th is a small percentage of my overall 4th, but 1/2 of my starters were Alt 4th.

If someone only bought boosters, it could throw off a poll like this.

A better idea might be to try to compile a list of known rares - just to see what kind of numbers can actually be proven.

[pickle.69]

Why should Dan Bock tell anybody, if he found a Gold Mine???

[squt]

It was only sold in starters.
It was all supposed to be destroyed.

Squt