Is this card a proxy...?
General forum
Posted on May 19, 2017, 2:37 a.m. by icehit6
I just bought a Snapcaster Mage off ebay, MM2017, and when I opened the card up, upon further inspection I saw that the power toughness of the card wasn't a full black and was faded to grey.
I don't really want to jump to the conclusion that the card is fake because of this but I haven't seen a print defect like it anywhere online. Other than that the card seems fairly comparable to other cards that I have in the set. It's just this one little thing makes me skeptical.
If you're willing to wait I can post a very high resolution image of the Snapcaster Mage next to a MM13 Death's Shadow in a couple of minutes. I don't have another Snapcaster mage to compare to right now. If it doesn in fact end up being a proxy, I can easily get my money back, it's just kind of a hassle I'd rather not deal with.
May 19, 2017 3:03 a.m.
So the card overall feels the same, the and as well the authenticator diamond is the same as my other cards. I held it up to a light and it is blue core, and as well (because the Death's Shadow has darker borders than other cards), I compared it to my Marsh Flats from the same set and it as has the same border coloring and text res as the marsh flats. The only thing is the faded 2/1
May 19, 2017 3:18 a.m. Edited.
StevTheRenegade says... #5
I think this is just a case of potential minor water/heat damage. It very well could be a misprint...but it would be across a chunk of the card instead of just there.
I'm no expert...but even if it was a printed proxy that authenticator is too hard to replicate without getting fancy. I think in this case you got a "lower quality" card than stated. I wouldn't value it any less, if youre lucky its a valuable misprint.
I'm sure in the morning more people will read this who are better at this than I am. I hope to not be proven wrong, and that your card is legit!
May 19, 2017 4 a.m.
If you still want to be sure I'd advise looking for the rosettes under a magnifying glass, but it looks legit. MM17 had fading issues in the print run. It was rampant in the commons but not as likely in uncommon/rare, but I'm willing to bet that's what happened. I know at my MM17 draft several packs went around with really faded commons etc. if I can find one I'll post a pic.
May 19, 2017 11:11 a.m. Edited.
Somebody at my LGS pulled a really faded Venser, Shaper Savant from MM3
StevTheRenegade says... #2
It would help us out a lot if you posted a high quality image of your card :D. Sadly I don't trust ebay at all, but I'm hoping it's legit for you. Does the card feel different in your hand than other cards? Is the authenticator diamond on the bottom of the card as shiny and vibrant as your other cards?
May 19, 2017 2:58 a.m.