The Wizards Limited print runs

[tyhjaarpa]

I just noticed that there is one difference in The Wizards Limited starter displays, I believe this is from different print runs. Apart from this one difference the boxes look identical. I believe this box is from earlier printing as the font is not as clear and darker color than the another box.


In the second box the font is clear and white, looks identical to Unlimited starter display as well and I believe this was printed later.


Have you noticed the difference yourself? Do you possibly have both type of starter displays or just one of them? Or could the difference be from USA vs European distributions? Or could there be some other reasoning for this difference?

[tyhjaarpa]

Have now seen multiple boxes with the second font from USA. Would be interested to know which font your boxes have if you have sourced from UK/Europe or if you have seen boxes with the first font in USA?

[tyhjaarpa]

I have just found out that there has possibly been even 3rd print run from The Wizards Limited?

The first two boxes I have pictured above both have clear opening stripe in the decks.


From the what I believe is later print run there is also boxes where the opening stripe is gilded.


I knew there was Unlimited starter decks with both clear and gilded stripe, but I have never seen them before in Limited decks. Do you have Limited starter decks with both clear and gilded stripes, or just another? Would appreciate if you could share your information in this topic to figure out more about the print runs.

[CDavis7M]

I had a Limited starter, pretty sure with a gold opening stripe. But I open everything so it's gone.

I just wanted to point out that from what I've read from ICE, there was only a single Limited print run of printing cards. I have never seen any discussion about packaging but it's possible that it could have been done by a different company. It's also possible that the boxes were printed in different runs and possible that the plastic packaging was added at different times.

The font difference you noticed seems like other printing "defects" I've seen in other games. So maybe it is not a different printing run or design but just a difference in one of the machines, or the ink in that machine.

If I were you I'd just open them so you don't have to worry about all this.

[tyhjaarpa]

I had a Limited starter, pretty sure with a gold opening stripe. But I open everything so it's gone.

I just wanted to point out that from what I've read from ICE, there was only a single Limited print run of printing cards. I have never seen any discussion about packaging but it's possible that it could have been done by a different company. It's also possible that the boxes were printed in different runs and possible that the plastic packaging was added at different times.

The font difference you noticed seems like other printing "defects" I've seen in other games. So maybe it is not a different printing run or design but just a difference in one of the machines, or the ink in that machine.

If I were you I'd just open them so you don't have to worry about all this.

I would imagine that the same company would pack the cards that does the printing, though I could be wrong here. What could be possible how ever is that some of them were printed in different factories of Carta Mundi, even though all the boxes say "Made in Belgium".

The font mistake could be something they could of changed during printing and only first n boxes would have the "bad" design. As all the other font/graphics are identical I believe the mistake is in design file.

With full set + full play set it doesn't make much sense to open them. The sealed boxes are really cool to look at as well!

[COMICHUTT]

Hi
I am new to the site but I have a few unopened limited starters boxes still.
Here are some pictures of a sealed box of starters and a single sealed starter deck.
I was just recently made aware there were different printings of the limited edition cards.

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[COMICHUTT]

And the sealed box

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20220730_194829.jpg (2.39 MiB) Viewed 2612 times

[tyhjaarpa]

Hi
I am new to the site but I have a few unopened limited starters boxes still.
Here are some pictures of a sealed box of starters and a single sealed starter deck.
I was just recently made aware there were different printings of the limited edition cards.
20220730_194932.jpg20220730_194939.jpg20220730_194929.jpg20220730_194925.jpg

Well the only thing that is certain is that there are 3 visually different Limited boxes. There is possibility that there were indeed only one print run but some were printed in different factory or they ran out of fully clear plastic wraps during printing or one or another was used by mistake for part of the printing. Would love to hear some insight from someone who was working with the printing to hear real reasoning for the differences.

[CDavis7M]

Some basic things we know: The CARDS had a single print run. There was only 1 "print run" for The Wizards Limited. Sure the boxes might have been printed in separate runs but only a few care about that I'm guessing. So I think it's a bit misleading to say "the wizards" had multiple print runs just because some of the boxes are different, and might not even be from different runs just from different machines, or the same machine at different times, or just something happened to boxes printed here and there.

Here's what I know from ICE:

-The digital version of the cards go to a prepress company. (Presumably different from the printing company. "Prepress" relates to typesetting, page layout, and other work done on a publication before it is actually printed).
-Final drafts (from the prepress company, presumably) go to the printer.
-The cards were shipped (presumably already packaged) from Carta Mundi to distributors. Suggesting that the printer actually did handle packaging (I was wondering).
-Shipments were not all sent at once. There were multiple shipments. This would have provided more time for multiple packaging runs.
-The shipment of Fatty Bolgers was lost.
-The cards are printed in batches ("print runs"). Limited was printed in a single large batch (44 million, or 45 million, or another similar number mentioned somewhere else). Unlimited was printed in multiple smaller batches (7-10 million).
-There were reports of people receiving rares in the uncommon slot.
-There was a report of someone receiving 4th Edition Magic: The Gathering cards in MECCG.
-ICE was already in shaky ground back then. If Limited sold poorly they would have been out of business.
-Apparently Unlimited was supposed to always have deep blue borders (same as the blue color background of the color insert in the rulesbook showing the cards) but the initial print batch had lighter blue borders.
-People don't know the definition of the term "limited" and "unlimited" and requested additional printing of the "limited" cards.
-People wondered if the card game market would collapse, potentially making the Unlimited cards more rare than the Limited cards.
-At least for Balrog (after the distribution changes), ICE would presell the print runs, reserving some for prize support. It was entirely presold.
-It's possible that Balrog was not technically a "limited" print run as ICE worked with Carta Mundi to re-print cards to replace the large amount of defective cards.
-Date: 1998/12/07 "ICE is not going out of business any time soon."

[tyhjaarpa]

Some basic things we know: The CARDS had a single print run. There was only 1 "print run" for The Wizards Limited. Sure the boxes might have been printed in separate runs but only a few care about that I'm guessing. So I think it's a bit misleading to say "the wizards" had multiple print runs just because some of the boxes are different, and might not even be from different runs just from different machines, or the same machine at different times, or just something happened to boxes printed here and there.

Here's what I know from ICE:

-The digital version of the cards go to a prepress company. (Presumably different from the printing company. "Prepress" relates to typesetting, page layout, and other work done on a publication before it is actually printed).
-Final drafts (from the prepress company, presumably) go to the printer.
-The cards were shipped (presumably already packaged) from Carta Mundi to distributors. Suggesting that the printer actually did handle packaging (I was wondering).
-Shipments were not all sent at once. There were multiple shipments. This would have provided more time for multiple packaging runs.
-The shipment of Fatty Bolgers was lost.
-The cards are printed in batches ("print runs"). Limited was printed in a single large batch (44 million, or 45 million, or another similar number mentioned somewhere else). Unlimited was printed in multiple smaller batches (7-10 million).
-There were reports of people receiving rares in the uncommon slot.
-There was a report of someone receiving 4th Edition Magic: The Gathering cards in MECCG.
-ICE was already in shaky ground back then. If Limited sold poorly they would have been out of business.
-Apparently Unlimited was supposed to always have deep blue borders (same as the blue color background of the color insert in the rulesbook showing the cards) but the initial print batch had lighter blue borders.
-People don't know the definition of the term "limited" and "unlimited" and requested additional printing of the "limited" cards.
-People wondered if the card game market would collapse, potentially making the Unlimited cards more rare than the Limited cards.
-At least for Balrog (after the distribution changes), ICE would presell the print runs, reserving some for prize support. It was entirely presold.
-It's possible that Balrog was not technically a "limited" print run as ICE worked with Carta Mundi to re-print cards to replace the large amount of defective cards.
-Date: 1998/12/07 "ICE is not going out of business any time soon."

Some interesting details there. Thanks for sharing.

In that light all the limited would be from one print run indeed. Or at least from one order, as I believe we don't have information how Carta Mundi has produced these? Having said they have been delivered in multiple patches it could also mean that they printed them in multiple patches as well to fulfill the order. This could be one reason for the differences in the packaging or possibly following.

The different font then would most likely be early boxes from that print run and the font have been fixed during the print run as that difference really looks more a design fault than anything that could relate to printer.

Boxes with and without the golden stripe could just be different factory/machine I guess or possibly running out of the wrapping which ever were used in earlier boxes.