What changed?
Look for a finish, edition, size, stamp, artwork, campaign, market or another physical difference.
Three checks for every printing
Identity, tracking and goal treatment remain separate
Can it be tracked?
A distinct collectable printing can be recorded even when it is outside both set goals.
Which goal includes it?
Complete and Master treatment is verified for the exact printing, never assumed from its label.
Printing colours
Consistent visual cues used throughout setCollect
Base printings
The three finishes most often shown for a numbered card.
- Normal
- Holo
- Reverse Holo
Named printing patterns
Some sets add a named foil pattern alongside the usual finishes.
Example: Prismatic Evolutions includes Poké Ball and Master Ball cards.
- Poké Ball
- Master Ball
- Energy Pattern
- Friend Ball
- Love Ball
- Quick Ball
- Team Rocket
- Dusk Ball
Variants & printing domains
Finish & pattern
What the surface looks like
setCollect records the base finish first. A named foil pattern is added only when it distinguishes one real printing from another.
NormalHoloReverse HoloCosmosConfetti
Edition & size
How the physical release was produced
Edition, border state and card size are separate facts, even when they often appear together.
1st EditionShadowlessRegularJumbo
Stamp, campaign & product
Why this copy exists
The clearest campaign, event or product detail leads the display name. Its finish stays available as a separate piece of evidence.
Set stampPokémon CenterPlay! PokémonWorld Championships
Artwork & market
Which image and release context apply
Alternate artwork, changed art and intended sales market need their own evidence. Language or card back alone may not settle the release region.
Alternate artworkRed CheeksWorldwideJapan
Combined labels
Use only the detail needed to tell printings apart
When several facts matter, setCollect can combine them into one readable label without turning the label into the underlying data model.
1st Edition (Red Cheeks)Holo (Icy Snow Pattern)Jumbo (Set Stamp)
Set boundary
Variant or separate collection?
A distinct number sequence or collection identity usually points to a separate set. A stamp, campaign or product printing that keeps the source number usually remains a variant. Documented exceptions stay explicit.
Battle AcademyClassic CollectionWorld ChampionshipsSerial code alone does not split a card
Collection treatment
setCollect decides this from verified printing data
✓Trackable
You can record ownership of this exact printing. Tracking it does not automatically put it in a set goal.
✓Complete Set
One owned copy from any eligible booster-pack printing completes the numbered card.
✓Master Set
Every eligible booster-pack printing is required; promos, decks and product exclusives remain outside the goal.
Important: a rarity name, finish, stamp or source never decides goal eligibility by itself. The catalogue stores that decision for each printing.