It is no secret that I really enjoy collecting Pokemon cards. Whether they are Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese, or English, I welcome them all. In some cases, they even have an entirely different language than those. My most recent “obsession” is the Japanese CP4 set, thanks to its unique card finish.
What Makes the Pokemon CP4 Set Interesting
When going through the bulk bins at my local card shop, I often find peculiar and unique cards. To me, at least, as I have been out of the TCG collecting loop since Jungle launched. Many cards are new and unique to me, even if they aren’t necessarily to others. The Japanese CP4 set is one such example of an intriguing curiosity.
At first glance, you may think this set has a lot of holographic cards. Every card I have found so far has a glossy finish, but this is not your average holographic or reverse holo finish either. Instead, it has a unique “card finish” called “reverse mirror holofoil”. It is a very bright coating, and one that reflects light like a mirror.
That is not the only curious aspect of the CP4 set, though. None of the cards in the set have a printed rarity. Granted, there are cards listed as “BREAK” cards, which are visually distinct from the rest of the set. Even so, there are no notable rarities, making this a very rewarding set to open and collect.
Another thing to note about CP4 – official name Premium Champion Pack – is how its cards were never given the reverse mirror holofoil finish outside of Japan. In that regard, it is a very unique set, and one you wouldn’t expect to find in the bulk bins. With just 131 cards – and energy cards – in the set, it isn’t the hardest one to complete either.
Ten Cards Instead of Five
If you follow me and my openings, you will know I open a fair few Japanese sets. Most of these sets follow the traditional booster pack format: 5 cards, that’s it. In some cases, like Mega Dream EX or Terastal Festival, packs will have 10 cards. CP4, or Premium Champion Pack, is also one of those “premium” card sets in Japan.
It, too, has 10 cards per booster pack, instead of five. An interesting choice, given how small the entire set is. However, that also means you can get over 70% of the set in one booster box, depending on duplicate rates. Unfortunately, you will not find these booster boxes today at an affordable rate. The going price on Cardmarket is 16,000 euro at this time.
Does that mean you should give up on collecting this set before even getting started? No, of course not. I have found 4 cards of this set in the bulk bin so far. Granted, the first one was purely by accident, but I do like the Zubat card. That got me to investigate this set when I got home and learn more about it.
With the new knowledge at my disposal, I look for more of these cards on my next card shop trip. These cards will not show up in a 25 cent bulk bin in my case, unfortunately, Holographic cards are always at least 1 euro. However, I picked up 4 cards for 6 euros. Cards that have a unique finish not found in any other set. I can live with that any day.
Here’s to hoping more of these cards await me on the next bulk bin trip!
