Grading
Overall 9.5 GEM MINT
Centering 9
Corners 9.5
Edges 9.5
Surface 9.5
Rarity & Collectability
Vesuvan Doppelganger is highly collectible and is extremely difficult to find in high grade. I typically only collect Alpha, but in this case it's hard to feel that a Beta copy in BGS 9.5 is settling because of the extremely low population counts relative to the popularity of this card. In Alpha, only 5 copies have ever been graded in BGS 9.5, and this particular example is 1 of 8 copies in Beta BGS 9.5.
This means that if a collector is searching for a BGS 9.5 original black bordered printing of this chase card, there are only 13 total copies in existence of which are most likely locked up in "dead-man collections" which only come up for sale when an owner passes on.
Impressions & Artwork
Vesuvan Doppelganger is, in my opinion, THE iconic art that represents MTG by the late Quintin Hoover who passed away at the young age of 49. What is so special about this art is that it depicts a twin of another sorceress, but there are subtle differences between the two that highlight that they are not the same. There are specks of gold in the jewelry worn by the sorceresses and nude colors for the skin that really make the blues of this card absolutely pop. What an incredible piece of game history.
Usage & Gameplay
This card used to be a chase card in the era of Revised edition in the mid 90's. It has a powerful effect of being able to clone another creature and continuously morph into another creature during the controller's turn. How incredible it was to have the ability to change from a Shivan Dragon to a Royal Assassin! Despite being outclassed by the broken creatures of the modern era, this remains a special card in so many people's hearts.
Nostalgia
I remember going to a Barnes and Nobles bookstore after violin lessons with my mother who used to drive me every week after school. I hated violin lessons for the longest time (I didn't appreciate playing music until high school), but the occasional trip to McDonald's or the bookstore afterwards made the pill easier to swallow. Around this time circa 1994-1995, revised starters and boosters were quickly selling out and was pretty rare to find them still for sale at retail stores. I remember always enjoying looking for them anyway, a Frodo's quest for a middle class boy growing up in the Midwest I guess.
One night, I remember being elated about finding a stack of sealed starters were for sale at the front counter of the bookstore, before being disappointed with having no ends. Luckily my always generous mother offered to buy me a starter for retail $7.95. Can you believe in year 2021, these are now worth $1,000 unopened?
Demonstrating the patience of a teen I of course opened it immediately, and was happy when a pack-fresh white bordered Vesuvan Doppelganger was one of the rare cards! I still have the card after so many years. Thanks mom, you've always been so generous and have done so much for all of us.
A revised Vesuvan Doppelganger with nice white borders, similar to the one I pulled from the starter.
Now a grown ass man in December 2021, coming full circle, my mother accompanied me to the framing store to get a specialty frame for a rare #20 printing signed by the artist Quintin Hoover himself. This printing, obtained from an auction held by his son Justin Hoover came from Quinton's personal collection and was auctioned through the facebook site dedicated to his father's iconic art. Although showing #20/1100, it is extremely rare as many of them were destroyed during his father's move. I'll be sure to share the framing when it is finished!
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