I’m not a disc collector.
Far from it, in fact.
But I’m friends with enough of ‘em to know what they talk about. If you walk (or toss) in similar circles, with respect to discs, you’ll hear terms like “penned” and “embossed” used on the reg.
Penned discs are frisbees with the disc’s weight and mold ID written by hand on the back of the disc with a pen. Embossed discs are the same thing, only the weight and mold ID are pressed onto the back of the disc in small numbers and letters. Most manufacturers use one of these methods. Discraft, however, uses stickers (weight) and the mold itself (ID) for this info.
Here’s a penned disc:
And here’s an embossed disc:
* Note: Both can be combined, too. Currently, Innova pens the weight and embosses the ID.
Now these might seem like stupid, obvious definitions …
And for someone like myself, they are.
But for disc collectors, they mean a bit more. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but generally speaking, the age of an item (often) results in a higher price tag. This is the case with art; it’s also true for some golf discs. When it comes to frisbees, to help determine age, check for the following:
- Factor No. 1 – Stamp designs are often era-specific.
- Factor No. 2 – The pro’s name or signature on the flight plate.
- Factor No. 3 – How (and where) the disc’s information is tooled.
- Factor No. 4 – The look and feel (opaque, CE, etc.) of the plastic.
- Factor No. 5 – The accomplishment the disc features: 4X, 6X, 12X, etc.
Another one?
That’s right …
Whether a disc is penned or embossed.
But even if you don’t collect discs, this information might prove valuable. Some golfers prefer the flight paths produced by older runs of a particular mold. As such, they want to find them. And when they do, they want to buy in bulk: It makes eventually losing them less tragic.
For example, Discmania began embossing discs back in 2017. So if Eagle McMahon feels the flights of older FDs or PDs were better than what’s produced today, though other factors might come into play, he knows he’s 100% looking for discs with ballpoint-pen ink on the back of ‘em.
It’s as simple as that.
Truth be told, NONE of this is a big deal.
Ten years ago, discs flew great.
And ten years from now, it’ll be more of the same.
Still, if you’re into that sort of thing, it’s good to know …
Happy hunting.
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