Printing or selling fake cards is a violation of The Pokémon Company's trademark, but that's not the only reason they're bad for Pokémon fans. Since they can't be sold or played in official events, counterfeit Pokémon cards are basically worthless.
The market is overflowing with them and counterfeit cards are being seized all over the world. Unfortunately, these cards are not worth anything and are also illegal to use in tournaments, making them a huge waste of cash.
While there are no cards currently restricted within the Standard and Unlimited Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) formats, there have been some recent updates to the list of banned Pokémon cards in the Expanded format fo 2023.
The color won't look the same as what you're used to, and that will be your first and most obvious sign that something isn't right. A fake Pokémon card will be colored light blue at the back, often having a constant shade of the same blue throughout. Genuine cards aren't just one hue of blue.
Counterfeit products are illegal and not allowed on eBay. These items may infringe on someone's copyright or trademark.
First and foremost, it's important to understand that fake Pokémon cards are not authorized or produced by The Pokémon Company International (TPCi). Therefore, buying, selling, or distributing fake Pokémon cards is considered copyright infringement and is a violation of intellectual property laws.
The sale of counterfeit goods (as described below) is illegal, as you're probably aware.
It's important to note, however, that collecting fake cards is not for everyone and that the focus should always be on obtaining genuine cards and preserving the integrity of the hobby. Collecting fake cards can be a fun experience if you're experimenting with building a new deck or editing a current deck!
1. Inspect the edges of your Pokémon card — real ones have a thin black line in between both sides. A real Pokémon card is made up of a sandwich of layers, with a semi-transparent black or dark grey layer in the middle.
1. 1998 Pokemon Japanese Promo Pikachu Holo Illustrator. Logan Paul purchased the 1998 Pokemon Japanese Promo Pikachu Illustrato-Holo for $5.3 million in July 2021. The Pikachu Illustrator card is widely considered the rarest and most expensive Pokemon card in existence.
#9: Misty's Tears, for obvious reasons.
while nude. And crying. Just a naked, crying 10-year-old girl on a trading card for children. Yikes.
It's a Distraction
Pokémon cards are marketed primarily to children who are in grade school. This is obviously an important time for kids to learn math, English, and other subjects. Trading cards on the playground is one thing, but once they are in the classroom, they instantly distract students from learning.
A Japanese Pokemon card seller is requiring customers to prove they're not adults to prevent scalping and hoarding. The reverse age check procedure means a customer has to be young enough to buy the packs displayed in its dedication section.
To release or not to release, that is the question. Hacked Pokémon keep appearing in Surprise Trades in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet despite Nintendo's warning those found guilty of using “illegally modified data” will be banned, and while some players want nothing to do with them, others are happy to capitalize.
Banned For Abilities That Result In Automatic Wins
One of the most popular reasons for a card being banned is because of fears that it may become too powerful. This is why two cards from Lost Thunder, based on the popular Unown Pokémon, were banned.
On fake cards, the blue swirling design often looks purplish. Also, sometimes the Poké Ball is upside down (on a real card, the red half is on the top). Sometimes, the Poké Ball image can also look uneven on the card.
Do a light test – shine a torch at the card; fake cards often let through much more light. Check if it's a known Pokémon misprint – They're rare (and often valuable) but they do exist – so if you find only a minor abnormality, check it against an online list of misprints.
If a card's rarity symbol is a black or white circle, it's a Common. As the name implies, Common is the lowest Pokémon card rarity. Recent non-premium Pokémon booster packs always contain five or more Commons, so cards at this rarity are easy to find.
Often, fake booster packs are very difficult to discern from the real ones. As a general rule, if the price of a pack seems too good to be true, it probably is. Pokémon TCG cards are produced from the highest-quality materials to ensure a positive experience for the player and collector alike.
Unless you're collecting for multiple people, we don't recommend going beyond four or five booster boxes. There are some very valuable, chase cards in most sets, but once you get to your fourth or fifth box most of the cards you open will be cards you already have four or more copies of.
Official Gold Pokemon Cards
There have been only two official gold Pokemon card releases during the franchise's existence: Charizard and Pikachu. The Pokemon Company has officially certified these cards as authentic gold cards. You can assume that any other gold Pokemon card you come across is a fake.
Selling counterfeit products in Australia is a crime with legislation providing for a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and two years for trademark offences.
It is illegal to purchase counterfeit goods. Bringing them into the United States may result in civil or criminal penalties and purchasing counterfeit goods often supports criminal activities, such as forced labor or human trafficking. Help to stop the funding of criminal enterprises by buying authentic goods.
For anyone caught selling fakes it is not just the goods that they lose, their whole livelihood is at risk: A prison sentence could be imposed of up to 10 years. An unlimited fine could be imposed. Homes, possessions and other assets could be confiscated as proceeds of crime.