If you head on Aliexpress, chances are that you will see a plethora of Pokemon cards for sale. So, the big question is; are these real or are they fake? That is what we want to talk about on this page, as well as cover a few other things related to Pokemon cards available on Aliexpress.
Are Aliexpress cards real? Well, chances are that the answer is no. While we are sure that there are some Pokemon cards on Aliexpress that are real, it is tough to spot them. You also have to remember that Aliexpress cards come from China. The Pokemon Trading Card company does not produce cards in China.
It produces cards in Japan, but not English cards. This means that if cards did just so happen to get from Japan to China, you wouldn’t be receiving English versions unless they were fake. Let’s expand upon this a little bit. This way you will know exactly what you are getting yourself into with Pokemon cards on Aliexpress.
Can You Buy Pokemon Cards on Aliexpress?
You can buy things that look like Pokemon cards on Aliexpress. However, we are willing to bet that the vast majority of cards that you do find on Aliexpress are going to be fake Pokemon cards. This means that they are not going to be actual Pokemon cards. This will have a few ramifications if you are ever planning on playing with them. We will come to that in a short while, too.
If you do find real Pokemon cards on Aliexpress, then chances are that they are going to come from Japan. If this is the case, then the cards will not be in English.
Due to the way in which the Japanese version of the game works, you are not easily going to be able to substitute them to use in the English version of the game too. So, the cards may look cool, but they are going to be pretty useless outside of collector’s purposes.
We recommend only buying your Pokemon cards from trusted online retailers like Amazon. To check the current price and availability of Pokemon Booster Boxes, click here to view their selection on Amazon.
Why Are Pokemon Cards So Cheap on Aliexpress?
Because they are likely going to be fake cards. When you fake your cards, it is pretty easy to sell them as cheap as you possibly want.
In the rare case that they are not fake cards, then they may be Japanese cards. These are a bit cheaper than English language cards.
If they are English cards and they are clearly not fake, then they are likely going to be resealed products. This means that all of the good cards will have been taken out.
You have to remember that the profit margins on Pokemon booster boxes are incredibly thin. If a company is selling way cheaper than all of the other companies around, then they are probably selling fakes. Only $20 or so would have to be taken off the booster box price to see some companies turn a loss, which goes to show just how thin these margins are actually going to be!
Are Fake Pokemon Cards Real?
Fake Pokemon cards certainly do exist. They are probably going to be a lot more common than you may think too. They will not act as real Pokemon cards in the game, though. They are just fake cards that probably hold very, very little value outside of being a useful proxy card.
Are All Pokemon Cards From China Fake?
Any Pokemon card produced in China is going to be a fake. The only country in Asia where Pokemon produces cards will be in Japan. However, they will ship their cards to China.
Chances are that any card that you do buy from China is going to be fake. Not a lot of real cards are sold there. However, there is no guarantee of this. If you are unsure, then we recommend that you read through the reviews for the seller that you are interested in. This should give you an idea as to whether you are picking up a fake card or not.
To be honest, due to the issues with buying from China, we wouldn’t really recommend that you take the risk in the hope that you get a real card. This is because the chances are pretty high that you want.
Which Pokemon Cards Are Fake?
Chances are that there is a fake version of every single Pokemon card ever produced. Obviously, the rarer cards are going to be more likely to be faked.
Due to issues with making Pokemon cards holographic, it is unlikely that you will ever find a holographic Pokemon card that is fake. If you do find a fake holo card, then it is going to be almost immediately obvious that it is a fake.
There are several ways that you can determine whether a card that you receive is fake. Perhaps the best solution is to compare your card against one that you know is real. If, for whatever reason, you can’t do this, then follow these guidelines:
- Check the coloring of the card. In most cases, the coloring of the cards will be ever so slightly off on fake cards.
- Check the centering of the card. While real Pokemon cards can be off-center, fake Pokemon cards are noticeably so, especially on the back of the card.
- Check the text. Fake cards tend to use different fonts to real cards.
- While also checking the text, make sure that the numbers are fine. Any spelling or grammatical errors could likely indicate a fake card.
To be honest, we have yet to stumble across a fake Pokemon card that isn’t immediately obvious as being a fake after a quick, closer inspection of it.
We recommend only buying your Pokemon cards from trusted online retailers like Amazon. To check the current price and availability of Pokemon Booster Boxes, click here to view their selection on Amazon.
Are Fake Pokemon Cards Illegal?
Since producing a Pokemon card would be an infringement of the copyright held by the Pokemon Company they would be illegal, yes. It won’t be illegal to buy them. However, it is illegal to produce and sell them.
Perhaps your biggest concern isn’t actually going to be the legality of the card. It is going to be whether you are able to use them when you are playing the game. The answer to that is; no. They cannot be used in Pokemon Trading Card game tournaments. The judges at these tournaments are going to be trained in spotting fakes and they are going to be removed from your deck when you are caught.
The only time that you should ever be playing with fake Pokemon cards is around the kitchen table i.e. with your friends and family.
Final Thoughts
While there is a chance that Aliexpress Pokemon cards can be real, the vast majority of them are going to be fake. For many, this does mean that it is probably not going to be worth the risk buying the cards from Aliexpress, no matter how cheap they are.
Pokemon does not produce cards in any Chinese factory, so if the company claims that the products are coming from China, then they are lying to you.
Remember, if you do end up with Pokemon cards from Aliexpress, you are not going to be able to use them in any tournament if they turn out to be fake. They are basically going to be a waste of your money.