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Can a sealed Pokémon product still be something other than what the factory packed?

Published · By the Cards from Japan editors

Summary

Yes. Japan's official Pokémon Card Game site warns about seller-made "oripa" packs, about "searched" packs and boxes that have had the hits pulled out, and about counterfeits.

What the Japanese publisher has warned about

When Pokémon Card 151 launched, the official Japanese site posted a notice about buying and selling the set on flea-market apps. It named three kinds of listings.

The same notice says The Pokémon Company refuses purchases made for resale. A separate notice dated September 19, 2023, says unlicensed items are being traded under names like "replica" and "metal card," and that the company is working with marketplace operators to stop those sales and is weighing legal action.

Spotting a fake pack

Pokémon's English support site says fake booster packs are very hard to tell from real ones, and that a pack priced far below the suggested retail price is a near-certain sign of a counterfeit. It also reports that flea markets account for the most reported counterfeit sales.

Sources

  1. Pokémon Card Game notice on Pokémon Card 151 sales on flea-market apps (Japanese) (checked 2026-11-02)
  2. Pokémon Card Game notice on counterfeit goods (Japanese) (checked 2026-11-02)
  3. Pokémon Support, Did I purchase fake or counterfeit cards? (checked 2026-11-02)

Details are as published on these pages on the date above and can change. Check the official page before you buy or submit.

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