It’s been 26 years since the first Pokemon trading cards were released and even today millions of collectors around the world are hooked on the franchise and spend thousands of dollars every time a new set comes out.
But what about fake Pokemon cards, are they worth it and where to buy fake Pokemon cards from?
Truth be told, the fake Pokemon market is one of the most annoying things ever and hundreds of fake cards get sold to unsuspecting customers every single day.
In fact, popular personalities like Logan Paul have also been duped into buying fake Pokemon cards that were passed off as the original.
But can you get Pokemon cards anywhere and everywhere? The answer to this is no. Fake Pokemon cards are only available on e-commerce platforms like AliExpress, Etsy and DHgate because most of the fake Pokemon cards are made in China.
So if you’re looking for a good deal on a bunch of fake cards and you don’t want to invest hundreds of dollars buying originals, then you can check out websites like AliExpress, DHgate and even Etsy to get your hands on a bunch of cheap fakes.
Where to Buy Fake Pokemon Cards?
During my search for fake Pokemon cards, I came across many sellers dealing in fake lots. Some sold fake booster boxes for hardly $10-$20 whereas others dealt in custom cards which in my opinion, are actually quite cool to look at.
Here’s my top pick of the best places to buy fake Pokemon cards.
AliExpress Pokemon Cards
Now, there's another post online that talks about whether or not AliExpress Pokemon cards are real and if you've ever come across that article then you will know that there are so many fake sellers online that it can get a bit overwhelming trying to buy something that suits your needs.
Thankfully, the fake Pokemon cards on AliExpress are so cheap and they come with free shipping which makes it a worthwhile buy for someone who’s not a collector and doesn’t have any intention of investing in this hobby.
Pokemon 1st Edition Proxy Cards (Single / Set of 12)
The first one I came across is this brilliant set of 1st edition fakes that include popular cards like Dark Charizard, Shining Charizard, the OG Charizard and even a copy of the most expensive Pokemon card ever, the illustrator Pikachu.
The complete set costs no more than $4.50 and compared to the original cards, these are slightly heavier and unfortunately there are minor differences that any trained eye can spot such as coloring flaws at the back.
Considering these cards cost over $650 a pop, these high quality fakes will be a great gift for your friend who has been dying to pull an OG Zard from a Base set pack.
You can check out these fake Pokemon cards here
54Pcs Pokemon Gold Cards with a Hard Case
If you’re familiar with the recent Pokemon Celebrations set that was released then you might have seen that The Pokemon Company released two Gold cards; a Pikachu and a Charizard.
However, there are sellers on AliExpress that deal specifically with fake Gold cards and this one listing that I found comes at $2.99 for 54 exquisite proxies that not only have some weight to them, but the set includes some of the most sought after GX and VMax cards ever released by Pokemon.
I even found the entire collection of Pikachu Poncho cards, a full Charizard set and there’s even the Chonky Chu in Gold.
Though these cards are not made from real gold nor are they metallic, the gold leaf material gives it a unique shine and they are flexible so it’ll be the perfect gift for your kid or niece/nephew.
You can check out these fake gold Pokemon cards here
60 / 100 Pcs VMax Pokemon Proxy Cards
Personally, I feel that the best looking Pokemon cards till date are the Mega EX and GX cards from the XY era. But sadly they are so expensive, especially while searching for one in mint condition.
But there’s a listing on AliExpress that offers up to 300 GX cards for $16 and that’s a steal (yeah, I know they are fake).
Now I can’t say that these cards look like their original counterparts because some of the original EX and GX cards have texture while none of the proxies do, but they are high quality fakes that I would recommend buying.
The one major drawback apart from the bad texturing and holo pattern is the back of the cards are slightly duller than the original and some of the ones I received came bent.
But other than that, there are options available such as sets of 60 GX cards, or sets of 100 VMax cards that cost around $2.50 - $5.50.
You can check out this bulk set of fake VMax and GX cards here
Etsy Fake Pokemon Cards
Pokemon Evolutions Proxy Booster Box
If you’re looking for a great gift for your kid to learn how to play Pokemon then do check out this high quality Proxy booster box of one of the most legendary Pokemon sets ever, XY Evolutions.
Here an entire box of 36 packs will cost no more than $34 and considering the low price, the quality of these handmade cards are actually quite decent.
To give the booster box an authentic feel, it comes wrapped in a clear plastic sheet with the Pokemon logo plastered across, just like how an original box would look and each pack contains 9 cards sans any code card.
It’s definitely a great way to get someone into the hobby, but as the disclaimer on the post states, they’re meant to be played with and not collected or resold.
You can check out this proxy booster box on Etsy
Custom Pokemon 1st Edition Shadowless Base Uncut Sheet Poster
Looking to spice up your room or have you been searching for uncut sheets of Pokemon cards?
If the answer is yes to both of these questions, then you will be thrilled to hear that there’s a custom shop on Etsy that deals in 24” * 36” custom posters of uncut Pokemon cards.
Yeah, this product is not meant to be played with, but it can be framed and hung on the wall and no one will be able to tell whether it’s real or fake unless they examine it closely.
For $30, this uncut sheet is pretty awesome. The holo pattern is printed on all the cards, but the foil is not and the back of the sheet will be blank.
It makes a great gift and looks amazing in a frame, so i’d say it’s a worthwhile buy.
You can check out this amazing custom uncut sheet on Etsy
DHgate Pokemon Card Proxies
Fake 36 Pack English Pokemon Booster Box
Dhgate has a decent selection of fake Pokemon cards and one that really stood out to me was these fake booster boxes that cost around $17 with free shipping.
There are over 10 different boosters to choose from and sets here range from XY evolutions all the way to Fusion Strike, which was released last year.
The drawback here is that because the seller deals in wholesale shipments you will have to buy a minimum of 20 booster boxes for the order to go through.
Whereas the good thing about it is that you don’t have to buy 20 cases of a single booster box and can request the seller to send you a variety since they all cost the same.
They will make great show pieces for those looking to portray themselves as collectors, but there are subtle changes such as spelling mistakes on the box which can prove that they are fakes and not real, so try not to let anyone examine them closely.
Sets available are
- Crison Invasion
- XY Evolutions
- Ancient Origins
- Celestial Storm
- Lost Thunder
- Rebel Clash
- Battle Styles
- Vivid Voltage
- Darkness Ablaze
- Dragon Majesty
- Sun & Moon
- Chilling Reign
- Fusion Strike
If interested, you can find this fake 324 pcs Pokemon booster here
100 Pcs Proxy Pokemon Cards
Another one from DHgate to make it to this list is this lot of 100 fake Pokemon cards for children to play with. It’s priced at $18.68 and includes over 90+ EX, GX, Vmax cards and more.
The set comes packed in a mailer and the cards are all delivered in mint condition. However, they don’t have the foil or texture and are slightly heavier than the originals.
This makes a great gift or if you’re someone who would like to use fake cards to play with instead of investing hundreds on originals.
You can find these fake Pokemon cards here
How to Tell If My Pokemon Cards are Fake?
Well there are actually a number of ways you can tell if the cards you have are fake or not. The easiest way to do this is by feeling the card and checking if it has a foil layer or it’s textured. Fakes don’t have the foil layer and are not textured, so you’ll easily be able to tell the difference right away.
Another thing you can do is check the back of the card and see if the print on the back looks legit or not. Fakes will have a dull finish on the back and the Pokemon logo at times will not be aligned properly.
You can also check the names of the Pokemon and see if the name on the card matches the Pokemon. At times fakes will have different names for the Pokemon that’s on the card and this is another dead giveaway that the card is fake.
The sure shot way to tell if the card is real or not is to tear the card in half. Real cards tear easily because they’re made from cardboard and will have a black ink strip between the layers of cardboard.
Fake cards on the other hand will be made from a cheap type of paper and the print on the top of the card will be a sticker that will lack the foil overlay and texturing. These stickers can be peeled off or if you try ripping the card in two, the sticker will not tear in half.
Should You Buy Fake Pokemon Cards?
Well, it’s fun to play with fakes because they are cheap and don’t have any value attached to them.
The thing about real cards is that every single Pokemon card printed till date carries a resale value and because of this, collectors tend to keep their cards in binders and air sealed boxes.
Fake Pokemon cards are great for kids to learn how to play the game and make awesome presents for kids who want to catch them all.
So you decide if you want to buy fakes to play with or if you would like to stick to using your original cards and watch their value drop.
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