There are millions of fake Pokémon cards in circulation. That's why it's important to know where to buy real Pokémon cards. Want to know where to buy real Pokémon cards? Then read on!
Pokémon wholesalers
The Pokémon Company's sales channel isn't large enough to serve the entire market. Therefore, they use local wholesalers to market their products. These wholesalers purchase Pokémon products directly from The Pokémon Company, which can then be resold to stores and online stores like Cardstore . A list of official Pokémon wholesalers can be found on the Pokémon website.
For example, the Dutch and Belgian markets are served by Asmodee . Pokémon has a separate company for each country that manages the sale of Pokémon products. If a store or webshop sources their products from there, you know they were supplied by The Pokémon Company and therefore are official Pokémon products. Private individuals cannot purchase directly from them.
There are also other Pokémon wholesalers serving the Dutch and Belgian markets, but they are not recognized as official Pokémon wholesalers by The Pokémon Company. Therefore, it's impossible to trace where these wholesalers source their products.
Private sales
You see more and more individuals selling their Pokémon cards or sealed products on Marktplaats or 2dehands . With these sellers, you don't know where they got their items or whether they're genuine Pokémon products. Often, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is!
Pokémon is a sensitive industry for fraud, with many scammers active. An Elite Trainer Box, for example, can easily cost €50.00, and fraud is an easy way to make money. Pokémon booster packs are also resealed. When resealing, the expensive cards are removed from the pack, replaced with a cheaper card, and then the pack is resealed. It's almost impossible to tell the Pokémon pack has even been opened.
Shops abroad
You often see local stores abroad, such as in Spain or Greece, also selling Pokémon products. In many cases, counterfeit Pokémon products are sold there. Try comparing the product to an original Pokémon product first to ensure it's authentic.
Short version
To find out if a store or webshop sells real Pokémon cards, it's best to check whether it's affiliated with one of the official Pokémon wholesalers.
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