Are you having a hard time to spot a Pokemon booster box? Over the years, the identification of fake Pokémon boxes has made it more complex and challenging to identify.
The collection of cards in a booster box is important for gameplay since using booster cards is necessary to evolve Pokemon, battle and damage opponent’s Pokemon. Not only the booster box, but it is also challenging to identify real or fake Pokemon cards that are available on the market.
How do you spot Pokemon booster boxes? In order to spot Pokemon booster boxes, look for the appearance of the box, artwork, writing, plastic wrap, packs, and weight. These elements are easy to detect if the booster box is fake or real.
Although some are easier to spot than others, talented counterfeiters have become outstanding at producing fake Pokémon booster boxes. They have graduated to improving booster pack layouts inside the packaging boxes, making them very challenging to distinguish between.
These manufacturers are using fake logos almost the same as original booster boxes, improving on sealing conditions, and avoiding cuts and holes after either replacing original cards with fakes ones or reducing the number of cards, such that spotting the fake ones is very difficult.
If you have concern about purchasing Pokemon cards online or in-store booster boxes and ending up with fake cards, then below are answers to frequently asked questions that will help you out. In this article, we are going to share our tips and strategies for how to spot Pokemon booster box to help you avoid this from happening to you.
Can you get fake Pokémon booster packs?
Yes, you can get fake Pokemon booster packs. Matter of fact, most Pokémon booster packs from China are fake.
Fake booster packs have become so hard to discern from the real ones because most scammers have devised a way to deceive card collectors through improving the printing quality of their cards, using the same fonts and text size as the genuine packs, and correcting their spelling and grammatical errors so that spotting the fakes is becoming much harder to tell.
In most shops and online retailers, there exist so many English Pokémon booster packs from China regardless if the only countries producing the originals are Europe and the United States.
Checking the back of the Pokémon card is the best way to see the authenticity of the card.
As a card collector, check the card’s color if it’s a shade of blue. Fake packs have a lighter shade of blue. Counterfeit packs are usually easy to see through, especially when a bright light such as LED is passed through them.
Additionally, when the price is too good for a pack, think twice because it’s probably a fake.
How do I know if my Pokemon Booster Box is factory sealed?
Most scammers blindfold their customers. They are buying original booster boxes, and then they fill the box with fluff booster packs.
The buyers unsuspectingly buy the packs with the impression they are purchasing the legitimate boxes only to find out later. When they open the box, they are filled with counterfeits packs inside.
Buyers should adhere to the below conditions before purchasing a booster box from any seller. It is advisable to use preventive measures as a buyer as opposed to reactive measures.
In order to identify if your booster box is factory sealed, here are useful tips to look for:
- Box must have plastic wrap sealing the outside, and should have a stamp of a Pokeball.
- Plastic wrap must be tight with its melted corners clean.
- Box should not look like whoever was sealing used a lighter to glue the plastic wrap together. If it does, then know the box was resealed.
- Box must be firm, not loose, such that if it feels like it is easy to toss it around or it’s wobbly and filmy, then that box is not factory sealed.
- If the cards inside the box are loose, then the card collector must receive banged-up cards. If not, the pack is not from the factory seal because Pokémon company always ensures that their cards remain in good condition.
- Cards inside the box should not slide around when the box is tossed, they are always filled completely full.
How do you tell if the Pokémon Booster Box has been tampered with?
To know whether the Pokémon booster box purchased has been tempered with, mainly focus on whether the box has been resealed. Therefore, the key indicator is that the box has been opened and sealed back up.
Here are some details to specifically look for:
Check the wrapping logo
Original Pokémon booster boxes have the Pokémon logo attached to them. The logo resembles the Pokeball, and if the logo is not present then the box is a counterfeit.
Check the seal of the packaging box
The authentic Pokémon booster boxes is usually wrapped tightly around the box in an airtight manner. As an avid card collector, be keen because some poor-quality seals of the particular set exist, which can make a buyer think a booster box is a counterfeit, when it’s really not.
Some scammer sellers are good at resealing this Pokémon booster box using modern sealing machines that give an excellent tight seal. It’s always good to check the quality of cards inside the booster boxes to see whether the packs are fake or real.
Condition of the packaging box
Pokémon booster boxes that have been tempered usually have small slits, especially in areas where a person can access the booster cards insides.
If there is any cut around the box, then a card collector rejects it. Ultimately, if there exists any hole big enough for a person to remove a card from the inside, then the box is entirely worthless to purchase.
Check the arrangement of the booster packs inside
The layout of packs inside a booster box should be in an upright position if the booster box is in the correct orientation, and they should be aligned in a straight line.
In addition, the number of packs should be equal on both sides. If none of this is adhered to, then the box has been tampered with.
How can you tell a fake XY Evolutions Booster Box?
Each original sealed XY Evolution Booster Box must have 36 booster packs, with each back of the 36 having ten random cards with at least one rare card and holo card.
Therefore, if the booster box doesn’t have the above, then the box is not factory seal. Again, the booster box must include the logo of Pokémon company in the form of a Pokeball and be sealed tightly with a factory plastic wrap around.
All the trainer cards and the Pokémon in the XY Evolution Booster Pack grow and evolve, which restores the first Pokémon card to glory. If the packs inside don’t possess the character, the entire box is a counterfeit.
Spotting Fake Pokemon Booster Packs: Conclusion
Ending up with counterfeit booster box is not pleasant experience. Whether from online or in-person transactions, these fake Pokemon booster boxes are very difficult to spot.
From our experience, we have noticed that spotting any fake ones is best done by looking at the appearance of the box and how it is sealed with plastic wrap. Always ensure that the plastic wrap is tightly sealed and corners are clean.
If there are any slits along the edge of the plastic that are large enough to slide a card through, then steer clear because the booster box has definitely been tampered with.
Some other feature that are easy to spot is the pristine artwork and crisp text writing, especially the logo and Pokeball stamp.
Some of the XY evolution booster box are counterfeit as well. Make sure that each box contains 36 booster packs with at least one rare card and holo card.
Besides the factors listed in this article, another aspects that can indicate the booster box is fake counterfeit cards is the packs being very easy to see through, especially when subjected to bright LED lights.
Any box with such signs of tampering is most likely fake. Fake Pokémon booster boxes are typically rigid to discern from the original ones, however their prices seems too good to attract willful card collectors.
Pokémon TCG products are made with high-quality materials to provide its consumer with a better game experience. Therefore, getting a Pokémon booster box with a price dramatically below the retail price suggestively indicates that box is a counterfeit.