Pokémon TCG Pocket Trading Has Spurred a Strange Black Market for High Rarity Cards

Pokémon TCG Pocket's controversial trading mechanic fuels a thriving black market for digital cards. eBay is flooded with listings selling individual cards for $5-$10, exploiting a loophole in the game's system.

Sellers circumvent the game's rules by exchanging friend codes and cards, often requiring buyers to provide an "unwanted Pokémon ex" in return for the desired card. This cleverly avoids any real loss for the seller, as they can simply re-sell the equivalent rarity card they receive. This practice directly violates Pokémon TCG Pocket's terms of service, which prohibit the buying and selling of virtual items.

The situation is further complicated by the scarcity of certain cards. High-demand cards, such as ex Pokémon and 1-Star alternate art cards, command premium prices. Entire accounts, complete with valuable cards and in-game resources like Pack Hourglasses, are also being sold, a common occurrence in online games despite violating terms of service.

The trading mechanic itself has faced criticism since its launch. The introduction of Trade Tokens, requiring players to delete five cards to trade one of the same rarity, has been met with significant backlash due to its perceived high cost. This, coupled with the requirement to be friends with a player before trading, has limited the ease of trading and fostered the black market.

Many players, expressing their views on platforms like Reddit, have advocated for a more user-friendly trading system within the app itself, eliminating the need for external platforms like eBay, Reddit, and Discord. This would allow for public card listings and more direct trades.

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Creatures Inc., the developer, has warned players against real-money transactions and cheating, threatening account suspensions. Ironically, the Trade Token system, intended to prevent such exploitation, has instead fueled the black market and alienated the community. While the company is investigating improvements to the trading system, concrete solutions remain elusive despite weeks of player complaints.

Concerns persist that the trading system is designed to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly generated half a billion dollars in under three months before the trading feature's release. The inability to trade higher rarity (2-Star and above) cards further supports this theory, as it incentivizes players to spend money on packs to obtain these rare cards. One player reported spending $1,500 to complete just the first set, highlighting the significant financial investment required.