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

Pokémon TCG Pocket's controversial trading mechanic has spawned a bizarre black market on eBay. Players are buying and selling digital cards for $5-$10 each, exploiting a loophole in the system. Sellers exchange friend codes with buyers, sending a card in return. A typical listing might offer a Starmie ex for $5.99, requiring the buyer to provide 500 Trade Tokens, Trade Stamina, and an "unwanted Pokémon ex" in exchange.

This practice directly violates Pokémon TCG Pocket's terms of service, prohibiting the buying and selling of virtual content. However, sellers essentially lose nothing. They trade a card of the same rarity they receive, allowing them to repeatedly sell the same card. Numerous listings for rare ex Pokémon and 1-Star alternate art cards flood eBay, along with entire accounts containing valuable in-game assets like Pack Hourglasses and rare cards.

The trading mechanic itself proved controversial from its launch. Beyond the usual restrictions on pack openings and Wonder Picking, the introduction of Trade Tokens further angered players. The high cost of obtaining these tokens—requiring the deletion of five cards to trade one of equal rarity—fueled frustration.

Even without the Trade Token system, this black market likely would have emerged. The core issue lies in the trading mechanic's limitations; trading is only possible between friends. This contrasts with community desires for a public trading system within the app, eliminating the need for external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay. Players like siraquakip on Reddit advocated for a safer, more integrated community trading experience.

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Developer Creatures Inc. has warned against real-money transactions and cheating, threatening account suspensions. Ironically, the Trade Token system, designed to prevent exploitation, has backfired, alienating much of the community. While Creatures Inc. is investigating improvements to the trading feature, concrete solutions remain elusive, despite complaints dating back three weeks.

Many believe the trading system is designed to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, a game estimated to have generated half a billion dollars in under three months before the trading feature's release. The inability to trade 2-Star cards or higher reinforces this suspicion, as easy trading would reduce the need for players to spend significant sums on packs for a chance at obtaining rare cards. One player reportedly spent $1,500 to complete the first set, highlighting the high cost of collection completion.