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

Pokémon TCG Pocket's in-game trading system fuels a thriving black market for digital cards on platforms like eBay. Players are buying and selling cards for prices ranging from $5 to $10, circumventing the game's intended mechanics.

Sellers exploit the trading system by exchanging friend codes and requesting specific cards in return for unwanted cards of equal rarity. This allows them to repeatedly acquire and sell rare cards like Starmie ex, violating the game's terms of service which explicitly prohibit the buying and selling of virtual items. The seller essentially loses nothing in this transaction, gaining a rare card in exchange for one they already possess.

Numerous listings on eBay showcase this activity, including sales of high-value cards (ex Pokémon and 1-Star alternate art cards) and even entire accounts containing valuable resources like Pack Hourglasses and rare cards. This practice, while a breach of the game's terms, is not entirely unique to Pokémon TCG Pocket.

The trading mechanic itself has been controversial since its launch. Critiques focused on the restrictive Trade Token system, requiring players to delete five cards to trade one of the same rarity, and the inability to publicly list cards for trade within the app. This necessitates the use of external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay to facilitate trades. The current system, requiring players to be friends before trading, directly contradicts community desires for a more accessible and integrated trading experience.

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The black market's existence, however, isn't solely a consequence of the restrictive trading system. Even without restrictions, the lack of a built-in public trading system would likely have fueled this external market.

Developer Creatures Inc. has warned against real-money transactions and cheating, threatening account suspensions for violations. Ironically, the Trade Token system, intended to prevent exploitation, has inadvertently contributed to the problem and alienated a portion of the player base. While the developer is investigating improvements to the trading feature, concrete solutions remain elusive despite ongoing complaints.

Concerns exist that the trading system's limitations, such as the inability to trade 2-Star cards or higher, are designed to encourage players to spend more money on packs to obtain rare cards. The high cost of completing sets (one player reported spending $1,500) further supports this theory.

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