Are Chinese Pokémon Cards Fake? What Simplified Chinese Cards Are and What They Cost
Simplified and Traditional Chinese Pokémon cards are official editions. What they cost next to the same card in Japanese on Cardmarket, and four checks that tell a real card from a fake.
Data refreshed weekly · page generated on 2026-11-02.
No, Chinese Pokémon cards are not fakes: Simplified Chinese cards are an official edition, released in mainland China, first set on October 28, 2022.
They cost a median 19% less than the same card in Japanese. Fakes exist, as in every language.
Two official Chinese editions
- Simplified Chinese: mainland China. The products are shown on Pokémon's official site in China. Our catalog holds 54 sets and 8,014 cards.
- Traditional Chinese: Taiwan and Hong Kong, each with its official site (Taiwan, Hong Kong).
Our catalog links 1,804 Simplified Chinese cards to the same card printed in Japanese.
What they cost next to Japanese
Across 1,804 cards printed in both Simplified Chinese and Japanese, the cheapest Chinese copy is the cheaper of the two for 58% of them.
| Card | Chinese set | Simplified Chinese | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rayquaza VMAX | Nine Colors Gathering Origin | €380.00 | €5,000.00 |
| Acerola | Storming Emergence Abundant | €200.00 | €3,000.00 |
| Charizard GX | Golden Energy | €110.00 | €2,000.00 |
| Umbreon VMAX | Nine Colors Gathering Friends | €725.00 | €1,500.00 |
| Gengar Mimikyu GX | Shining Synergy Supreme | €289.99 | €1,249.00 |
The dearest cards in Japanese, and their Simplified Chinese price. For the gap between French and English, see our language guide.
Telling a real card from a fake
- The edge. A real card has a thin black layer in the middle, visible from the side. A fake has none.
- The text. Spelling mistakes, wrong or mis-sized Energy symbols, a misspelled illustrator name: all signs of a fake.
- The foil. A fake foil card is often dull, and its text hard to read.
- Not the lamp. Looking at light through the card is not a reliable test.
For a valuable card, a grading company authenticates it before grading: see our grading guide.
Buying them on Cardmarket
- Simplified Chinese sets have their own product pages on Cardmarket.
- The listing's language flag shows Simplified Chinese; check it before you buy.
- Prefer a seller with many sales and a good rating, as for any valuable card.
Frequently asked questions
Are Chinese Pokémon cards fake?
No: Simplified Chinese cards are an official edition, shown on the official Pokémon website in China, and our catalog holds 8,014 of them. Fakes exist in every language; what matters is the card in your hand, not its language.
Are Chinese Pokémon cards cheaper than Japanese ones?
Across 1,804 cards printed in both languages, the cheapest Simplified Chinese copy costs a median 19% less than the Japanese one, and it is the cheaper of the two for 58% of those cards.
How do I spot a fake Pokémon card?
Look at the edge: a real card has a thin black layer in the middle. Look for spelling mistakes, wrong Energy symbols and a misspelled illustrator name too. The light test is not reliable.
Method and limits
- Simplified Chinese sets and cards: our catalog. Prices: the cheapest Near Mint or better listing, recorded per language each week (each month under €0.50), in Simplified Chinese on the Chinese page and in Japanese on the Japanese page, for the cards our catalog links across the two.
- Signs of a fake: Bulbapedia, "Counterfeit card", read on 27 October 2026.
- Asking prices, not sales.