If you’ve been looking at Pokémon cards for a while, you’ll probably have noticed that not every Pokémon card is in English.
Japanese Pokémon cards have been around for years and are hugely popular with collectors, but Simplified Chinese Pokémon products are becoming much more interesting too.
And if you're new to collecting, it can be a little confusing at first.
So, what’s actually different?
Let’s have a look.
English Pokémon Cards
English Pokémon cards are probably what most UK collectors are used to seeing.
They’re widely available in the UK and are generally the easiest cards to find if you're looking to build a traditional English-language collection.
There are loads of different products too:
- Booster packs
- Booster boxes
- Elite Trainer Boxes
- Collection boxes
- Tins
- Special sets
- Singles
English products are also what you'll usually see being sold through most UK Pokémon retailers.
At LootVault, English Pokémon products make up a big part of what we stock.
But they definitely aren't the only option.
Japanese Pokémon Cards
Japanese Pokémon cards are a completely different experience.
Japan is where the Pokémon TCG originally started, and Japanese products often have their own releases, artwork, products and exclusive items.
One of the biggest differences you'll notice is the booster box format.
Japanese booster boxes are generally smaller than the English equivalent, and the packs contain fewer cards.
That doesn't make them better or worse — they're simply produced differently.
Japanese Pokémon products are also extremely popular with collectors because you can find products and releases that aren't always available in the same form elsewhere.
There are also Pokémon Center exclusive products and regional releases that can be particularly interesting for collectors.
We've been looking into Japanese stock ourselves because we think it adds something different to a collection.
What About Simplified Chinese?
This is where things get particularly interesting.
Simplified Chinese Pokémon products aren't something every UK collector will have come across before.
And that's exactly why we've been paying more attention to them.
The cards are genuine Pokémon TCG products, but obviously they're produced for a different market.
You'll notice differences in:
- Language
- Card text
- Product packaging
- Set names
- Product designs
- Release availability
And just like Japanese products, some Simplified Chinese releases can be very different from what you'll normally see sitting on a shelf in a UK shop.
We've recently started bringing more Simplified Chinese Pokémon products into LootVault, including some of the more unusual collector products.
Different Doesn't Mean Fake
This is probably the most important thing to remember.
If you're used to English Pokémon cards and suddenly pick up a Japanese or Simplified Chinese card, it can look very different.
That doesn't mean it's fake.
Different regions can have different:
Card layouts.
Fonts and text.
Packaging.
Booster pack designs.
Set numbering.
Product formats.
This is one of the reasons we wrote our recent guide about spotting fake Pokémon cards.
If something looks different, it's worth checking what you're actually looking at before assuming it's counterfeit.
So Which Language Should You Collect?
Honestly?
That's completely up to you.
Some collectors stick entirely with English.
Others collect Japanese because they like the products, artwork or history behind them.
And some collectors like having a mixture of different languages and regions.
There's no rule saying your collection has to be one or the other.
That's one of the things we like about Pokémon cards.
You can make your collection your own.
Why We're Interested in Different Regions
For us at LootVault, it's about finding interesting products that collectors might not normally see in the UK.
We're a UK business, but that doesn't mean we only want to stock the same products you'll find everywhere else.
We're constantly looking at different TCG products and different suppliers to see what we can bring in.
That's how we've ended up looking more closely at Japanese Pokémon products and Simplified Chinese releases.
Some of the products are completely different from what we normally see.
And that's what makes collecting interesting.
One More Thing! Check What You're Buying
If you're buying Pokémon products from outside the usual UK market, make sure you know exactly what you're buying.
Check the language.
Check the product.
Check the set.
Check the seller.
And if you're unsure, ask.
There are some amazing Pokémon products out there from different regions, but it's always better to know what you're actually buying before you place the order.
The Pokémon TCG Is Bigger Than One Market
That's probably the biggest takeaway.
Pokémon isn't just an English-language TCG.
There are collectors all over the world, and different regions have their own products, releases and collecting communities.
For us, that's part of the fun.
We're going to keep looking for interesting products from different parts of the Pokémon TCG world and bringing some of them back to the UK.
Because sometimes the next interesting addition to your collection isn't the product you've seen a hundred times before.
It's the one you haven't seen yet.
That's what we're looking for at LootVault.
More soon.
The LootVault Team