Buying Pokémon stuff in Hong Kong
- Thread starter dogma
- Start date
Scipio
New Member
Yes. In fact, during last Summer I helped out at a Pokemon Promotional event, and was sent out to check all the trades that were going on. One little kid had a binder full of counterfeits (Without knowing it - he was just 5 years old), and his dad explained they had picked them all up during their time in Hong Kong.
So if I were you, I wouldn't.
So if I were you, I wouldn't.
I was in China, just across from the Hong Kong border, in a department store and they were selling entire boxes of counterfeits. All pokemon cards in that store were counterfeit. I did not see any legitimate pokemon the whole time I was in China. Pokemon seems not to be too big over there anyway.
drrty byl
New Member
There's a huge street market in Hong Kong called Monk Kok where you can get huge quantities of fakes for very little money. There are some cool counterfeit accessories available, like zipper pouch deck boxes, which I haven't seen anywhere else. Beware of buying "real" cards; the fakes often come in the same heat sealed plastic sleeves in which the "real" cards are normally packaged. Same thing goes for theme decks.
XYZ_Sniper
New Member
I would be careful in Mong Kok. Alot of people enjoy pickpocketing there.
A local store i know closed last year, but I now go to a street market called Tai Yuen Street *in Wanchai*. The stores (3 or 4) have english packs along with japanese cards, and occasional sleeves and deck boxes.
If you decide to go to Stanley market, it is ALL counterfeit. Despite being packs that look legit.
Enjoy Hong Kong. Its a beautiful city. :smile:
Skitty
New Member
I agree about alot of fakes being sold in Hong Kong. I had one kid and his mother come to my League and the kid's binder was full of fake cards, But not just normal fakes, these had 1000+ HP, were badly miscut and didn't even use official art. I saw that the kid was trying to trade some of them so I went over to him and his mother and tried to tell them not to trade them in my League since they were fake.
Oh, did this cause a problem.
She started practicly yelling at me saying that they weren't fake. And her only reason was "My husband bought them in Hong Kong, that makes them real!". And after arguing for a few minutes I said "Fine, whatever. Just don't trade them at my League". They never did come back.
Oh, did this cause a problem.
She started practicly yelling at me saying that they weren't fake. And her only reason was "My husband bought them in Hong Kong, that makes them real!". And after arguing for a few minutes I said "Fine, whatever. Just don't trade them at my League". They never did come back.
drrty byl
New Member
Based on how most of the card market in HK seems to be counterfeit, do a lot of people show up to tournaments with decks made from fake product? Do they get to play?
unstoppable yoshi
New Member
There's a huge mall with a Toys R Us in Hong Kong. I remember buying legit English Pokemon cards there almost 8 years ago =)
XYZ_Sniper
New Member
Well. I'm Hong Kong born, but i dont live their or in china.
What I see throughout china also, is that there is not alot of legitimate products for tournament play. Im guessing Nationals had people with real cards, but as for league play i have no idea. *if there even is league play*
But if you know were the real stuff is, you should not be buying any counterfeits anytime soon.
Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:
When i checked the Toys'R'Us at the Windsor house i didnt see any =[. might want to ask a Hong Kong native on this one *it might be closed or smaller now*
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I agree about alot of fakes being sold in Hong Kong. I had one kid and his mother come to my League and the kid's binder was full of fake cards, But not just normal fakes, these had 1000+ HP, were badly miscut and didn't even use official art. I saw that the kid was trying to trade some of them so I went over to him and his mother and tried to tell them not to trade them in my League since they were fake.
Oh, did this cause a problem.
We've had to deal with this sort of thing as well. You have to be careful as the parents paid good money for the cards. I'd just say they are fine for league play (not the 1000 HP ones), but the ones that look close, and they should not trade them as they are not "official". Don't call them fakes or counterfeits. Call them unofficial cards or proxies and let them play with them in league. If you have a rule that all trades must be approved by the league leader, you won't have a problem with him trading them to others.
well, as a LL i have a problem with allowing fake cards at league: players cannot use fakes in sanctioned play, so why should league be any different since it receives product support from OP?
the parents may have 'paid good money' for those cards, but they're still counterfeit product and that money did NOT go to TPCi. allowing them at league starts the slide down the slope of 'well, why not at tourneys as well?'
suspended players are not allowed to participate in leagues, even though the play is unsanctioned and 'casual'. there's no reason fake cards 'should' be allowed either.
jmho.
'mom
drrty byl
New Member
The unofficial items you can find at Mong Gok bargain for much closer to the cost of materials (IE - ~$3USD for a theme deck vs. 11), so "good money" is very relative. The cards are so obviously counterfeit that they would never pass by even somewhat pokeducated eyes.
However, there are some very unique items that Pokemon would do well to manufacture and market, such as zipper deck boxes.
How the fakes end up in the "official" heat shrink card packs can only lead one to believe that they are produced in the area, or that the 'fitters have access to the materials source. The cards look as though they've obtained the actual artwork files, but are missing typefaces and allow them to render to default type.
However, there are some very unique items that Pokemon would do well to manufacture and market, such as zipper deck boxes.
How the fakes end up in the "official" heat shrink card packs can only lead one to believe that they are produced in the area, or that the 'fitters have access to the materials source. The cards look as though they've obtained the actual artwork files, but are missing typefaces and allow them to render to default type.
When a player wants to try out a new deck idea, he will often print out proxies from an inkjet printer of the expensive cards, Lv X's and such, play the deck at league to see how he likes it and what modifications need to be made, and buy the cards when he feels he wants to play the deck. To ban this is to tell kids they need to spend $100+ to try out an idea that may not work. TPCi benefits from this quick and easy way to try out deck ideas, as it ends up driving card sales.
By extension, its hard to ban counterfeits used in the same way, but I wouldn't allow them to be traded or sold. Finally, I do not buy your slippery slope argument. There is sanctioned and unsanctioned play and I see no confusion or gray area between them.
You should come to the UK, come have a beer with Mozz......all the best Japanese cards live in the UK (well cept the ones I sold :lol
Mozz
:thumb:
DJGigabyte
Forum Moderator
You should come to the UK, come have a beer with Mozz......all the best Japanese cards live in the UK (well cept the ones I sold :lol
Mozz
:thumb:
That's probably a better way of getting Japanese cards than going to Hong Kong.
We should all go have a beer with Mozz :tongue:
You should come to the UK, come have a beer with Mozz......all the best Japanese cards live in the UK (well cept the ones I sold :lol
Mozz
:thumb:
...I live in London :thumb:
BTW - I completely forgot about us writing an update to the trophy article. Still interested?
I'll be staying in Wanchai, so that's a good tip! I'm really looking forward to it. One of my best friends is there and I haven't seen her for nearly two years!!
...I have a problem with counterfeits in general TBH. Its good that people have told me of all these stories though, if I do end up buying, I definitely need to be careful.
I remember absolutely ages ago some collectors buying stuff from HK but for the life of me I don't know where. Are there not any local card shops in HK that sell (preferably rare Japanese) stuff?
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Skitty
New Member
The problem was that all of thier fake cards had 1000-3000 HP and all of thier text was in Chinese. I'm fine with using printouts and proxies of cards that actualy exsist at my League, but not anything like what they had.
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