Questions on some cards my sister just bought

[Postdog2Gengar]

Ok, we went to Wal-Mart today, and my sister just bought one of those things where you can buy 4 or so packs in a plastic thing. Right away, I did not have much faith in this, as they can some times be taken to be counterfeit. However, the cards were in the original packs, so I got that out of my head.

Next, I noticed that on the back of this, it said "This package contains six Original Factory Sealed and Officially Licensed Wizards of the Coast, Topps, or Artbox Pokemon Packs."

Obviously, this raised the question, Why are Topps and Artbox producing Pokemon Cards?!

Then, my sister opened the plastic and pulled out the packs. It contained 2 Expedition, 1 Gym Leaders, and 1 Base Set Foreign Language (It looked German) pack. It also contained two packs of those stickers that you used to be able to buy. So that cleared up the mystery of Topps and Artbox. At least partially...

Well, she opened the packs, and the Base Set and Gym Leaders appeared normal. However, the two Expedition packs contained the following for rares:

Pack #1: 1 Holofoil Darkness Energy, 1 Holofoil Dugtrio (B-90), and 1 Rare Dugtrio (Same, just non-holo)

Pack #2: 1 Holofoil Darkness Energy, 1 Holofoil Butterfree (B-68), 1 Rare Mewtwo (B-86)

Each of these packs still had 9 total cards.

Also, after closer examination of the plastic box, I saw the Beckett symbol on it.

Here's the questions raised in my mind:
1. Why is Beckett putting different kinds of Pokemon objects together and selling them at Wal-Mart? I was under the impression that they were their own chain of stores. Am I mistaken here? Do they have the authority to group products like this, and then sell them at a different store?

2. Why did my sister get 3 rares?

3. Do I have reason to suspect these cards of being counterfeit?

 

[Dek]

Yeah, I bought the same type of thing a long time ago when Desinty was the new set. The plastic case...what it contains...reminds me of the one that I bought a long time ago. If they were counterfeit, good thing I didnt get a holo :lol:

1. Heck if I know. I only know that they make a magazine and thats all
2. Some booster packs in teh E-on format are like that. I managed to get a holo rare and a reverse-holo rare of the same card one time...
3. I wouldn't blame ya, but hey, its Beckett. I highly doubt that they would do something like that after covering the Pokemon card game in its magazines ever since it first came out.

 

[PokePop]

Were the darkness holo, with the star pattern, or just reverse holo (shiney with no pattern)?
If reverse holo, that's fine. That's how they packaged Expedition. Just lucky to get two packs with holos.

 

[The Anaconda]

Yeah I've bought a few of those... Was thinking about buying a whole bunch for a sporadic Draft thing at my league, but then the grocery store near me stopped carrying them

As far as counterfeiting, all the ones I have purchased through this sort of thing have been in the clear. So just as long as you're careful, there's no problem.

The funniest is one I got once that had a pack of Sandstorm in it and the combo box still said "Oficially licenced Wizards of the Coast" product on it, without any mention of PUI. I was looking at it thinking, 'not that one...'

 

[UncleBob]

The funniest is one I got once that had a pack of Sandstorm in it and it still said "Oficially licenced Wizards of the Coast" product on it. I was looking at it thinking, 'not that one...'

Wonder if NoA knows about this one...

 

[farbsman]

Easiest way to tell if it is real is grab the card you hate the most, the one you would be willing to through out. Then rip it in half. If there is a black piece of paper inside they are real. I have never seen a fake card have that black film paper. When you rip it make sure it is at an angle or you may not be able to tell if the paper is in there.