Why are Japanese Cards Cheaper?

Japanese Pokémon cards are cheaper than their English counterparts. This can be attributed to a variety of factors, including the popularity of the game in Japan and card rarity. Let’s take a closer look at why Japanese Pokémon cards are cheaper and what collectors should know about them.

Quality, popularity, supply, and demand

Japanese Pokémon cards are of higher quality because the cards go through a slightly different manufacturing process and are also less in demand in Japan. One reason why English Pokémon cards are of such low quality is due to exceedingly high demand, forcing the manufacturing process to be sped up. 

Higher quality leads to cards that last longer. Pokémon cards are 25+ years old, and the most valuable cards are mostly in the 20+ year range. Then, there’s simple supply and demand. As cards get damaged, lost, water-logged, or stashed away in someone’s collection, fewer cards remain on the market, and supply goes down. As supply drops, the condition becomes a more powerful factor.

A card in mint condition will sell higher than a card in good condition. Since Japanese cards are of higher quality, their condition tends to remain high. Therefore, the supply of Japanese cards is slightly higher than that of their North-American counterparts and demand is slightly lower. 

The Japanese Pokémon card market is also less saturated than the American market, so there is more demand for rare and high-quality cards. This has led to a thriving secondary market for Japanese Pokémon cards, with collectors willing to pay high prices for rare and valuable cards.

They’re especially popular with kids, who love to collect and trade cards. The popularity of Pokémon in Japan has spawned a whole industry around it, including video games, movies, and even theme parks. So it’s no surprise that the Pokémon card game is also popular there. In fact, it’s one of the most popular trading card games in the world.

If you thought Pokémon was popular in North America, try visiting Japan!

Recently, the pressure on The Pokémon Company to meet the print demands in North America has resulted in even lower quality North American cards. Does this mean that English cards will be even more valuable in the coming years? Maybe.

Shadowless and first edition 

Among the most valuable Pokémon cards are shadowless and first edition cards. 

The first set of Pokémon cards in North America (also known as Base Set) were 1st edition cards, and these were also shadowless. There are a total of 4 print runs for Base Set:

• 1st edition (also shadowless)
• Shadowless
• Unlimited
• 1999-2000

Having these multiple print runs adds a lot of nuance to vintage Pokémon card collecting, and results in a wide range of prices.

What’s interesting here though is that Japanese cards never had shadowless cards or the first edition stamp. So the counterparts to these cards are worth far less in Japanese since the rarity is lesser. Shadowless cards drive the most expensive area of the hobby, so Japanese cards miss out on this huge price boost. 

However, the first print of Japanese Pokémon cards had an error. These cards were missing the rarity symbol in the bottom right. Japanese ‘ no rarity’ Base Set cards are highly valuable and often treated as a 1st edition.

They’re not always cheaper

Many cards were printed exclusively in Japan. Since Pokémon is a Japanese brand, they tend to get a lot of cool products that never make it to the NA market. 

These exclusive promos and products obviously don’t have English counterparts for comparison but are usually quite expensive as not many are printed. This usually leads to a heated English vs. Japanese card debate, as Japan often gets better cards.

Japan also gets cards first. It typically takes 3-6 months before the English version of a Japanese set gets printed. So, before there is an English counterpart, the Japanese copies tend to be a little more expensive. 

Where to buy Japanese Pokémon cards?

So now you’re interested in purchasing some Japanese cards. 

In Japan, it’s illegal for retailers to sell outside of the country. It is also not possible to purchase directly from The Pokémon Company, as they too don’t sell outside of Japan. However, this doesn’t stop reputable sellers on eBay.

The best place to buy Japanese Pokémon cards is eBay. There is a huge market for Japanese cards on eBay, and many people have made a business out of doing it. 

It is highly recommended that you start by choosing a seller with a lot of five-star reviews. Once you find a Japanese seller that you like and trust, stick with them. 

Japanese sellers on eBay tend to be incredibly loyal to returning customers. If you’ve spent a fair amount purchasing cards from a specific seller, you can try reaching out to them when there is an upcoming product that you just can’t miss. There’s a good chance that they will put one aside just for you. 

So, why are Japanese Pokémon cards cheaper?

So there you have it! If you’re looking for high-quality Japanese Pokémon cards, eBay is the best place to find them. Keep in mind that supply and demand drive prices up, so if you see a card you want, don’t wait too long to buy it – especially if it’s a rare or first edition card. We hope this post has been helpful and informative, and we can’t wait to bring you more information on all things Pokémon in the future!