Pokemon TCG players share shipping horror stories

Buying Pokemon cards online can be fun, but it can also be risky at times. Pokemon TCG fans recently shared their worst shipping horror stories on Reddit.

If you’ve purchased Pokemon cards online, you’ll know that it can sometimes be a bit of a gamble – especially with pricier cards. Some sellers are fantastic and take good care of their merchandise but others, as fans in r/PokemonTCG shared recently, aren’t always the best.

The discussion kicked off with a Pokemon fan sharing a snap in a Reddit post of a Venusaur ex card that had arrived in a mass of black cling film. Their caption noted that it had “no sleeve, no toploader, no cardboard. Literally just chucked raw, in some black cling film, with the postage label slapped on top.”

What’s the worst packaging you have ever received a card in? Did it survive?
byu/DanRose001 inPokemonTCG

Interestingly, the card in the image above apparently arrived in brilliant condition. The original poster asked others to share their shipping horror stories, and the other folk in the Subreddit were more than happy to oblige.

One person shared a tale about buying a Lugia holo from Neo Genesis – which is an immensely valuable card. They said it came “in a plain envelope raw with no sleeve. Best part was they wrote their address on the envelope with the card inside, so the back of the Lugia had their address imprinted on it.”

Others chimed in with their own stories, with one person saying that “I got my cards in a dominos chicken nugget box. Came safe tho” and another sharing their experience with getting a card in a penny sleeve, wrapped in toilet paper.

Strangely, toilet paper sleeves seemed to be pretty common in the replies, as did food packaging. One irritated viewer shared that, “My PF Gardevoir SIR came in a f**king skittles packet with duct tape around it….”

Take these stories as a warning! Always double-check the reviews of a seller that you’re planning to buy cards from and reach out if you’re curious about how they ship pricier cards. It’s much better to be safe than sorry, especially if you’re buying vintage merch or rare cards.