An individual tried mailing a Pokemon starter kit, only to have the package opened and the cards replaced with others. Sharing this incident on social media, the person noted how the value of the original cards matched the ones that replaced them. This peculiar swap spurred various theories in the Pokemon community about how such a mix-up could occur.
Since the 1990s, Pokemon cards have been a staple for enthusiasts, stemming from the release of the Pokemon Trading Card Game. Players, acting as trainers, engage each other using a carefully curated deck of 60 cards. These cards draw inspiration from the expansive Pokemon franchise, making them collector’s items for fans. Besides being available in official stores, players also purchase these cards on e-commerce platforms and from individual sellers, with some being highly prized and costly. Recently, someone encountered a bizarre scenario involving just a handful of these collectible cards.
A Reddit user, JuicySpark, recounted an odd delivery experience involving their child’s Pokemon TCG cards. They explained that they mailed a starter kit and some protective sleeves along with other gifts to their mother’s house in Florida, where they planned to vacation. These were intended as a gift for their sons, avoiding the hassle of carrying them. However, the child forgot the cards in Florida, and the grandmother mailed them back. What arrived was a surprising turn—a package containing only three cards instead of the 15 initially sent.
Initially, it seemed the Pokemon TCG cards had been stolen. But upon inspection, the envelope contained three cards that weren’t from the original set. To add to the enigma, these new cards were written in Japanese, not English like the originals. Even stranger, they came in hard-cover sleeves.
After digging deeper, the person discovered that these substituted cards weren’t obtainable in the English set, only through third-party dealers. Despite the intriguing developments, the value of the cards originally sent was astonishingly similar to the value of the cards they received. This led the individual to conjecture that perhaps a postal employee switched them out because the originals got damaged, or they were taken and replaced by someone with other cards.
A commenter pointed out that only one card was Japanese, while the other two were Korean. Many Reddit users supported the hypothesis that a postal worker noticed damage to the cards and opted to swap them with cards from another lost package. Regardless of the reason, it’s at least fortunate that the replacement cards matched the original ones in value.
In parallel news, Pokemon TCG Pocket, fresh to the market for just three weeks, is already making waves in the Pokemon franchise by setting remarkable records. For those unfamiliar, it allows users to enjoy collecting Pokemon Trading Card Game cards digitally, with two complimentary booster packs each day. It’s an enticing prospect for both seasoned collectors and newcomers alike.
