A new set ofPokémon TCGcards will include several exclusive Eevee-themed cards, but they might be hard to obtain in the U.S. Over the past three years, The Pokémon Company has aggressively released sets ofPokémon TCGreprints in Chinese, designed to get Chinese fans “caught up” to the game. In addition to current sets, The Pokémon Company has also released older sets from theSword & Shieldera via special Gem Packs, often withexclusive alternate art cardsthat can’t be found anywhere else.
On May 16, The Pokémon Company will release a new Gem Pack in China (perPokéBeach), containing Eevee-themed cards from theSword & Shieldera. Notably, this set will contain a set of exclusive alternate art cards featuring Eevee and its evolutions.The cards are all illustrated by HYOGONOSUKE, a popular artist known for their vibrant color schemes. Because these are reprints of older cards, it’s unlikely that the new alternate art cards will be republished outside of China.
Why New Eevee Alternate Art Cards May Be Hard To Get
Tariffs Could Play An Unexpected Role In Collecting These Cards
Under normal circumstances, the new Eevee cards wouldn’t be too difficult to get into the hands of international collectors. While some Chinese-exclusive cards sell for $300 or more on the secondary market, the actual Chinese card packs typically sell for pretty cheap. However, complicating matters isthe ongoing trade warbetween the United States and China. With immense tariffs now levied between the two countries,even an individual Pokémon card may be subject to expensive duty fees.
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While other countries don’t currently have as strict tariffs on Chinese goods, especially for individual items, the trade war may have an unintentional impact on collectors. Prices are already high for many cards because of scalpers, andthe tariffs add another hurdle for collectorswho want to make sure they have every Eevee card in existence. Although these cards are reprints, theSword & Shieldera doesn’t feature as many alternate art cards as its predecessors, so these are sure to be hot collectors' items. Other Chinese cards have not gotten international reprints, so fans shouldn’t expect relief to come from other sets of cards.
Our Take: Chinese-Exclusive Cards Could Be A Problem
With Recent Trade Issues, Cards Exclusive To One Country Hurt The Pokémon TCG
I personally am not a fan of the Chinese-exclusive cards, and world events like the recent trade war illustrate why. There are very few other cards that are exclusive to a particular country, as it’s a habit that thePokémon TCGmostly left behind in recent years. While these are simply reprints of older cards, many collectors are still going to search for the cards. Because of tariffs and other factors,they may now have to pay a premium to complete their collection.
It might not seem like a big deal, but I’m never in favor of artificially limiting the distribution of a card. ThePokémon TCGkeeps finding new ways to push the Chinese market, and it comes at the rest of the world’s expense.
