In December 2024, a Pokémon TCG collector from China with the Instagram handle of @xiao_xiao666666 purchased one of the most expensive items in the history of the TCG: a Pokémon Illustrator card set. While no price was outright confirmed, it’s known that the card set sold for a price over US$1 million.

However, on 29 January 2025, a user on Pokémon TCG message board Elite Fourum who goes by the screen name HumanForScale made a post proving that the cards which xiao_xiao666666 purchased were actually forged. This was proven by the fact that the cards in the set had watermarks from 2024; the cards were only ever put in circulation in 1997 and 1998.

To make matters worse, the serial number of the printer used for that particular Pokémon Illustrator card set is the same as one which was implicated in a separate case involving the forgery of hundreds of cards which were prototype versions of actual Pokémon TCG cards.

TCG card authenticator and grading service provider Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) is working with the relevant authorities to further investigate the issue.

In other TCG-related news, check out Creation Pack 08. Alternatively, you can also head over to the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below and find the top trending and latest single cards and boxes.

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