How to Spot Fake Pokémon Card Listings on eBay & Pocket Scout

We've all been there — scrolling through eBay, searching for that one Pokémon card you've been chasing for weeks. Then suddenly… it appears. A listing that looks perfect. Insanely cheap, good condition, and the bidding ends soon.

But something feels a little off. Too good to be true? Maybe it is.

As a longtime collector and eBay scavenger, I've seen the best and worst the platform has to offer. The truth is, eBay and Pocket Scout are still great places to find awesome cards — as long as you know what to watch out for.

Let's walk through how to spot fake or sketchy listings, and how to buy smart so you can collect those Pokémon cards with confidence.

Check the Seller's Feedback — It Tells a Story 📚

Feedback isn't just a number, it's your first defense against bad deals. It's basically eBay telling you if a seller is trusted by others or not, so you can trust that seller as well.

eBay / Pocket Scout have 2 main values we can look at:

• The feedback score
• The positive feedback

The feedback score represents the amount of reviews a seller has gotten from buyers. The positive feedback represents how many of those reviews are from happy customers. On Pocket Scout, you can find this easily on any detailed listing right under the seller's name.

Great! You found an amazing deal, and the feedback score is 100 or more. That is a good sign already. If then the positive feedback sits above 95%, you are basically golden!

If the feedback score reaches 100+, but the positive feedback is something like 50%, this would mean that only half of the buyers are happy with their purchase from that seller.

If a seller has zero feedback or only has a few recent sales, I recommend waiting a little. It doesn't mean they're a scammer, but it means you don't have enough history to trust them fully yet.

Another great tip is to look at detailed comments when you click through on eBay. Happy buyers will often mention card quality, shipping speed, and honesty in those comments.

Multiple Photos = Peace of Mind 📸

I always love to see listings with lots of photos — and you should too.

• Front and back shots of the card
• Close-ups of any flaws or whitening
• Lighting that actually shows condition
• A clear shot of the holo or texture

A blurry image is most of the time a red flag. If you can't see what you are buying, then just don't buy it.

Stock images are not great either. There are of course big sellers that have dozens of the same card. If this seller has amazing reviews, you likely can trust them (but keep all other information on this page in mind as well). Seeing a stock image from smaller sellers is no-go for me!

If you have your doubts, don't be afraid to message the seller and ask for more photos. A real seller will gladly provide them. A fake one… won't.

If you are not sure if a card listing is real or fake, my trained eye will have a look at the listing for you! Just send the eBay link to my Instragam , and I will send back my thoughts on it!

If the Deal Feels Too Good to Be True... It Probably Is 🚨

We want to believe it — we really do. But when a $200 full-art chase card is listed for $35 with free shipping, something's wrong.

On eBay / Pocket Scout, we see some recurring scam tactics:

• Pricing cards way to cheap to lure impulse buys
• “New seller” offering expensive cards cheap to build false trust
• Fake cards with deceptive titles like“custom,” “proxy,” or “replica”

Always read the description. Some fake card listings will have terms like:

• “Card is a proxy”
• “Fan-made card”
• “Replica — not official TCG”

If you're not 100% sure it's a legit Pokémon TCG card, look for other listings that are legit.

Safe Sellers = Happy Collectors 😊

At the end of the day, eBay can be a labyrinth filled with treasures, and Pocket Scout helps you to navigate it. People are scoring some of their all-time favorite cards here, and we want you to do the same.

Just stay sharp. Ask questions. Look closely. And most of all, collect with care.

And again, if you ever need a second opinion before buying, feel free to reach out on Instragam . I've been wandering around in the Pokémon landscape for quite some time, I'm always happy to help another collector avoid a pitfall!