Pokémon TCG Pocket's controversial trading mechanic has spawned a bizarre black market on eBay. Players are buying and selling digital cards for $5-$10 each, exploiting the game's system. Sellers exchange friend codes with buyers, sending cards in return. A typical listing might offer a Starmie ex for $5.99, requesting 500 Trade Tokens, one Trade Stamina, and an "unwanted Pokémon ex" in exchange. This is a clear violation of the Pokémon TCG Pocket terms of service, prohibiting the buying and selling of virtual content. However, sellers essentially profit without loss, as they trade an ex Pokémon for another, enabling repeated sales. Numerous listings for rare ex Pokémon and 1-Star alternate art cards appear on eBay, along with entire accounts containing valuable cards and Pack Hourglasses. While account sales are common in online games, this activity still breaches the game's terms.
The trading mechanic itself proved controversial upon release. Beyond the usual restrictions on pack openings and Wonder Picking, the introduction of Trade Tokens added another layer of complexity. Players criticized the high cost of obtaining these tokens, requiring the deletion of five cards to trade one of the same rarity. This black market, however, likely would exist regardless of trading restrictions. The current issue stems from the trading mechanic's simplistic design, requiring friendship between traders. This limits trading opportunities and forces players to use external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay. Many players, like Reddit user siraquakip, desired a more integrated and community-friendly trading system within the app itself.
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Developer Creatures Inc. has warned against real-money transactions and cheating, threatening account suspensions. Ironically, the Trade Token mechanic, intended to prevent such exploitation, has backfired, alienating the community. The company is investigating improvements to the trading feature but hasn't provided details, despite complaints surfacing three weeks ago. Many believe the trading system is designed to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly generated half a billion dollars in under three months before the trading feature's release. The inability to trade 2-Star cards or higher further supports this theory, as readily available trading would eliminate the need for players to spend significant sums on random card packs. One player, for example, spent approximately $1,500 to complete the first set.
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