Pokémon TCG - Rules and Guidelines [4/13/2021 Update]

All Pokecommunity Community Guidelines apply in this forum. You can read them here. There is to be, under no circumstance any BUYING, TRADING, OR SELLING on this forum. We have a list of resources below you can use to potentially help sell your collection.

In the Pokecommunity TCG Section, we have prefixes that tell you, and other users, what your thread is about. The following prefixes are:

• [Discussion] - Talk about different aspects of cards, from collecting suggestions to battle strategies. This prefix is for any generalized conversation about the Pokemon TCG,
• [Showcase] - This is the prefix when you want to show us your incredible collection or just your most recent pulls. As long as you're showing us a card, this prefix is right for you!
• [Questions] - Having trouble finding what that rare Japanese card is? Want help in deciphering how this card works while in play? Use this prefix.
• [Pricing] - This prefix is to be exclusively used to find out the pricing of a card/cards. NOT SELLING.
• [Event] - Every once in a while the staff will hold events or host games, so be on the look out for this prefix!
• [Deck Review] - Want feedback on your current deck build? Or maybe want to do some theorymon TCG play? Use this prefix.
• [PTCGO] - Here trading cards within the TCGO is permitted, but keep your trades reasonable. You may also request trades, but mind your expectations.
• Custom Cards - This prefix can be used to spread your creative side nd post your own custom made cards! But there's rules to this too:
  * Don't create inappropriate cards
  
  * Never remove watermarks/copyrights from blanks
  
  * Before using someone else's artwork for a card illustration, unless it's already stated to be free to use, be sure to ask them for permission
  
  * Don't credit yourself as the card illustrator unless you created the artwork yourself (just putting the card together doesn't make you the illustrator). Avoid using artworks with unknown illustrators.

RULES FOR ASKING ABOUT CARD VALUES:
Please keep the number of cards asked about per post reasonable! Asking about 25 or more cards is not reasonable for identification, which can take time! When requesting information a card, please provide as much information as possible. The ideal information consists of the following:

• Card name: What is the Pokemon on the card named?
• Card Set: You can tell this by the set symbol located either in the bottom right corner of the card or to the bottom right of the picture.
• Card Number: The collector's number (the number in the bottom right corner of the card that goes something like 1/102 or 1/64 or 1/99) of the card.
• Card Edition: Whether it is first edition or not: Example. This only applies to cards from sets released before the Legendary Collection. Sets released after this point outside Japan do not have first edition stamps.
  >> Japanese first edition cards have a black "1" sitting above a black "Edition" in the bottom left corner of the card, in an upside down "T" shape. This only applies to cards from sets released since the start of the Japanese equivalent of Expedition
• Card Language: What language can you determine the card is in?
• Card Condition: How damaged does the card look? Does it have dents and scratches? Has it been discolored in any way?
• Card Shadows:Whether it is shadowless or not (as in, having no shadow behind the picture and not having bolded HP text). This only applies to cards from the Base Set (the only set that has no set symbol).

Anatomy of a Pokemon Card:


Please do not ask for prices of commons and uncommons, as they are generally worth less than $0.50 apiece. If you did not know, these are the cards that have a little black circle (black circles indicating a rarity of common) or a little black diamond (black diamonds indicating a rarity of uncommon) on the bottom right corner of the card. The reason this rule has been added is because too many people are asking about prices for commons, and pricing is too time consuming to price out cards of these rarities when the vast majority of these are worth less than fifty cents. Some notable exceptions to this include very useful Trainer cards that are legal in the current standard and expanded formats as well as error cards.

There's so many databases on how to deal with every aspect of your TCG experience, so here we're going to list a few of them:

• OFFICIAL POKEMON RULES & REGULATIONS
• TCG Online Download Link
• Deck Building Guide
• 2021-2022 Rotation Guide
• Identifying Fake Cards
• The Card Bazaar: Fake Cards
• TCG Database
• Known Error Cards
• Pokemaster's Price Guide
• Troll & Toad
• TCGPlayer
• PSA: Authentication and Grading Services
• Beckett Grading Services
• EBay
• Dragon Shield: TCG Accessories
• Should you Grade your cards?
• PokeGym Compendium
  
  [*]Tree Frog Grading