Counterfeit Card Alert: 'Not Factory Cut' Trick or Trade Cards

In 2022, the Pokémon TCG introduced a special Halloween-themed set called the Trick or Trade BOOster Bundle. Each mini pack included in these “BOOsters” holds three cards — one of which is always holographic. While all of the cards in this set are reprints from previous sets, a unique stamp shaped like a pumpkin-head Pikachu distinguishes them from their predecessors. The promotion was well received by fans, with many opting to hand these packs out to trick-or-treaters instead of traditional Halloween candy.

That said, the card below is definitely more trick than treat:

The card pictured above appears to match the standard size of a Pokémon card and even features the expected rounded corners. However, it was clearly cut with the sheet rotated 90 degrees, which is not an error that could occur during official production. Uncut sheets of Pokémon cards are significantly taller than they are wide, making it impossible for the sheet to be cut in this orientation at the factory. This raises the question: How did this card come to exist?

Unfortunately, it seems that this card was deliberately cut from an uncut sheet that somehow entered the marketplace. In fact, a large number of uncut sheets from the Trick or Trade set entered the secondary market and can be found for sale on platforms such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace. With access to these sheets, unscrupulous individuals can cut out cards to mimic the appearance of legitimate miscuts. For an example of what a legitimate miscut looks like, check out the image below and consult the CGC Cards Error Guide here.

There are some easy-to-spot red flags with these Not Factory Cut (NFC) cards. To begin with, the degree of miscut — such as the NFC Chandelure above — is often far more extreme than what is typically found in booster packs. Authentic cards would never display miscuts of this magnitude. Additionally, a closer inspection of the corners reveals that they lack the clean, precise finish normally expected from genuine factory-cut cards.

As shown above, the corners on the NFC card appear ragged and are not fully rounded, with small burrs visible at the ends of the radius. This is not typical of genuine factory-cut cards.

While many cards from uncut sheets are accurately listed as “NFC” on the secondary marketplace, a significant number of buyers do not understand the term and mistakenly purchase them, believing that they are legitimate factory errors. For example, the eBay listing above has a similar card currently listed with both “Error” and “Miscut” in the title. Unfortunately, this card is neither an error nor miscut. Instead, it is a manufactured error and therefore not eligible for grading by CGC. If the listing had instead used the term "Not Factory Cut," many potential buyers would likely have better understood what was being offered.

When purchasing error cards, it is important to carefully examine the card and consider whether the error could realistically have occurred during the printing and cutting process. As with many collectibles, if something seems too good to be true, it likely is. Every card certified by CGC is backed by the CGC Guarantee that the card is both authentic and not overgraded. Learn more about the CGC Guarantee here.