Where Are Pokémon Cards Made?

Surely, you would have played the Pokémon cards game before. If you don’t know, it’s a collectible card game that was first introduced to the world in 1996 by Media Factory in Japan. In contrast, the Wizards of the Coast introduced the cards first in the United States. But 2003 was a tragedy when Nintendo transferred the publishing rights from both of them to The Pokémon Company. 

Now Pokémon cards are manufactured in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan. The company deals with different branches in these countries, from where they take care of manufacturing, exporting, and advertising. Some resources have explained that the company is also dealing with other countries in terms of designing and introducing new things to cards. 

Below, we have shared much more about where Pokémon cards are made. You can have in-depth and worthy knowledge on the topic by staying with the article below. So, without further ado, let’s check it out. 

Pokémon Cards Manufacturing Worldwide

When Pokémon cards were first introduced to the world, people were crazy about the game at that time. It has been recorded that the company sold millions of cards in the first year. And that’s all because of the great advertising and introduction of a new thing to the world. 

And yes, at that time, no competition was observed, but later, when it got much appreciation, the company found copyright issues. Even dozens of fake copies of the cards have been observed in the market, due to which Nintendo officially separated the era for Pokémon cards. 

Now, the Pokémon Company is officially handling all the concerns related to its manufacturing, advertising, exporting, and everything else. Though, it is connected to the Game Freak and Creatures, helping the company efficiently maintain its concerns worldwide. 

Pay attention – because of the greater appreciation and popularity among people till now, the company has sold more than 43.2 billion cards. And yes, it shows how popular the game is among people and how worthy the business is. 

Pokémon cards have higher demand in the market and among game lovers worldwide. This has increased the card demand and urged the company to expand its production. Nowadays, the company manufactures cards in the countries mentioned. Plus, it also has relationships with other countries in assembling and designing but officially operating from here. 

Related: Where are Legos made- First Lego set?

United States 

Firstly, the company is proceeding with manufacturing in the United States. This is because of higher demand in the country and the appreciation of game lovers. Nintendo made the Pokémon USA branch in 2001, which is still live and responsible for the licensing overseas in the Americas. 

This branch is also responsible for the significant manufacturing portion of the Pokémon cards. The company has introduced greater facilities here, so the manufacturers can quickly deal with the higher production. Also, Pokémon USA is responsible for the marketing, advertising, and exporting of cards in different states of the country. 

The company has a manufacturing plant in South Dakota and an office in Washington responsible for the packaging and all other related concerns. It is expected that the company might introduce more production facilities in the country soon. 

United Kingdom

It has developed an office in London to handle the company’s production, marketing, and exporting to the UK. The procedure of introducing the office in the country was done in 2009, and it is still responsible for producing Pokémon products. 

We observed that the company would introduce more facilities and own spaces of production in the country. If you don’t know, the company has signed deals with third parties in the UK, helping them to manufacture and assemble the products. Upon analysis, we have seen that the branch fulfills a higher proportion of the overall production annually. 

Japan

In Japan, three companies have ownership and access to the Pokémon trademark, including Creatures, Game Freak and Nintendo. But Nintendo is the sole owner of the Pokémon cards and related products, so it uses the trademarks in other countries. 

Resources have explained that the Pokémon company is responsible for funding and marketing the cards in Japan. In contrast, Nintendo handles the overall distribution of the cards in and around Japan. The company has Pokémon centers in the whole of Japan from where they are trading cards. And yes, it’s the place where they are also promoting manufacturing. 

In 2011, the company established brands and official stores in Japan, which manage every concern related to the cards here. If we talk about why the company has promoted production plants here, the reason behind higher production facilities in the country. It means that manufacturers can use modern technologies to proceed at higher levels of production at the same moment.  

Australia

Authorized sources have said that the company has no production plants here. But they have signed deals with a few trusted sources as third-party sources making Pokémon products for them. 

Official statements of the company have disclosed that Nintendo is responsible for licensing Pokémon cards in Australia. The reason behind this is that the Pokémon company doesn’t have any official branch here. We have researched and concluded that Nintendo has its resources in Australia and offices from where they are operating all the concerns. 

As per dealing, Nintendo helps the Pokémon Company in advertising and exporting their products to countries where they don’t have their own offices and branches. And yes, as of writing this article, both companies have generated billions of dollars with this mutual collaboration. Still, it is going on!

That was all about where Pokémon cards are made and who is manufacturing them in different countries worldwide. 

Related: Where Are Hallmark Cards Made?

The Bottom Line

Pokemon cards undoubtedly have gained much popularity among people. They are one of the most selling collectible card games worldwide. Because of the higher demand, manufacturers have introduced several production plants in different countries with several branch offices to maintain export, advertising, and funds.

For more information regarding Pokémon cards manufacturing, connect with us today.