[2026 Japan Trading Card Quality Guide]Pokémon TCG × SNKRDUNK Official Authentication: From Sealed Box to Single Cards

SNKRDUNK × FROM JAPAN Trading Card Quality Guide

FROM JAPAN and SNKRDUNK have officially partnered up! Want to buy popular Japanese trading cards but have questions like “Has this sealed box been opened?” or “Will a secondhand single card be more damaged than expected?” This article uses SNKRDUNK’s official quality standards to help you understand the “acceptable / unacceptable” line for sealed boxes, packs and single cards, and how authentication protects you, so you can bring home the cards you love with peace of mind.

What is SNKRDUNK? Why you can buy with confidence

Operated by SODA Inc., it is one of Japan’s largest C2C marketplaces for sneakers, trading cards and luxury items, where every item is professionally authenticated.

The biggest feature is that every item goes through authentication by a professional team: using dedicated equipment only available in Japan, they achieve 99.9993% high-precision authentication, and only authentic items are shipped by FROM JAPAN, so you can buy with confidence even from overseas. On top of only stocking “confirmed genuine” items, SNKRDUNK also sets written quality standards for each item’s condition — and that’s exactly what this article will help you understand.

For card collectors, “unopened” and “condition” are exactly what create value. SNKRDUNK breaks these standards down into points to check (for example, a 2 cm limit on shrink-wrap damage for sealed boxes, and an A/B/C/D grade for single cards), so buyers can understand the real condition before the item arrives, reducing the uncertainty of buying from overseas.

The authentication accuracy above is calculated from transaction data between December 2024 and November 2025.

Further reading
SNKRDUNK × FROM JAPAN: Buy Authentic Sneakers & Cards Overseas

Read more

Further reading
SNKRDUNK Sneaker Quality Guide: New & Pre-owned Authentication Standards | FROM JAPAN

Read more

Quality standards for sealed boxes

Even brand-new, sealed card boxes can show minor flaws from manufacturing, shipping and distribution. Start with the quick reference for an overview, then compare the OK/NG example photos and notes for each item below.

Within-standard (OK) quick referenceFor reference · at a glance

Common conditions acceptable as authentic (within standard)

Shrink wrap condition (minor)
Perforation opening (shrink wrap normal)
Box dents and crushing (minor)
Surface and side peeling or damage (minor)
Tape condition (unwrapped box)
External and adhesive-surface stains (minor)

Detailed standards for each item (OK/NG)Click to expand · compare official example photos

Shrink Wrap ConditionShrink Wrap
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards sealed box shrink wrap tear or split under 2 cm in diameter within standard OK official example

Minor looseness, dirt, adhesive marks or small tears

Slightly loose shrink wrap, small amounts of dirt or adhesive residue, and tears or splits measuring less than 2 cm are common during the manufacturing and distribution process.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards sealed box shrink wrap tear or split over 2 cm in diameter outside standard NG official example

Large tears or splits in the shrink wrap (over 2 cm)

Shrink-wrap tears or splits larger than 2 cm, as well as extensive damage, may affect whether the product is considered unopened and fall outside our acceptable condition standards.

Perforation OpeningPerforation
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards sealed box perforation opened on the inside of the shrink wrap within standard OK official example

Perforation opened while the shrink wrap is normal

When the shrink wrap is normal, a partially opened perforation is acceptable; for unwrapped boxes, under 1 cm is within standard.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards sealed box unwrapped box perforation opened over 1 cm outside standard NG official example

Perforation opened over 1 cm on an unwrapped box

A perforation opened over 1 cm on an unwrapped box, or any sign of opening, is considered outside standard.

Box Dent / CrushDent / Crush
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards sealed box minor dent or crush deformation of the box within standard OK official example

Minor dents or crush deformation

Minor dents or crush deformation from shipping and display that don’t affect the contents are within standard.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards sealed box unwrapped box large dent or damage outside standard NG official example

Large dents, major damage or creases

Large dents, major damage or creases that could damage the booster packs inside are considered outside standard.

Surface and Side DamageSurface Damage
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards sealed box minor peeling or damage on the surface and sides of the box within standard OK official example

Japanese trading cards sealed box minor peeling or damage on the surface and sides of the box within standard OK official example

Small-area peeling or minor damage

Small-area peeling or minor damage on the surface or sides is common from domestic shipping and storage.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards sealed box unwrapped box large-area damage on the surface and sides outside standard NG official example

Japanese trading cards sealed box unwrapped box large-area damage on the surface and sides outside standard NG official example

Large-area damage on the surface or sides

Large-area damage on the surface or sides, or damage at the opening, is considered outside standard.

Tape Condition (Unwrapped Box)Tape Condition
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards sealed box unwrapped box wrinkled tape or trapped air within standard OK official example

Wrinkled tape or trapped air

Minor conditions such as wrinkled tape or trapped air don’t affect the unopened judgment and are within standard.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards sealed box unwrapped box folded-back tape end outside standard NG official example

Tape end folded back or in abnormal condition

A folded-back tape end, or abnormal material or condition, raises the suspicion of resealing after opening and is considered outside standard.

External and Adhesive-Surface StainsStains
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards sealed box loose shrink wrap and minor dirt within standard OK official example

Minor dirt or adhesive marks

Minor dirt or adhesive marks on the outside of the shrink wrap, or minor external stains on an unwrapped box, are within standard.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards sealed box unwrapped box external stains outside standard NG official example

Obvious external stains or fingerprints

Obvious external stains, stains on the adhesive surface or fingerprints are considered outside standard.

Unopened checkFor unwrapped boxes, the authentication team opens the item from both sides to confirm the contents and the number of packs; for non-wrapped items, the team will check the tape then cut it open to confirm the contents. If there are signs of opening, an opened perforation, signs of opening on the inner packs or opened tape, the transaction is canceled.

Full standardsFor more condition examples and the full set of criteria, refer to the official quality guide. Go to the official quality guide

The SNKRDUNK official quality guide is currently only available in Japanese.

Quality standards for booster packs and promo cards

Even brand-new, unopened booster packs and promo cards can show minor flaws from manufacturing, shipping and distribution. Start with the quick reference for an overview, then compare the OK/NG example photos and notes for each item below.

Within-standard (OK) quick referenceFor reference · at a glance

Common conditions acceptable as authentic (within standard)

Booster pack: seal and cut marks
Booster pack: scratches and tears
Promo card: minor packaging flaws
Promo card: creases on the card itself

Detailed standards for each item (OK/NG)Click to expand · compare official example photos

Booster Pack: Seal / Cut MarkBooster Pack Seal / Cut Mark
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide booster pack cut mark from a legitimate retail source within standard OK official example

Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide booster pack cut mark from a legitimate retail source within standard OK official example

Minor seal peeling or a regular cut mark

Minor peeling of the pack seal, or a cut mark from a legitimate retail source, is common from manufacturing and distribution.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide booster pack signs of opening outside standard NG official example

Any sign of opening

Major seal peeling, or any sign of opening (even partial damage), means the contents could have been swapped, so it is outside standard.

Booster Pack: Scratch / TearBooster Pack Scratch / Tear
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide booster pack minor scratches and manufacturing marks within standard OK official example

Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide booster pack minor scratches and manufacturing marks within standard OK official example

Air holes, minor scratches or manufacturing marks

Air holes, minor scuffs, a few scratches or manufacturing marks are all within standard.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide booster pack large hole or big tear outside standard NG official example

Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide booster pack large hole or big tear outside standard NG official example

Large holes, big tears or large-area scratches

Large-area scratches, large holes or big tears that could affect the contents are considered outside standard.

Promo Card: Packaging (Minor)Promo Card – Minor
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide promo card minor packaging tear within standard OK official example

Minor packaging tears

Only when the card is unopened and listed from the “unopened” page can it be listed as new. Minor packaging tears are within standard.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide promo card major packaging damage outside standard NG official example

Major packaging damage

Major packaging damage, or damage that wouldn’t occur under normal storage, is considered outside standard.

Promo Card: Card CreasePromo Card – Crease
OKNG

Within standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide promo card minor crease on the card itself within standard OK official example

No official reference photo provided

Minor crease on the card itself

A minor crease or scratch on the card itself is an acceptable condition within the new-item range.

Outside standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide promo card obvious crease on the card itself outside standard NG official example

Obvious crease on the card itself

An obvious crease or scratch on the card itself is considered outside standard.

Full standardsFor more condition examples and the full set of criteria, refer to the official quality guide. Go to the official quality guide

The SNKRDUNK official quality guide is currently only available in Japanese.

Condition grading for single cards

Secondhand single cards other than brand-new/unused are labeled with a condition of A / B / C / D / below sellable grade. Start with the quick reference to understand all 5 grades, then compare the example photos for each grade and the notes on third-party graded items (PSA / BGS / ARS) below.

Condition grading quick referenceFor reference · ordered by degree of damage

GradeConditionDamage level

Good conditionNo visible damage

Minor scratchesA few within-standard flaws

Moderate scratchesSeveral within-standard flaws

Visible damageStill listable

Below sellableNot sellable

The heavier the damage, the lower the grade

Example comparison by gradeOfficial example photos

Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide single card grade A good condition official example

Good conditionNo visible damage

No visible damage. Within standard: minor cutting marks, slight warping, very small whitening on the edges, vertical and horizontal lines, and laser-foil loss/misalignment from manufacturing (if noticeable, listed as grade B).

Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide single card grade B minor scratches and warping official example

Minor scratches / warpingA few still within standard

Within standard even in a few spots: minor edge whitening, shallow small dents/scratches, distortion not obvious on a flat surface, one slight crease, minor warping.

Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide single card grade C moderate scratches and warping official example

Moderate scratches / warpingSeveral still within standard

Within standard even in several spots: large-area edge whitening/lifting, large-area scratches/unevenness, distortion visible at a glance, obvious creases.

Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide single card grade D visible damage official example

Visible damageMay still be listed

Within standard even in several spots: obvious unevenness/moderate scratches, large creases affecting the artwork/heavy edge lifting. Handwriting, heavy loss/damage/water stains, trimmed edges and ink stains cannot be listed even at grade D.

Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide single card below sellable grade large-area heavy water stains official example

Below sellable gradeGenerally not sellable

Food or drink residue, staining such as handwriting, heavy loss/damage, large-area heavy water stains, trimmed edges and ink stains. MTG single cards may be listed as grade D with a note, and can be sold if they remain usable for play.

Third-party graded items OK/NG examplesPSA / BGS / ARS

Within standard Japanese trading cards third-party graded item bubbles or dust inside the grading case within standard OK official example

Bubbles, dust or debris inside the grading case

Within standard Japanese trading cards third-party graded item minor scratches on the grading case within standard OK official example

Minor scratches on the grading case

Outside standard Japanese trading cards third-party graded item large scratches on the grading case surface outside standard NG official example

Large scratches on the grading case surface

Outside standard Japanese trading cards SNKRDUNK official quality guide third-party graded item cracked grading case outside standard NG official example

Cracked grading case

Outside standard Japanese trading cards third-party graded item damaged or chipped grading case outside standard NG official example

Damaged or chipped grading case

Outside standard Japanese trading cards third-party graded item sun-faded discoloration of the card itself outside standard NG official example

Sun-faded discoloration of the card itself

Third-party graded itemsGraded items such as PSA, BGS and ARS are selected by each organization’s evaluation grade and inspected while inside the grading case. If the grading case fails to meet the standard, or the card itself shows forgery, the transaction is canceled; if the card itself has sun-faded discoloration, they will confirm with the buyer before deciding whether to cancel. For details, refer to the official single-card quality guide.

During inspection, the official quality standards take priority and the seller’s descriptions and comments are for reference only. If the actual condition clearly differs from the labeling, they will confirm with the buyer and then cancel or return the item.

When an item matches several grades at once, it is listed at the “lowest” of those grades. The condition table is one example and may vary by item. Standards may differ for collaboration and luxury-brand items.

The SNKRDUNK official quality guide is currently only available in Japanese.

Editor’s picks

A selection of the Japanese trading cards getting the most attention right now. Prices change, so please check the item page for the latest price.

Pokémon Card Game MEGA Expansion Pack “Abyssal Eye” (Box) item image

Pokémon Card Game MEGA Expansion Pack “Abyssal Eye” (Box)PokémonPokémon Card Game MEGA Expansion Pack “Abyssal Eye” (Box)¥9,640+

Pokémon Card Game MEGA Start Deck 100 “Battle Collection” item image

Pokémon Card Game MEGA Start Deck 100 “Battle Collection”PokémonPokémon Card Game MEGA Start Deck 100 “Battle Collection”¥1,999+

Mega Charizard X ex MA [M2a 223/193] (MEGA Dream ex) item image

Mega Charizard X ex MA [M2a 223/193] (MEGA Dream ex)PokémonMega Charizard X ex MA [M2a 223/193] (MEGA Dream ex)¥5,000+

Pokémon Card Game MEGA High Class Pack “MEGA Dream ex” (Box) item image

Pokémon Card Game MEGA High Class Pack “MEGA Dream ex” (Box)PokémonPokémon Card Game MEGA High Class Pack “MEGA Dream ex” (Box)¥13,399+

Team Rocket's Mimikyu: Rocket Gang Mark Mirror [M2a 079/193] item image

Team Rocket’s Mimikyu: Rocket Gang Mark Mirror [M2a 079/193]PokémonTeam Rocket’s Mimikyu: Rocket Gang Mark Mirror [M2a 079/193]¥1,000+

Pikachu P [M-P 020] (McDonald's Happy Set 2025 Promo) item image

Pikachu P [M-P 020] (McDonald’s Happy Set 2025 Promo)PokémonPikachu P [M-P 020] (McDonald’s Happy Set 2025 Promo)¥2,300+

Mega Greninja ex SAR [M4 114/083] (Expansion Pack Ninja Spinner) item image

Mega Greninja ex SAR [M4 114/083] (Expansion Pack Ninja Spinner)PokémonMega Greninja ex SAR [M4 114/083] (Expansion Pack Ninja Spinner)¥29,000+

Mega Darkrai ex SAR [M5 114/081] (Expansion Pack Abyssal Eye) item image

Mega Darkrai ex SAR [M5 114/081] (Expansion Pack Abyssal Eye)PokémonMega Darkrai ex SAR [M5 114/081] (Expansion Pack Abyssal Eye)¥31,500+

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Click a card series you’re interested in to see that series’ current No.1 most popular item.

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FAQ

We’ve gathered the questions most often asked by first-time overseas buyers of Japanese trading cards.

Can I buy from overseas?

Yes. FROM JAPAN buys, inspects and handles international shipping on your behalf. Any country or region FROM JAPAN supports for international shipping (such as Singapore) can order easily from overseas, with no Japanese needed.

How much is shipping?

International shipping fees vary by shipping method, weight and fragility. You can choose from several shipping options and confirm the fee when you order. Combining shipments can sometimes reduce shipping.

Are sealed boxes really never opened?

SNKRDUNK performs an opening check on unopened items: for example checking the shrink-wrap condition, perforation and tape. If any sign of opening is found, the item is canceled or returned, so the “unopened” label is trustworthy.

Can I trust the condition of secondhand single cards?

Secondhand single cards must be assigned a condition grade of A / B / C / D / below sellable grade with a photo of the actual item uploaded. Inspection follows the official quality standards, which take priority over the seller’s descriptions and comments; if the actual condition differs significantly from the labeling, the buyer is contacted during authentication and the item can be canceled or returned.

Are there cards with third-party grading (PSA / BGS / ARS)?

Yes. Graded items such as PSA, BGS and ARS are inspected based on each organization’s evaluation grade and shipped while inside the grading case (holder). If the holder or the card itself has forgery or damage, the transaction is canceled; if it has sun-fading, they will confirm with the buyer before deciding whether to cancel.

What if what I receive doesn’t match the description?

If the actual item differs significantly from the labeled condition, the SNKRDUNK authentication team will confirm with the buyer before shipping whether to proceed, and you can also choose to cancel and return the item (return shipping is covered by the seller).

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