Should we track the line between TCG and Non-TCG?

[omic]

So, yesterday I got drunk and still I am today. And we all know the worst best ideas comes when you’re drunk.

We commonly talk about non-tcg referring to the cards not being made by WOTC, Media Factory or Nintendo & Pokemon Co. themselves. The classic TCG we all know and love.

But technically speaking, TCG means Trading Card Game. So until the cards have both the attributes of being “Tradable” and “Playable”, they should be considered TCG, right?

• Yes
• No

Let’s start with the headache:

Topsun:
Since every cards as the “Tradable” attribute, let’s jump into the “Playable” one, that those cards misses.

Are Topsun TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Carddass:
As above, carddass, in any form, cannot be playable.

Are Carddass TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Topps:
Again, these are not made for being playable.

Are Topps TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Bandai Kid’s:
Tradable but not playable.

Are Bandai Kid’s TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Takara Tomy Scratch:
Here starts the debate. Technically you can play the scratch cards. But I don’t know the rules of the scratch game, so probably every cards can only be played once. Then, scratched once it just become unplayable again.
Meaning those cards have both the “tradable” and “playable” attributes only during one game, which is kinda sad.
Also I need to point out that unscratched =/= mint. Just because yes, I feel the need to.

Are Tomy Scratch TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Battle Memo:
These cards can be played in some sort of evil way that we humble humans cannot comprehend.
But I think that as scratch cards these can be played only once.

Are Battle Memo TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Meiji Original 1997 and 1998 Set:
The original sets of Meiji cards were actually playable in rock paper scissors fashion. So both attributes possessed.

Are Meiji 1997/1998 TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Other Meiji:
As for embossed, vs, or the ones I found that doesn’t seem to exsist, these ones can’t be played.
I’m specifically NOT speaking about the 2004-2008 tcg cards.

Are other Meiji Cards TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Funskool:
Being a copy of the “classical tcg” we all know, these have the “Playable” attribute. And of course the “Tradable” one. So:

Are Funskool TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Funskool “Who Am I?”:
I’m adding pics for these cause I don’t see any specific thread about them.
But we need to distinguish between “Who Am I?” and “ordinary funskool”, because these cards can’t be playable.

Are Funskool “WAI?” TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

3Reyes:
I don’t know how, but I think these are playable. Having a weakness/resistance, typing and attack/defense system. I think this works similar to Yu-Gi-Oh!

Are 3Reyes TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Burger King Gold Plated:
Absolutely not playable.

Are BK Gold Plated TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Burger King Trivia:
Again, only tradable.

Are BK Trading Cards TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Kellog’s Game Tips:
Not playable, just tradable.

Are Kellog’s Game Tips TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Battle-E Series:
Another fun question. These cards can’t be played alone. They need a device (the e-reader), and also you don’t play with the cards themselves but just slide them in the e-reader to unlock specific items and battle in the GBA/GC games. So being really accurate you are not playing the card strictly speaking, you are playing the GBA/GC games.

Are Battle E TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Trading Figure Game:
These cards are both Tradable and Playable. Even though to play them you also need the figures, you actually play the cards during the game.

Are Trading Figure Game TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Thinkchip:
I never owned the systems, but I think they worked with figures and cards were only for display purposes. So here I say tradable but not playable.

Are Thinkchip TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

My Deck Memo:
Uploading again missing a specific thread.
You can write on these cards, but not play them.

Are Memo TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Rolls Stickers:
Tradable but not playable.

Are Rolls Stickers TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Pokemon Adventure:
Similar to Topps, they are only tradable.

Are Adventure TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Menko/Kakumen Retsuden:
Another niche set of cards with their own rules. So yes, both tradable and playable.

Are Retsuden TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Magic Message:
If overlapping is playing, then yeah. Both attributes possessed.

Are Magic Message TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Lamincards:
Similar at MMC but these can’t be playable.

Are Lamincards TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Action Cards:
Sorry for using a non english source but at least it has text and pics. If some translation will be needed, I’m here. Tradable but not playable.

Are Action Cards TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Bromide Cards:
Again, not playable.

Are Bromide Cards TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Pokemon Cromo:
Tradable but not playable.

Are Cromo TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Poker/Playing Cards:
Actually, I think these ones works in a different way. I mean, if you trade them can you still play them? I think when cards come already packaged like that you can only choose between one of the 2 attributes.
You may argue that tcg theme decks works the same. But if you trade some cards from a tcg theme deck for other tcg cards, your deck is still playable. Worse, but playable. When here if you miss one specific card the whole games are compromised. So:

Are Poker/Playing Cards TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

UNO Cards:
All as above.

Are UNO TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Babanuki / Old Maid:
As above.

Are Old Maid TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Karuta:
As above.

Are Karuta TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Hanafuda:
Guess it.

Are Hanafuda TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Nissui:
These cards have some values written on them, so I guess there’s some sort of way to play them.
Being in doubt I guess they are both tradable and playable.

Are Nissui TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

Leaving the best for last.
Pokemon Jumbo cards, top tins, inserts, are thighly related to the “classic tcg” we all know, and are distributed with regular “classic tcg” merchandise and/or official tcg cards themselves.
But everything mentioned misses the “playable” attribute.

Are Jumbo/Tin Tops/Insert TCG Cards?

• Yes
• No

I hope to hear your thoughts, I know I missed something in the list, but those are the already identified “non-tcg” ones that we can discuss.

[eeveeteam]

Anything not under bulbapedia TCG is non-TCG.
Topps, Topsun, Bandai, etc are non-TCG.

[omic]

Even if something has its own playing system or is recognised in its country release as tcg (because “classical tcg” is not licensed here?)

[eeveeteam]

So even funskool I put in my non-TCG Binder. They are not play legal in any official format

[quuador]

Well, that was a lot of No’s to check… Only the Jumbo/Box toppers and Memo Cards I answered Yes, everything else including the first question I answered No. And the Memo Cards are more like TCG inserts than actual TCG cards tbf, so maybe I should have voted No. (I’m actually surprised ‘Inserts’ isn’t part of any of the dozens of your questions ).

Greetz,
Quuador

[decoypalmette]

I voted YES for Battle-e series and Trading figure game.
But I really don’t know why: probably they kinda resemble the main series thanks to similar fonts and shape, and they feel like a spin-off or some fun gimmicky cards.

The other looks so different, even if they’re both ‘tradable’ and ‘playable’, in my head TCG=main series lol, so I’m totally biased.

Edit: Also I have no doubt, jumbo/topper/inserts are obviously TCG imho

[omic]

@quuador

(I’m actually surprised ‘Inserts’ isn’t part of any of the dozens of your questions )

They are in the last one, alongside with jumbo and box toppers, so you already voted them

[stagecoach]

Pokémon TCG is a brand. It is the brand of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Anything released under affiliation of the Pokémon TCG brand is part of the Pokémon TCG, which includes playable cards and supplemental material to support them.

Anything outside this brand may literally be Pokémon trading cards, but they are not part of the Pokémon TCG — an official brand.

[xileets]

I had a similar initial reaction to this like a drunk text my ex might send me. haha.

Just like her’s, I understand your intentions as good, @omic, but I think this line has been solidly drawn by bulbapedia and other resources. Personally, I consider that any card release which uses the TCG logo/brand, and the same rules as the TCG, and the same card format, is part of the TCG. EVEN if it’s never been a playable in the official TCG.

edit: Another non-associated, but clearly TCG set is Everyone’s Exciting Battle. It uses the same rules, branding, and format, BUT they were never part of a set or playable. STILL, they WERE and are part of the TCG property.

As for what I included from above, Jumbo cards / box toppers are certainly TCG properties. Saying otherwise would be like saying the empty booster box is not TCG because it’s not a card. Seems ridiculous. And the My Deck Memo cards are certainly TCG for the same reason.

[smpratte]

100%! I was like does this ever end! Kudos for @omic for putting this together! Everything was no except the last question. There is only one TCG.

[omic]

I’m missing stuff, but the whole reasoning can be applied to the other cards I’ve left out the list as well.

I totally ignored that TCG was a trademark, as pointed out by @stagecoach , so the whole thread now looks stupid.
Law doesn’t allow ignorance.

But I’m glad I’ve heard some subjective different opinions at least

[wooltchi]

It doesn’t really matter at all imo. I feel like everyone can tell when something is part of the official tcg vs something else like topsun cards and whether they want to collect those are not is up to them.

[maxmaxcity]

This is great point! And exactly why 1996 Bandai Carddass is my favorite set….it’s actually the fact that it’s not official TCG and has an official connection to the original gameboy games with each original sprite on back of each card. I love that it captures history in this aspect!

[Dyl]

@omic Kudos to you for compiling this list. I thought that I knew a lot of TCG-adjacent releases, but boy was I wrong!

[omic]

I didn’t add anything that wasn’t really on the forum before here and there.
Without E4, I myself would have almost zero knowledge of the matter and still if you want to go into detail there’s so many people here that knows a lot more than me about it.
I should say kudos to you guys

[Julius19]

Even though TCG stands for trading card game and many non-tcg are playable cards, the term TCG is so asocciated to the cards everybody knows that is used as a name. Therefore anything outside the pokemon TCG cards should be named non-tcg to avoid confusion, especially for those new in the hobby.
Ps: 3reyes is not legit, they do not have license and should not be on the list, the company who had the license was called Navarrete (produced in Peru and distributed to many latin countries like Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, etc) who mostly produced sticker albums like Merlin Stickers did in Europe but also released a series of cards refered to as “armables” (“buildable”) as well as a series of pokemon postcard sized cards. They lost the license after some years and changed the named to 3reyes, producing unlicensed products since then. Here are pics from Navarrete stuff from my Mewtwo collection:

1. Navarrete postcard
   

   

2. Navarrete armable card
   

   

3. Navarrete album stickers (several editions)
   

   

[omic]

Wow I remember Navarrete stickers but didn’t know the company is the same!
Thanks for the info!
As for the cards in the list I don’t know… Let’s do what I know to do, make a poll:

Should confirmed counterfeits not be listed?

• Yes
• No

[joponnes]

I was actually just wondering what was the name of those armable cards so this information was right in time, thanks! Grimer and muk from that set have slowly become one of my top wants since the colour scheme in the set is so unique