Hey guys! I’ve owned these white pokemon cards for a few years now and no one online can ID them. Does anyone know the origin of them, or where they came from? This is my first time on here so I hope my images got uploaded 
any help is appreciated! thanks!
7 Likes
Hey there and welcome to our community!
These are always hard to research because basically the only key words you can search with are cards and Pokémon, which just returns the actual TCG.
If they’re an official release, I’m sure somebody here has seen them.
Hi!! And thank you for the welcome :^) I completely understand with the search thing… it does become tedious at times lol
I did also come across a sticker set that has the same art and copyright from 1998. The stickers are also white and say “gotta catch 'em all”. I wonder if they came from a promo set involving that…? It’s just weird how the internet has nothing documented for these cards XD
1 Like
Can’t be more helpful, but the game data makes me want to associate it with a magazine like Nintendo Power or a walkthrough, but looking at Nintendo Power and Prima Games stuff doesn’t bring up anything. The levels on the Butterfree card suggest it has to be a Red/Blue and not a Yellow associated product, since learnsets/level up moves were tweaked between RB and Yellow.
Another option could be some promotion pack in for a food product, since I kinda can’t see a magazine/book with non perforated cards.
Those stickers you mention are probably the press kit stickers, however I don’t think these cards came with the press kit since both Poliwhirl and Gengar have non finalized names on the stickers. The art is all early stock art too, so hard to make any leads of that.
3 Likes
This is extremely helpful!! Omg thank you so much!! I actually wanted to know more about those press kit stickers you’ve mentioned, so I appreciate the info :^) and yeah, I agree 100% with the magazine/walkthrough theory… but like you’ve mentioned, nothing comes up. Makes me wonder why that is, you know? It’s so weird.
Welcome to the forums @c313f4_r31e4h613129 lovely to have you here.
I am commenting specifically regarding the Butterfree card which is in your first image, bottom left card.
The illustrations belong to the Pokemon all moves encyclopaedia it basically contained 165 moves (description with illustration and effects) of all gen 1 Pokémon. I think subsequent versions for other gens were also released.
I am not sure when these cards were made but these books contain the illustration of the card that you have.
Have a lovely time at the forums.
Cheers!
4 Likes
Thank you so much for the welcome! You guys have been super sweet :^) And thanks for the link! Yeah, I had this running theory that these cards came from some type of strategy guide… but no source comes up for that.
I wanted to add too that someone replied to my old Reddit post about these cards. They have the same ones as me, but they also had an Eevee. I’m guessing there’s 6 total cards from this… “set”? If you even want to call it that? XD
1 Like
I have no idea where they are from but one thing that grabbed my attention is the mini maps on the back, just like the ones on the games. Makes me think it must have something to do with the nintendo games, maybe released as promo in videogame stores or in nintendo videogame related magazines 
1 Like
Hi!! That’s what I was thinking too! :^) I just don’t know why there’s no source for this at all… if the Nintendo copyright wasn’t on these cards, I would have just assumed they’re fake XD
1 Like
I would think it’s associated with Nintendo Power since the layout of the card is exactly the same as the Pokemon Field Guide section of the Nintendo Power Player’s Guide for Red and Blue.
Here’s a link to the pdf of the entire guide:
8 Likes
oh my god this is huge!! Thank you so much!! I didn’t even know this guide existed. I can totally see the resemblance with my cards!! But now I wonder if this is where my cards came from. Nothing comes up when I search Nintendo Power pokemon cards :^(
2 Likes
I’m pretty sure the cards didn’t come with the book. I tried searching the same thing and couldn’t come up with anything.
1 Like
No idea what those are but I want them 
Yeah… I searched too and had no luck :^( I found my white Butterfree card on Mercari last night though!! But the seller listed it as a “sticker”… even though it’s not. It made me hopeful though since the guide book you linked did mention stickers!! haha. I DM’d the Butterfree card seller about where they got it, but they haven’t got back to me yet :^/
I don’t know if this is helpful info too but… I found another listing on eBay last night! And the seller had a white Eevee card. I DM’d them asking and they said they’re in the same boat as me XD no clue what these are and found them in a binder they got.
1 Like
If you’re interested, here’s the link to a Butterfree on Mercari I found last night! :^) They listed it as a sticker (even though it’s not). It’s an amazing deal too since no one knows it’s worth haha XD
3 Likes
here’s the links I was talking about in my reply! :^) Sorry, I forgot to add them.
3 Likes
The guidebook had a sticker for every Pokemon, each about the size of a US postal stamp. When you registered your Pokémon to the Pokédex you were meant to take the corresponding sticker and place it on that Pokemon in the field guide. It was super cool as a kid!
Thats cool you were able to find more listings for the cards but unfortunate the sellers don’t know where they came from either 
1 Like