# Does anyone know the origin of these? **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [June 7, 2023, 5:28pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848 "2023-06-07T17:28:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zahken](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/zahken/32/37869_2.png) [@zahken](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/zahken)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 5:28pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/1 "2023-06-07T17:28:26Z")
I found an old box filled to the brim with these and no one can tell me where they come from. They look like bootleg, but I’ve yet to find some trusted source to verify. And even then, they might be worth something ![008c141c-76b1-4d86-9bcf-bf4a22f78b56](https://efour.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/3X/3/6/360d28bf69bf24334f134428e759ab88715e7b4e.jpeg) ![26be4ab4-321e-4f60-9620-a230e692756f](https://efour.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/3X/a/8/a8345ade4af760ba0d990db243828dd2828b8b29.jpeg) ![afge](https://efour.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/3X/d/a/dae4d0c43847a1a60dea75654949a574fbadaf13.jpeg) ![bc6c59c0-9dfe-4397-a606-5d57f3ec70b3](https://efour.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/3X/3/f/3fb61b4bd6e873c1689850669d14f72e2ff6999d.jpeg) ![e8122748-04e1-47a9-b56f-80318d0dd1bd](https://efour.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/3X/2/5/2542f95174d2e07652894b1c5cb5af434d79200a.jpeg) ![yb1brqh5cf4b1.jpeg](https://efour.b-cdn.net/uploads/default/original/3X/1/f/1fb264e41fb04c3afc812c8422c1b9ff2036fbee.webp) ---
**Author:** ![zahken](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/zahken/32/37869_2.png) [@zahken](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/zahken)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/2 "2023-06-07T17:56:13Z")
Otherwise if someone can point me to some expert on Vintage stuff, i’d really appreciate it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![xileets](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/xileets/32/290175_2.png) [@xileets](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/xileets)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 6:24pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/3 "2023-06-07T18:24:20Z")
Japan? Kidding. but they scream 90s nostalgia! ---
**Author:** ![philzcardz](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/philzcardz/32/33791_2.png) [@philzcardz](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/philzcardz)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/4 "2023-06-07T18:54:08Z")
Just curious, are they stickers? They show the Amada sticker shield and damage icons but have the carddass backs. I’ve no clue if they are legit or bootleg ---
**Author:** ![zahken](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/zahken/32/37869_2.png) [@zahken](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/zahken)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/5 "2023-06-07T19:33:49Z")
Yep, they are stickers. I also noticed that, its like a mix between different original stuff - which sounds too elaborate to be something fake. Know anyone who might have a clue about it? ---
**Author:** ![bbobrob](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/bbobrob/32/249595_2.png) [@bbobrob](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/bbobrob)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 8:03pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/6 "2023-06-07T20:03:50Z")
From my basic Japanese knowledge, the Pokemon stickers do say Amada on the back, which might explain the design elements in common with the smaller Amada stickers. ---
**Author:** ![philzcardz](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/philzcardz/32/33791_2.png) [@philzcardz](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/philzcardz)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 8:08pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/7 "2023-06-07T20:08:44Z")
I’ve no clue, but I’m sure others here will have some info. FWIW, there’s this website on Amada stickers: [https://www.pokemonstickerpedia.com/amada](https://www.pokemonstickerpedia.com/amada) I’m not sure how comprehensive it is, but I do think it’s strange for Amada printing to make a sticker that big. All their stickers were small square cuts from what I know ---
**Author:** ![rabby250](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/rabby250/32/244_2.png) [@rabby250](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/rabby250)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 12:46am UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/8 "2023-06-08T00:46:26Z")
Not 100% sure but I’m suspecting they are Chinese knock-offs. If you look closely at the front, you will see the word 進化版 (_evolved version_ / _enhanced version_) which is not printed on the original Amada stickers. Although the kanji characters are being used in Japanese, I have never seen the term being used within the Pokémon context ( 進化 _evolve_ is frequently used but not with 版 _version_). Also, the typeface the term is printed in closely resembles slogans printed on Chinese toy packages or media during the '90s. The '90s was a time when Chinese speaking regions such as Taiwan and Hong Kong had virtually no concept of intellectual rights when importing foreign media such as the Pokémon franchise. There’s a Wikipedia page describing the background (although it’s only in Chinese): > **[臺港盜版時期](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%87%BA%E6%B8%AF%E7%9B%9C%E7%89%88%E6%99%82%E6%9C%9F)** > > 臺港盜版時期（又稱港台盜版時期）是指在1960年代至1990年代，台灣、香港的出版業者未經日本的合法授權、私自印刷並販售盜版日本漫畫的時代。 > 早在1950年代，台灣便有許多漫畫、小說出版社自日本引進未經合法授權自行翻譯的作品。在1960年代初期台灣開始實施《編印連環圖畫輔導辦法》時，許多盜版出版商更是私下賄賂漫畫審查官員 ，讓盜版日本漫畫取得合法出版字號，并以低價、大量、快速來霸佔台灣漫畫出版市場。 > 1987年7月15日解嚴之後，漫畫出版送審制度自動失效，漫畫盜印業界頓時呈現百家爭出的混亂局面，搶譯、搶稿甚至撞稿的情況比比皆是。 > 當時台灣沒有明訂過濾色情、暴力的規範，容易誤導兒童與青少年的價值觀，但多數漫畫都在翻譯時被刪節。同時這些盜版作品都有翻譯、鑲字上等問題，不過卻仍然很暢銷。另一方面，日本漫畫風也經台灣吹到香港，不少盜版出版商如東立出版社也擴展其業務到香港。再後來，盜版風還吹到新加坡、馬來西亞等國。 There were authorized merchandise manufactured at the time, but those cases are very rare since most publishers didn’t see the “need” to spend the time and money to sign commercial agreements (I know an interesting case regarding game strategy guides, but that’s going to be another long story), so if something in the '90s to early 2000s comes up without a verified source or publisher, I would first assume it to be a knock-off. ---
**Author:** ![joponnes](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/joponnes/32/267759_2.png) [@joponnes](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/joponnes)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 11:09am UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/9 "2023-06-08T11:09:59Z")
100% fake cards, so many red flags like holo pattern, bandai back but amada style front, poor art quality, “anime collection” even though it’s pokemon presented instead of anime frames. Amada indeed did only square sized stickers and certainly they wouldn’t have used other company’s back, stickerpedia is managed by @nidokingdom and he has quite certainly the best western if not worldwide knowledge about japanese vintage stickers ---
**Author:** ![nidokingdom](https://efour.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/www.elitefourum.com/nidokingdom/32/1417_2.png) [@nidokingdom](https://www.elitefourum.com/u/nidokingdom)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 12:19pm UTC](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/does-anyone-know-the-origin-of-these/41848/10 "2023-06-08T12:19:56Z")
Hello ! Thanks for the tag @joponnes ! I’ve seen these before several times (but never in japan) as I also collect bootlegs. I agree with @rabby250, I can confirm 100% these are bootleg and probably chinese (they do scream bootleg). But I can list a 2 reasons : Mixing Bandai carddass backs and amada elements together on the same sticker is a good one; amada (now ensky) never made anything else than regular 50 x 50mm stickers. (Btw if they are looking for a new home, especially that nidorino one 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀)