GLOSSARY OF ASIAN TCG WHOLESALE
Short definitions of the terms you meet when buying Japanese, Korean or Chinese Pokémon, One Piece and Dragon Ball cards for a store: product formats, editions, and the customs and tax paperwork of a business-to-business purchase.
Tax and customs terms are explained in general terms and are not advice. To see how they apply to you, check the official source in your country or ask your adviser.
PRODUCT AND EDITIONS
- Booster box
- A factory-sealed box holding a set of booster packs from one set. It is the basic unit a store buys; how many packs it holds depends on the game and the set. Japanese Pokémon booster boxes wholesale
- Case
- A larger shipping carton that groups several factory-sealed booster boxes. It is a common unit of purchase in wholesale. Pokémon TCG distributor in Europe
- Display
- A box or stand designed to show packs on the counter. In the trade it is often used as a synonym for booster box, although the exact term depends on the manufacturer and the market. Japanese Pokémon booster boxes wholesale
- Shrink
- The heat-shrunk plastic film around a sealed box. Its condition (tension, seams, signs of handling) is one of the first things checked to confirm a product has not been opened and resealed. How to spot fake Japanese Pokémon cards
- Sealed product
- A product that has not been opened, with the factory seal or film intact, as opposed to loose cards (singles). A product is only sealed if nobody has opened it and closed it again. How to spot fake Japanese Pokémon cards
- SKU
- Stock Keeping Unit: an internal code that identifies one specific item in an inventory or catalogue, so each set, language and format has its own. Pokémon TCG distributor in Europe
- Set code
- The short code a publisher uses to identify an expansion, for example OP-09 in the One Piece Card Game or M6a for the Japanese Pokémon 30th Celebration. It helps avoid mixing up sets with similar names. One Piece OP-17 for stores
- Pokémon Center exclusive
- A Pokémon product sold in Pokémon Center stores in Japan or through their own channel, and which normally does not enter the usual European distribution. Pokémon Center boxes for European stores
- Japanese edition
- Cards with Japanese text, made for the Japanese market. They are often released before editions in other languages and in product formats specific to that market. Japanese Pokémon booster boxes wholesale
- Korean edition
- Cards with Korean text, made for the South Korean market. It is a different product from the Japanese edition, with its own sets and references. Korean Pokémon cards wholesale in Europe
- Chinese edition
- Pokémon cards with Simplified Chinese text, made for the mainland China market. TCG Bestia offers it alongside the Japanese and Korean editions. How to buy Chinese Pokémon cards for your store
- Reprint
- A new print run of a product or set that has already been published. Packaging, batch code or contents can change, so identify the exact version before buying. 30th Celebration (M6a) for stores
CUSTOMS, VAT AND DOCUMENTS
- DUA
- Documento Único Administrativo, the Spanish name for the Single Administrative Document: the customs declaration form used to clear goods. The specific requirements of each import are set by the customs authority.
- EORI
- Economic Operators Registration and Identification: the registration and identification number used by EU customs for businesses that take part in customs operations. Whether you need one is determined by the customs authority.
- TARIC
- The EU's integrated tariff: a multilingual database from the European Commission that brings together the measures of the Common Customs Tariff and of trade and agricultural legislation. It is used to find which measures affect a given good. Official source: European Commission, TARIC
- VIES
- VAT Information Exchange System: the European Commission service for checking whether the VAT number of a business in an EU Member State is recorded as valid. At TCG Bestia we check each buyer's number in VIES when an account is opened. How a store opens an account Official source: European Commission, VIES on-the-Web
- VAT number
- The identification number of a business for VAT purposes. Its name varies by country (NIF-IVA in Spain, USt-IdNr. in Germany, partita IVA in Italy, numéro de TVA in France); in EU business-to-business transactions it is the number validated in VIES. How a store opens an account
- Reverse charge (self-assessment)
- A mechanism under which, in certain transactions, the buyer rather than the seller accounts for the VAT. How it applies in each case depends on national rules; ask your adviser or your tax authority. How a store opens an account
- Intra-community invoice
- An invoice issued by a business in one Member State to a business in another, identifying both by VAT number. Tax treatment depends on the country of each party. TCG Bestia issues it to EU businesses whose number is validated in VIES. How a store opens an account
BUYING AND RELEASES
- Pre-order and reservation
- Buying or reserving a product before it goes on sale. The release date is set by the publisher and may change. TCG Bestia opens reservations ahead of major releases and confirms them by bank transfer. 30th Celebration (M6a) for stores
- Allocation
- A limited share of units of a product that the publisher or distributor grants to each customer when demand exceeds supply, so the order received can be smaller than the order requested. 30th Celebration (M6a) for stores
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A factory-sealed box holding a set of booster packs from one set. It is the basic unit a store buys; how many packs it holds depends on the game and the set.
A larger shipping carton that groups several factory-sealed booster boxes. It is a common unit of purchase in wholesale.
A product that has not been opened, with the factory seal or film intact, as opposed to loose cards (singles). A product is only sealed if nobody has opened it and closed it again.
The short code a publisher uses to identify an expansion, for example OP-09 in the One Piece Card Game or M6a for the Japanese Pokémon 30th Celebration. It helps avoid mixing up sets with similar names.
Pokémon cards with Simplified Chinese text, made for the mainland China market. TCG Bestia offers it alongside the Japanese and Korean editions.
VAT Information Exchange System: the European Commission service for checking whether the VAT number of a business in an EU Member State is recorded as valid. At TCG Bestia we check each buyer's number in VIES when an account is opened.
An invoice issued by a business in one Member State to a business in another, identifying both by VAT number. Tax treatment depends on the country of each party. TCG Bestia issues it to EU businesses whose number is validated in VIES.
DO YOU RUN A STORE?
See how a business account is opened at TCG Bestia.