Welcome to Rare Candy's "Spotlight On" series, where we feature the history and stories behind some of the rarest and coolest cards and collectibles.
Looking to get your hands on a PLAY Promo card of your own? Check out Rare Candy's June Premier Auction for a chance to bid on a PSA 9 Play Promo Espeon!
Pokémon fan clubs have evolved several times over the course of the franchise’s history. Originally there was the very first Pokémon Fan Club in Japan; now, there’s the Pokémon Daisuki Club in Japan and the Pokémon Trainer’s Club internationally.
For a brief period in-between, however, there was a separate organization devoted specifically to fans of the trading card games: the Pokémon Players Club. And like all it came with some pretty sweet perks.
When It Started
The Pokemon Card Game’s Players Club (or PCGP) originally began in January 2003. To join, you had to take an application form either from an ADV-era Ruby and Sapphire booster pack or directly from the Pokémon Players Office, fill it out—along with a 1800¥ registration fee—at a participating convenience store, and then mail in a stamped postcard to receive your player’s kit and ID card. (You can see the original Japanese site via the Internet Archive)
In addition to your ID card, the player’s kit also contained handy accessories like a rule book, metal Absol coin, playmat, deck box and carrying case. There were also two challenge passports that members could use to record their matches, and the promo cards for that season. (More on that in a bit!)
What Made It Worth Joining?
Like the early Daisuki club promo that eventually replaced it, the Players Club gave out rewards based primarily on experience points, which members could earn at official events and weekly league games. The criteria for earning EXP changed from season to season, but generally you got points for attending or hosting events, winning matches, logging a certain number of matches in your passport, or placing 1st through 8th in official tournaments.
However, you didn’t have to be a Pokémon master just to earn promo cards! You also got some just for renewing your membership, which new subscribers would receive with their player kit during that season.
For example, signing up during Season 1 in 2003 landed you three holofoil ex cards from the “regi” trio — Regirock, Registeel and Regice — with intimidating illustrations by Hikaru Koike.
Renewing or signing up in Season 2 landed you three more -ex cards plus three energy cards and three “_____’s” cards of Mew, Celebi and Jirachi. This practice continued with future season subscription promos, the idea being that you could fill in the blank with your own name as the trainer.
Player’s Club members could also earn promotional cards at in-person events. If you happened to flash your Player Club ID while attending a Battle Road summer 2003 event, you received this adorable trainer card:
Experience Point Cards
Then, of course, there were the cards you had to earn with experience points! Starting with season 3’s slightly revamped point system, you’d get a whole host of gold star Eevee evolutions for hitting certain targets in their five digit range: Vaporeon for 10,000, Jolteon for 20,000, Flareon for 30,000, Espeon for 40,000 and Umbreon for a whopping 70,000.
As illustrated by Masakazu Fukada, all five depict the Eeveelutions breaking through the confines of the card artwork and hurling themselves towards the viewer, a format that’s far more common with modern Pokémon cards today than it was in 2005.
If that artwork looks familiar, it’s because non-holographic versions of the gold star Espeon and Umbreon were later reprinted as part of the POP series 5 in 2007 and the Pokémon 25th anniversary collection in 2021. (However, rest assured that the Play Promo ones are the most rare!)
Finally, Season 5 changed up its point system again; while it was easier to score points this time around, cards from the previous season (those goldstar eevee evolutions, for example!) could no longer be earned.
What Happened to the Player's Club?
Ultimately the Player’s Club was short-lived, lasting only five seasons before it was shut down. For a few years after, the Pokémon Daisuki Club continued to award its members with promotional cards based on a similar system (called Action Points instead of Experience Points).
In the meantime, original Play Promo cards are considered ultra rare and highly sought-after, particularly those that were only granted at higher experience point tiers. According to PSA’s population report, just under 12,000 promo cards from the first three play promo seasons have so far been graded — including only 71 Espeons and 51 Umbreons total.
Looking to get your hands on a PLAY Promo card of your own? Check out Rare Candy's June Premier Auction for a chance to bid on a PSA 9 Play Promo Espeon!
