Only cards printed by the Pokémon Company are regulation-legal. I hate to break it to you, but metal cards can‘t be used in official Pokémon TCG tournaments or events. Now let‘s explore whether they hold any value! Are Metal Cards Legal in Play? (Nope!) So in summary – metal cards are real but unsanctioned. In between, 3rd party companies made unauthorized metal versions of base set cards and custom designs. 2021 – Real engraved steel cards in Celebrations Ultra Premium Collection.2011 – Kellogg‘s Pop-Tarts 5 silver foil cards.2010 – Arceus and Dialga gold cards for 11th movie.2001 – 4 steel Pokémon Card Game rulebook cards.Since then, we‘ve seen many milestone metal releases: It all began in 1999 when Burger King offered gold-plated cards as prizes in kids‘ meals. Arm yourself with the facts so you can make smart decisions! A Brief History of Metal Pokémon Cards In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll equip you with insider knowledge to understand metal cards – their history, value, how to spot fakes, and whether collecting them is worthwhile. Friend, as an investment analyst and long-time Pokémon collector, I get asked this question a lot – are metal Pokémon cards real or fake? The answer is… they are real unofficial cards! While not made by the Pokémon Company, metal cards do exist and have become collector‘s items.