Holes on Pokémon Booster Packs: Every Pack Has Them

One of the most common things collectors mistake for damage is a small slit or pinhole on a sealed booster pack. Here is the reassuring truth: every booster pack has an air vent. It is a normal, factory-intended part of how packs are made, not a tear, not damage, and not a sign of a fake or tampering.

Where the vent is

The vent location varies by pack and set. It can be on the side of the pack, or anywhere on the back, including behind the flap. Some are obvious; others are extremely small, sometimes nearly unnoticeable, especially on later and modern sets. But once you know to look, you will find one on every pack, vintage and modern alike. In the video below we point it out across five or six different sets so you can see the pattern for yourself.

Where to find it: examples across sets

 

Why every pack has one

The vent lets air escape from the sealed pack. Without it, packs would puff up and balloon, and could even risk bursting, as air pressure changes with altitude and temperature (shipping, flights, or storage). The extremely small factory vent keeps the pack flat and intact while the cards inside stay sealed and protected.

Expanded air vents

There is one important exception. If that vent rips open far enough that multiple cards inside become exposed, we call it an expanded air vent — and an expanded air vent is damage. At that point the pack is no longer sealed and the cards are exposed, so it should be treated as a condition problem, not a normal factory vent. In short: a small, intact vent is normal; a vent that has torn open and exposed cards is not.

Here is what an expanded air vent looks like:

Air vent vs real damage

• Location: on the side of the pack, or anywhere on the back, including behind the flap.
• Size and shape: extremely small and usually uniform. If it has torn open and exposed cards, that is an expanded air vent, which is damage, not a normal vent.
• Contents: the cards stay sealed.
• A real tear is irregular, usually on the wrapper body, and can actually reach the cards.

Not sure whether something is factory or a flaw? See how we authenticate vintage packs, or browse sealed booster packs. Every item is inspected and backed by our 100% authenticity guarantee.