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You mean so called imitations? Not from the original publisher?
That happens, yes. I've only seen them from Chinese sellers, not from any other reliable shop. If you don't want that then buy from a normal, reliable shop.
Often the imitation decks don't have a booklet but a downloadable file. They are cheaper than the original deck which could be a reason to buy it.
Artwork will be the same, but colours may vary from the original. (brighter for instance). Stock can be less good and in some cases the box is different in how it closes. For instance, if the official version has a removable/ slide off top -like most decks- and a hard sturdy box, imitations sometimes have a thin box that opens & closes at the top.
I've read in reviews that sometimes there is a card missing. But I guess mostly they'll be okay otherwise no one would buy them anymore.
But there's no reason why these shouldn't work. I've considered it myself a few times since decks become more and more expensive. The only thing that has stopped me so far is the downloadable file. I want a booklet. And I prefer a sturdy hard box, not the flimsy ones that open at the top (like from a regular playing card deck).
For instance, I considered a Doreen Virtue deck... many aren't in print anymore. The Chinese however do sell their imitation decks of them. If that's the only way to get hold of such a deck, perfectly fine :)
But if you bought from a regular, reliable shop there's no reason to think you have an imitation.
And in essence the only difference is this:
- An official version makes the publisher money and the author gets a very small percentage from it.
- An imitation means the publisher and author don't make money.
For you as an end user there's no difference as long as the deck is complete. And in most cases you wouldn't have a booklet but downloadable file, which I consider to be a drawback.
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