Should I Get My Pokemon Cards Graded
Getting your Pokemon cards graded can take a while, and it can cost you about $20 per card. With that in mind, you should consider getting your card graded so long as its value exceeds about $20.
Some exceptions apply. For example, if you own an entire base set that youre looking to sell , getting each card graded may be worth it even if an individual card is worth less than $20 as having the entire set graded would enhance its overall value.
Most Old Pokemon Card Collections Arent Worth Anything
The only rare Pokemon card I can distinctly remember having was a holographic Blastoise, which I destroyed in the YMCA pool.
I cringed when that memory resurfaced. Surely that card is worth more than a used car today
Turns out, you can actually buy a collector-condition Blastoise on Amazon for about $100.
In fact, holographic Charizards arent selling for much more than that:
So what gives? Why are some Charizards worth $100 and others worth $200,000?
Well, unlike the $110 eBay Charizard, Logics prized Charizard is a:
- First Edition.
- Shadowless.
- PSA Gem Mint 10.
Any card falling short of those high standards wont be worth even 5% as much. So whether youre looking to start investing in Pokemon cards or simply selling your old collection, lets cover how to spot and appraise valuable Pokemon cards!
Pokemon Play Third Season Promo 70000 Points Holo Umbreon Gold Star
Sold in June, 2021 for $70,000
From 2003 to 2006, PLAY Promotional Cards allowed Pokemon Players Club members to obtain exclusive cards by earning experience points when completing various tasks.
For example, if a player started a battle, won a battle, placed in a tournament, he or she would accumulate points that could earn certain prize cards.
The five Gold Star cards are the most difficult to obtain because of their high EXP thresholds, with the Umbreon being the hardest with its 70,000 point requirement.
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Summer Battle Road 2002
It’s not too often that a card graded below a 9 sells for more than a few thousand dollars, but that’s exactly what happened with one copy of the No.2 Trainer Battle Road Summer promo in March of 2021. The card in question, which had actually been mislabeled by Beckett, received just a 7.5 rating, though still sold for an impressive $34,100.
The card was given out to winners of the Kanto Summer Battle Road tournament in 2002 and came in male and female variants. Not many of them have made their way west in the two decades since then, with only two of them ever being graded by the PSA. One did receive the elusive GEM-MT 10 rating, however, so may well end up selling for considerably more if it ever goes to auction.
Pokmon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9
A legendary Pokémon on a legendarily rare Pokémon card
Sold for $144,300 in May 2021
Lugia is one of the most iconic and popular Pokémon in the entire series, having starred on the front of early Game Boy game Pokémon Silver and its Nintendo DS remake SoulSilver. A legendary bird Pokémon from Gen II, Lugia is one of the most powerful and hard-to-find Pokémon that players can catch in the video games – so its only fitting that its Pokémon card is also extremely rare.
The Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9 Pokémon card is described by auction house PWCC as one of the most difficult Pokémon cards to grade, as the result of a number of errors and misprints that were included in the early runs of the Neo Genesis set for the Pokémon TCG. Later print runs were corrected, but many of the cards from the expansion remain more common in their earlier uncorrected forms.
As of May 2021, PWCC claims that only 41 Gem Mint 10 condition Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9 cards have ever been graded by PSA, with just three earning the maximum BGS 10 Pristine rating from grading company Beckett Grading Services. The Lugias rarity means that it ranks almost as highly as the legendary first-edition Charizard when it comes to the most valuable Pokémon cards.
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Also Check For Secret Rare Cards
There are some secret rare Pokémon cards. These have a star symbol, like those rare cards I mentioned above. But, the difference is that theyre unique in their numbering. Interestingly, they always have a card number that is beyond the standard set. For example, a secret rare card could be numbered 103/102.
Where To Buy Vintage Pokmon Cards
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If youre looking for a hidden gem that isnt Amazon, Im sorry to disappoint! Its the go-to place for beginner collectors.
That isnt to say that once you get involved in the online Pokémon community, you wont find private sellers who have access to some wonderfully rare cards. You absolutely will.
But you can start with Amazon, especially if youre just dipping your toes in the water.
My favorite Pokémon card sellers on Amazon are:
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How Do You Spot A Fake Pokmon Card
Counterfeit Pokémon cards have many elements that give them away. Before you try selling a suspicious-looking Pokémon card, check the quality of the card stock, the printing colors and effects, the shape and size of the text and the neatness of the cards borders. When in doubt, compare your card with others you own that are 100% original.
What Is The Best Website For Selling Pokmon Cards
There are sites dedicated to selling Pokémon cards all over, and more are coming up by the minute. It would be best if you didnt always go with the first website that pops up when you search. Dave & Adams, CCG Castle, and Heritage Auctions are all good choices. Additionally, you can use the following to sell them safely:
Option One eBay
If you want exact control over selling your cards, its hard to beat eBay. This is the clear choice for anyone trying to sell several Pokémon cards at one time or list some of the rarer cards. In addition, eBay has a vast marketplace for people to auction cards to get the most out of each listing.
However, eBay wont help you figure out which values to list your cards at, so you should first get a list from Pokémon Prices to help determine where to list it. Then, all youll have to do is input the set name or the card, and the website will give you an estimated fair price. You can also offer a flat price or auction your cards, and eBay has rigorous seller protection in place.
Pokémon Prices is a fantastic resource to help you price your collection for personal use or sell it. It can also help you stay organized and keep track of your cards and how much theyre worth. You can also track the cards historical prices and see if the pricing trends are going up or down.
Option Two Troll and Toad
Option Three Cardmarket
Option Four Card Cavern
Option Five TCGplayer
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Summer Battle Road 2007
Given that it was handed out to the top three competitors from each age division during Japan’s 2007 Battle Road Summer and 2008 Battle Road Spring tournaments, one would be forgiven for thinking that there are a lot of copies of Miracle Diamond floating around. That’s not actually the case though, with estimates pinning the actual number at around 90. More than 14 years after it was first handed out, one of these sold for an impressive $32,000 in late 2021.
Of those which were handed out, only ten have been graded by the PSA, with just six of them achieving the coveted PSA GEM-MT 10 rating. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the current recorder holder is one such card, with the other four likely to sell for considerably less than the 32 grand it raised in the event that they ever go to auction.
Most Expensive Pokmon Cards In Review
Clearly, the non-sports card collecting world is every bit as hot as the sports card hobby.
Passionate collectors are obviously willing to shell out big bucks to land any one of the prized possessions on this list.
The video games, television shows, and the cards themselves transformed Pokémon into a worldwide phenomenon with an enormous fan base.
And many of those kids who grew up with these cards are now adults with more spending power able to pay big bucks for them in top condition.
It doesn’t look like that trend will slow anytime soon as these cards have found their place as one of the most popular non-sports sets in the hobby.
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Evolving Skies: Rayquaza Vmax
Rayquaza’s back, and this time it’s his VMAX form. Even though the art for this one is a bit less impressive than the V art with Zinnia on it, it’s still got a ridiculously large Rayquaza flying through the mountains in a rain of VMAX energy.
Rayquaza VMAX has the dubious distinction of being the card with the biggest decreased value over the year. It debuted in August at around $390.22, plummeting by over $200 to today’s price. $165.25 for a piece of card is nothing to sniff at, though, and its price has stabilised since its biggest drop in August.
Ex Team Rocket Returns Gold Star Torchic
It’s not all that often that a starter Pokemon card that isn’t Charizard sells for big money, particularly a first-phase one from as recently as 2004. Gold Star Torchic from the EX Team Rocket Returns set is something of an exception, however, with a copy having sold for an eye-watering $50,000 towards the end of 2021.
The card in question was one of only 17 to have been given the PSA’s perfect GEM-MT 10 rating and 322 to have been submitted to the company for inspection. A few of the other cards in the set have also sold for high prices over the years, but none have fetched anywhere near as much as the little fire Pokemon.
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Ex Dragon Frontiers Gold Star Charizard
Despite being printed in 2006, a Gold Star Charizard managed to bring in an incredible $60,066 at auction not too long ago. The Delta Species card was sold through eBay in October 2020 and attracted interest from a number of interested parties before the final sale price was finally confirmed.
According to the PSA website, there are just shy of 1,500 graded copies of the card in existence, although only 59 of those have been awarded the coveted GEM-MT 10 rating. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the record-setting sale was of one of these 59 cards. Others regularly sell for between twenty and thirty thousand dollars.
Daisuki Club Holo Masters Scroll Promo
- Release Date: 2010
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $35,200
In Japan, fans were able to sign up for the Pokemon Daisuki Club. The organization would offer players unique promotions to score limited-edition merchandise. One of those campaigns was for the Pokemon Trading Card Game in 2010.
Fans signed up to the club were able to complete various activities to earn points which could then be exchanged for a special reward. At the very top of the prize pool was the extremely limited Masters Scroll Pokemon card promo which required a whopping 8,600 points to unlock.
Due to the difficulty of obtaining the collectible and its overall scarcity, the gorgeous gold spreckled holographic has become one of the rarest promotional items in the TCGs 25-year history. So its not often that one of these goes up for sale.
Its not surprising that collectors went wild when a Master Scroll promo appeared at a November 2021 PWCC auction. The Daisuki Club promo ended up fetching $35,200 from bidders. The rare collectible will no doubt have great potential to grow in price in the future given how little of them actually exist.
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Super Secret Battle No 1 Trainer: $90000
These cards were so cool. Awarded to regional champions in 1999, they served as both the prize for winning a regional heat and as the ticket to enter the Super Secret Battle finals held in an undisclosed location in Tokyo on August 22, 1999.
There are estimated to only be seven of these cards in existence, all of which have been graded by the PSA. A PSA 10 copy of the card sold at auction in 2020 for a massive $90,000, but the seller is hoping to get even more for it, as it is now up for offers from a starting price of $198,000.
What Are Pokmon Cards
First thing’s first: what are Pokémon cards? Featuring many of the 800+ species of Pokémon from the games and the TV series, these cards are designed to be used to play the Pokémon trading card game . However, many people collect, and sometimes trade, these cards without playing the game. Even if you have no interest in playing the TCG, you still might appreciate Pokémon cards as collectibles.
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Are Pokmon Cards A Good Investment
Investing in Pokémon cards can be a good investment if you are in possession of highly valuable cards and know your way around the Pokémon trading market. But it is not the best way to grow your money. Unless you have ultra-rare cards, you will not make much of a profit in investing in your Pokémon cards or buying others.
Why Invest In Pokmon
Pokémon cards are the premier non-sports cards to invest in today. The original 1999-2000 sets have been on an upward trajectory for over 5 years, with 2020 being the mega increase, thus creating a cultural demand similar to the 1999 release.
High-End Pokémon cards are being viewed as modern art, with the price tag for a pristine 1st Edition Base Charizard currently at $433,000.00 and climbing if you can get one. Due to correlations to Magic the Gathering, the prices today could increase steadily over the next 5 years. Outside of the economy crashing, Pokémon would seem to be a safe play.
Demand for original cards has consistently increased since 2010, but due to awareness, and points mentioned previously, there has been a fearlessness from buyers to set records. All year, record sale after record sale for high-end Pokémon Cards. The fear of missing out on todays price is real.
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Poliwrath First Edition Holographic
The water Pokemon are a species all their own. He has arms and is a fighter that has the power to absorb water. Poliwrath is an evolution of Poliwhirl and this guy has been around since the beginning. First editions in the base set are only worth a few dollars, but if you have the first edition holographic card, it is a much different story. Again, remember that prices and the demand for the cards change with the wind, but the holographic first editions are worth considerably more. If you have one and arent attached to your collection, you may consider letting it go and pocketing well over $100. You arent going to get rich with this card, but it will buy a really nice dinner and maybe even a movie, at least.
Black Star Ishihara Gx Promo Card
Sold in April, 2021 for $247,230
As a gift to top-level employees, Tsunekazu Ishihara, president of The Pokémon Company, gave out an estimated thirty copies of this card during his 60th birthday party at the 2018 Pokémon World Championship.
As of this writing, only eight copies have ever been submitted to PSA for grading, making this one of the rarest Pokemon cards in existence.
Making this particular example even rarer is the fact that Ishihara personally signed it as well.
The artwork on the card is fantastic and the “60 Congratulations!” and GX attack of 1060 damage are nice touches to help commemorate his 60th birthday.
Ishihara has been instrumental, to say the least, in building the Pokémon brand by contributing to the development of multiple video games and even initiating the creation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game itself.
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Pokemon Japanese Base Set Holo No Rarity Symbol Holo Charizard
Sold in November, 2020 for $57,877
The 1996 Japanese “No Rarity” Charizard card is a true piece of hobby history as it marked one of the first appearances of the iconic character.
Most Japanese base set cards will contain a “rarity symbol” in the lower-right corner of the card that varies based on the card type.
Holographic cards in the set feature a star symbol, so if you find one without the rarity symbol, then you know you’re looking at the more rare, first-print “no rarity” Charizards.
The “no rarity” Charizards are much more difficult to find as PSA has graded 3,634 regular base set Charizards compared with only 273 “no rarity” Charizards.
Furthermore, roughly 14% of the regular base Charizards have achieved a PSA 10 grade compared to less than 2% of the “no rarity” Charizards.
