How To Find Out What Your Pokemon Cards Are Worth

What Are Some Of The Traits To Look For When Identifying The Most Valuable Pokemon Cards

Look at the front and the back and make sure the printing and imagery is crisp and sharp. Condition of Pokemon cards is always a vital factor, and those Pokemon cards that are Professional Sports Authenticator graded will command the highest values in the marketplace.

The only thing you must remember is to get an appraisal before you invest money in getting a Pokemon or any trading card PSA graded. It may be worth it, but be sure that you know the appraised value before you pay to have your cards graded. Youll be glad you did. If you are going to sell valuable cards, grading is a must.

While many factors impact Pokemon card values, remember that evaluators who are also collectors or dealers that want to buy your cards may not have your best interest at heart.

Make sure your appraiser is not also a Pokemon collector.

St Edition And Unlimited Edition:

The first print run of a set would have a special Edition 1 logo on the left side of the card, just below the card art. An enlarged example of this logo is shown here. The 1st edition print run would typically be very limited, and once sold out, would no longer be available for sale. In fact, the first print runs of a set were officially called Limited Edition.

To meet super-high demand from the public, an Unlimited edition version would then be printed. Unlimited edition cards dont have the Edition 1 logo on the left side. Typically, a 1st edition card will be worth more than an unlimited edition card. Often this price difference can be quite significant.

Distinct 1st Edition printings were done throughout the 1st and 2nd generation of sets with the exception of reprint sets .

Signed Tsunekazu Ishihara Gx Promo Card

This appropriately overpowered card was created to celebrate Pokémon creator Tsunekazu Ishiharas 60th birthday back in 2017. The cards were given out to Pokémon employees by Ishihara himself, and there are estimated to be only 30-60 in existence.

Because Pokémon employees are forbidden from selling this card, serious collectors are frothing to get their hands on one. In fact, one of these cards signed by Ishihara sold at auction for an astounding $247,230 in 2021 despite only being in near-mint condition .

Cue angelic choir in 321

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A Note On Pricing And Condition:

The examples throughout this text all utilize the Pokémon Charizard, which typically fetches the highest prices of any Pokémon from these early sets. Those looking to sell their collections should not expect Charizard-level pricing for other cards from these sets. While other Pokémon, like Blastoise and Venusaur, carry decent value, none usually approach the level of Charizard.

The pricing examples all note that the estimated retail pricing reflects a card in Near Mint condition. Finding cards from this era in Near Mint condition can be quite difficult. Pokémon cards are essentially pieces of a game, and many became treasured possessions of children who took them to school in their pockets to show off and trade. As a result, cards frequently show significant wear, which significantly affects their value. Unless exclusively stored in binders and played with in card sleeves , there are few Near Mint examples in circulation. In addition, cards that came from a household with heavy cigarette smoke, or that were stored in a damp attic or garage in the intervening years, can have a lowered value, even if the card physically appears otherwise Near Mint.

If you are considering selling your cards to a store, expect a much lower price than the retail price as stores would typically only pay between 30% and 60% of the retail value of an item.

The Masked Royal Prize Promo: $18000

This is undoubtedly one of the most recent rare cards, featuring the Masked Royal character from Pokemon Sun & Moon and released as recently as 2017. This is essentially a promotional card that was given out to players in an invitation-only prerelease in Tokyo for the new Shining Legends set, where only 100 copies were made.

Even though this is a relatively normal card by most standards, this short print run means itâs incredibly hard to get, especially since it was handed out in such a restrictive event. As a result, there are actually preserved tweets of players first opening it in places like Pokeboon, while Japanese trading sites like Miyabi Hobby have past listings of the card at Â¥2,000,000, which currently is equal to around $18,000 USD.

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Find The Year Your Pokemon Card Was Made

Look at the bottom of the card and find the year it was printed. Thats the first key indicator when identifying your card.

For example, the Base Set Pokémon Cards have 4 different print runs while looking almost identical each time. Of those sets, the UK 4th Print Base Set identifies as 1999-2000, which is the key indicator to separate those cards from the rest.

What Are The Other Expensive Cards

Cards that feature the Starly monster are the most expensive cards, worth a median price of £399.51.

Those that have the character of Bidoof on them are selling for around £285 on average.

Charizard cards are pricing at £150 and Lugia ones at £149.99.

Cards with the character Umbreon on them are going for £142.

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Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holographic Lugia

As one of the rarest and most powerful legendary Pokémon in the GameBoy titles, it makes sense that Lugias trading card game incarnation would be equally hard to catch. Not only is this a rare and powerful card, but its also from the Neo Genesis set .

The first run of Neo Genesis cards was plagued with various print errors that make cards like this notoriously tricky to grade. As of writing, only 43 holographic Lugias have been graded a perfect 10 by PSA.

One PSA 10 card was sold for $50,000 in 2020. A year later, a holo Lugia graded a Pristine 10 by BGS sold for an incredible $144,300.

Hes so hot right now!

The Authenticity Of The Pokemon Card

Fake Pokemon cards have become increasingly prevalent in recent years as the Pokemon TCG has become more popular. Theyre commonly found on eBay, at flea markets, and in dollar stores.

Fake cards are not worth anything. Theyre illegal for use in tournaments and collectors will not buy them. Therefore, its important to determine that you have genuine Pokemon cards before you try to sell them.

You can use our guide to fake Pokemon cards to tell if your cards are fake.

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First Edition Cards Are King

Pokémon cards that were released before Nintendo began distributing the trading card game were printed in two sets: first edition and unlimited. You can tell that a card is first edition because of the Edition 1 badge located at the bottom-left of the card illustration.

It is these cards that carry great value, while their non-first edition cards are much less valuable. For instance, an unlimited holographic Charizard from the Base Set perhaps the single most famous Pokémon card in existence sells for about $215 on average. However, a quick look at eBay reveals that first edition Charizards can easily sell for thousands of dollars.

Pokmon Fan Club Umbreon

A Daisuki Pokémon fan club exclusive card, given to those dedicated fans who have earned 70,000 points within the club. Making it an extremely rare card to obtain, which is a must-have for any collection. Eveelutions are worth a lot these days.

Seen anywhere from around $1,200 to $3000, its hard to nail down the price of these cards. That being said, a single card being worth more than $1,000 is an incredibly valuable card. Be sure to look at your old cards for this one.

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Base Set: Limited Edition 1st Printing

These cards are the most valuable and rare of the Base Set print runs. This initial print run was printed, distributed, and sold out before Pokémania fully took root in the United States, making them extremely rare today, particularly in Near Mint condition. Collectors who do own these cards will typically have them authenticated and graded by a grading service such as Beckett Grading Services or Professional Sports Authenticator . These cards, graded or ungraded, if authentic, can carry significant value. For example, the above Charizard card could be worth upwards of $5000 or more to a collector in perfect condition.

Pokemon Just Had Their 25th Anniversary

Image credit: Pokemon

February 27th, 2021 marked the 25th Anniversary of the launch of the Pokémon franchise. With that milestone in mind, Pokemon had major new releases including Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, which launched in late 2021, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which launched in early 2022. All three games are available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch system.

New Pokemon Snap launched on April 30, 2021, also on Nintendo Switch, in which players act as Pokemon photographers in the Lental region, working with Professor Mirror on an ecological survey. These photos receive a score of one to four stars based on how rare the behavior displayed in the photo is. Players are able to share the photos with others around the world and compete through ranking systems.

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How Much Are My Pokmon Cards Worth

How much you can sell your Pokémon cards for is mostly dependent on three variables: the cards rarity, which print edition the card came from, and the cards physical quality.

Its important to note that your average Pokémon collection wont make you rich. Most common and uncommon cards are worth less than $1, and even rare cards are usually worth less than $5. However, holographic rare Pokémon cards often go for $15 and upespecially for older cards that have been sitting in your self storage unit for years.

Cost By Pokemon Card Type

There are several types of Pokemon cards and different Pokemon. While the Pokemon does have a factor in price, its the type of card that makes it valuable.

Were no Pokemon card expert, but here is how we filtered our extracted data:

To no surprise, at the bottom, you had common Pokemon cards that had the lowest average sold at $3.47.

The highest priced common Pokemon card was a “POKEMON CHARMANDER 50/82 TEAM ROCKET SQUIRTLE PIKACHU COMMON CARD NM/MINT LOT sold for $23.46

2nd lowest was uncommon Pokemon cards with an average cost of $15.86

At the top, we got Secret rare Pokemon cards with an average cost of $231.30.

The lowest secret rare Pokemon card was sold at $6.58 which was Pokemon Card Champions Path Drednaw V 069/073 Secret Rare Holo Full Art NM/M

The highest secret rare Pokemon card was sold at $1,120.92 which was PSA 10 Pokemon Champions Path Secret Rare Shiny Charizard V Card 79/73 079/073

Coming in 2nd and 3rd are shadowless / 1st edition Pokémon cards with an average of $135.05 and Pokémon legend cards with an average of $130.79

1st edition cards had both the lowest and highest item sold which was the 1st Ed English Venonat 63/64 Jungle Set Nintendo WOTC Card Pokemon 1999 sold at $0.01 and a 1st Edition Dark Charizard Holo Team Rocket Pokemon Card #4/82 – PSA 10 sold at $2,084.14

The highest Pokemon legend card was a 2004 EX Hidden Legends Kyogre ex GEM MINT PSA 10 Holo Card Ultra Rare for $782.03

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How To Research Pokmon Card Prices

If youre looking to maximize your return on selling your Pokémon cards, you will need to do your research. Blindly selling individual cards without doing the legwork on Pokémon card value could end up selling yourself short and giving a collector a great deal.

The best way to research Pokémon card prices is to look at real life selling history. After all, Pokémon cards are only worth what someone is willing to pay. Check out these three resources to see what your Pokémon cards are worth:

• eBay has the largest collection of Pokémon cards for sale online
• Pokemonprices.com is regularly updated with eBay and Amazon card selling data to reflect the average price of specific cards
• TCGPlayer is an online store for buying and selling trading cards, with card prices that reflect the average sale price of said cards within the TCGPlayer store

If you have a lot of Pokémon cards but dont want to go through the hassle of selling individual items, there are places where you can sell Pokémon cards in bulk. Just know that youll be leaving money on the table if you choose to go this route.

How Do I Find The Most Valuable Pokemon Cards In My Collection

As we just mentioned, even if youre selling your Pokemon cards in bulk, its important to identify the most valuable cards so you can get the most money when you sell them.

Heres how to do this.

First, look for old holographic Pokemon cards, especially from the Base Set. They have a slightly darker yellow border than newer Pokemon cards do. Base Set cards will have the number #/102 on the bottom right, but other old sets such as Jungle and Fossil also have some valuable cards, so pull these out as well if you find any that are holographic.

This is the style of the first gen Pokemon cards from the 90s.

If you have new Pokemon cards in your collection, you will want to look for ultra rare cards as theyre often quite popular. Look for cards with a holographic border , with EX, GX, Lv. X, V or a gold star symbol after the Pokemons name at the top of the card.

This is an example of a Pokemon GX card.

You should also look for promo cards, especially old ones, as these can be worth decent money. Look for a big black star symbol on the right side of the card. This symbol is a lot bigger than the typical black star used to signify that a card is rare.

If you find any unusual-looking cards that are not common or uncommon rarity, its best to pull them out and check their value online, just in case.

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What Is The Psa Grading Scale

Getting a PSA grade can make high-value cards worth even more and can also help you avoid unnecessary haggling or debating with a potential buyer about the condition of the card you have.

When you are looking to buy a card and the seller makes claims to a certain grade, ask for the required documentation from the PSA or the grading number. All grades that get graded by PSA are given a unique ID number that anyone can look up on their website.

This can help potential buyers spot fake Pokémon cards or cards that claim to have been graded when they havent. So if you are planning to get your Pokémon cards and get them professionally graded its important that you hang on to these details.

Lastly, try not to be disappointed if you dont find hidden gems in your collection.

Unfortunately, it is not an all-too-common event that you will discover a card that is worth several thousands of dollars well, this is why rare cards are called rare!

If you are only in it for the money, trading Pokémon cards will likely be a rather disappointing experience.

You can also treat it as a moment of nostalgia and an opportunity to re-connect with a childhood passion, constantly looking at your Pokémon card collection with a cold, monetary appraising stare can often suck the enjoyment that we get from collectible trading card games.

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, I wish you all the best in your future Pokémon trading endeavors!

The Condition Of The Pokemon Card

Pokemon card collectors really care about the condition of the cards they buy.

Even just a few minor scratches on the card, or minor edgewear on its borders, can reduce the value of a Pokemon card significantly.

Pokemon card conditions are described in terms of how close to mint condition they are. Here are some common Pokemon card grades and what they mean.

Mint: flawless, looks like it was just pulled from a booster.

Near Mint: near to mint condition, except the card may have minor edge wear or surface scuffs from being stored in plastic sleeves.

Excellent : slightly worse than near mint, card may have more extensive edge wear or scuffs, may also have other marks. Still playable and collectable. No creases will be on the card.

Good : card may start to have creases, more damage or more major damage in extensive areas.

Played: card will have folds, splitting, peeling, big creases or major damage to many areas of the card.

This Base Set Charizard Pokemon card is in played condition due to the scratches on the front of the card and the edge wear visible on the borders.

Collectors are looking for near mint or mint condition Pokemon cards. If your card is in worse than near mint condition, this will reduce its value.

This isnt to say it isnt worth selling Pokemon cards that have been played with. Since old Pokemon cards are often slightly worn due to their age, these types of cards in particular can often still sell for decent money even if not in perfect condition.

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