Is It Worth Collecting Pokmon Cards
Were ending it with the biggest question: are they worth collecting?
Yes.
Rare cards have an active buyers market, so the price will rise over time because the supply doesnt change. If youre considering investing long-term in these cards instead of the quick-flip, consider grading them, too. That will protect them and get the most out of their value if theyre in good condition.
And another word of advice: if youre looking to buy these as investment pieces, its probably going to be a lot easier to start with old sets that are already more rare and valuable. They should increase in price over time, and they have a smaller print run, too.
Here are a few sets to consider:
What Are Pokmon Expansion And Booster Packs My Kid Is Asking For Them
An expansion is a new set of cards released within a certain generation or series. Each expansion release includes about 100-200 new cards. There is no way to purchase an entire expansion all at once. Instead, you purchase them in booster packs, which are sets of 10 cards that you can use to add to your current collectionusually these are themed within a specific expansion, meaning that the cards inside can be any of the cards that were released within that expansion set. Current expansions include Sword Shield Rebel Clash and Sword & Shield Darkness Ablaze. A new expansion, Sword & Shield Vivid Voltage is set to come out in November 2020. Older expansion packs that your kid might still be after include ones from previous generations like Sun & Moon, XY, Black & White, Diamond & Pearl or the EX series.
The Role Of Pokemon Cards In The Hobby
Pokémon cards sit at a crossroads between sports and culture. They are, by far, the most popular non-sports card on the market, but theyre also laughable to many seasoned sports card collectors.
Theres no mistaking it. There is a different audience for the cards, but that doesnt mean they dont have value. And, better yet, Charizard will never tear his ACL. So, in some ways, this might make them even better investments.
The counter-argument to thisone that Ill whole-heartedly supportis that as fictional monsters, Pokémons ceiling can only go so high. Pikachu will never win Finals MVP or a Super Bowl, and there will never be a GOAT debate surrounding Pokémon, so theres no catalyst of long-term value.
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How To Find The Value Of Your Cards
Taking your old cards out of the closet and researching to find their current value is the most common way people are getting back into Pokémon. When trying to figure out a cards value, make sure to follow these steps:
Step 1. Find the year of the card. Check the bottom year of the card.
Step 2. Find the set the card belongs to. If there is no logo on the right side, its Base. Every other set has an indicator.
Step 3. Identify the card with the name and number in the set.
Best Place To Sell Pokemon Cards Right Now
If you have your hands on some Pokémon cards and want to offload them for as much cash as possible, there are a variety of resources you can use right now to get cash in hand. The great thing about many of these resources is that you dont even need to meet anyone. It will be as easy as slipping it into an envelope and shipping it off. Of course, there are in-person options as well if thats something youre interested in.
As in all of my guides, Im always honest. I dont promote garbage nor will you find me pushing millions of ads. I just dont work that way as I like to inform and thats it.
Before I begin, however, let me quickly explain what determines your Pokémon card value.
Generally, your cards will be valued upon the condition, its rarity, the edition, and of course, the demand. All four of these factors can have an affect on the pricing, and much like the stock market, the prices can fluctuate from one day to the next. Im mentioning this because the prices can swing wildly, either going up or down, of course. If you see a price thats worth it, then it may be best to sell ASAP unless youre willing to take the gamble.
With that being said, lets dive in and see a few of the best places to sell Pokémon cards for cash online. All of the options Im about to mention will let you know what your card is worth at the time.
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How To Get Pokmon Cards For Free
Pokémon trading cards are unforgettable part of our childhood. Collecting and trading them were our favorite hobbies. Though most of the people have left playing them, still there are who cant leave it. Doesnt matter if you are on to Pokémon GO trading cards always remain a legend. We use to pay money for more of them. Some were/are so good that they started from 1 card and now they have 1000s. But that takes a lot of skill and work. There are a lot of ways to get the Pokémon cards for free. Today, I am going to share one easy trick with which you can do that easily. It is a simple internet trick that gets you a lot of Pokémon cards for free.
Pokémon trading cards are one of the most interesting things ever built. However, it takes a lot of skills and work to become good at it. For those who are just in it for numbers, this trick is for them. I would suggest being a fan that trading and playing is the best way to enjoy it. But still, if you are in it for number, then you can definitely go for this trick.
Theres An Increasing Demand For Unopened Limited Edition Box Sets
Its not just individual rare cards that are likely to fetch a good return. Box sets are also increasingly difficult to find, which means their value is steadily going up.
Buying cards in bulk and unboxing them during a livestream has become a popular format for several YouTubers. Earlier this month, YouTuber Logan Paul bought a first edition Pokémon card box set for $200,000 to open during a charity stream. The box set didnt disappoint Paul found a first edition Charizard card inside the set, which was worth approximately $40,000 at the time.
If youre not interested in building a collection and going after specific, valuable cards, investing in box sets is a simple way to make a profit on Pokémon cards without the need to understand the market on a deeper level. Provided the box set is valuable and genuine, you can hold on to it for awhile and sell it on for a profit without ever opening it.
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Get The Cards Condition Graded By The Psa
Lets say you find your old cards and come face-to-face with a 1st Edition Chancey card worth up to $3,500. Sweet!
Now, how do you sell it?
Your first step will be to temper your expectations. Although auction sites will list estimated values of thousands of dollars, the resale value at that moment in time could be 10x more or less than that.
In addition to checking TCGplayers, a good way to rapidly appraise your cards value is to browse recently sold listings on eBay. You can do so by searching for your card, clicking Advanced, and checking the Sold listing box.
Looks like one recently sold for ~$1,875 CAD, or roughly $1,500 USD. Not bad.
This particular Chancey was both encased and graded by a company called the PSA, or the Professional Sports Authenticator. The PSA grades the condition of rare trading cards on a quality scale of 1-10, with 10 being known as Gem Mint. Cards graced by Gem Mint status arent just free of manmade scuffs theyre free of the most microscopic factory defect.
Generally speaking, most cards handled by children before retiring into a shoebox will score a PSA of 7 or lower, selling for about 5% to 10% of Gem Mint price.
Unfortunately, the news gets worse any card worth over $500 will likely need PSA grading, and the PSA is currently so overwhelmed that theyve temporarily suspended most services.
Therefore, youre left with three options:
Why Collect Pokmon Cards
If youre here, you probably dont need reminding, but lets do it anyway:
But if you need further convincing, PokeRev, a big player in community and prolific YouTuber recently opened up a sealed 1st Edition Base Set Booster Box thats valued around $90k! The excitement this box opening generated was off the scale! Credit to him for putting together such entertainment.
**Be sure to watch all the way through pack 20 belongs to Hobby Help, where he pulled a holo for us!**
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Its Easy To Find Out The Price Of A Specific Card
There are plenty of resources online for checking the specifications of every Pokémon card ever printed, including the approximate value of each.
Websites such as pokemonprice.com even offer graphs visualizing the history of online transactions pertaining to specific cards. Because Pokémon card value is essentially public knowledge, each of your investments will be a fully informed decision.
Best Channels To Buy Pokmon Cards
1. eBay:
The safest online marketplace to buy and sell Pokémon cards. Check sales for a quick look at where cards are at price wise. Check seller reviews and buy with confidence from high rated sellers. eBay is the largest online marketplace and is your best chance to locate inventory. When searching for cards, look at items nearest you, and contact nearby sellers, potentially creating a local network. It saves on shipping and more. Load up your watch list to get faster alerts when cards sell or are pulled.
2. Facebook groups & Instagram:
Look for feedback from sellers to check legitimacy, these are great places to score deals and build relationships within the collecting community but beware of scams.
3. COMC:
4. Mercari:
Popular marketplace to buy and sell cards. When hunting for low population cards, its important to utilize all options.
5. Card Shows & Stores:
If you can find a show or store with vintage Pokémon cards, go. You get the chance to look at cards in person, check sales online, network and decide whats of value. You never know what you can walk away with.
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Collecting Pokemon Cards Its Like 1999 All Over Again
Aside from when they were first released in 1999, collecting Pokemon cards has never been so popular.
Sure, the Pokemon Go craze of 2015 reignited that spark for many, but it wasnt until the world plunged into lockdown in 2020, the masses returned to the hobby.
Bringing with it a wave of celebrity endorsements , the value of Pokemon cards continues to skyrocket.
So the question is, how do you start collecting Pokemon cards?
Well, firstly, we need to look at your reason for collecting.
How Does Evolution Work In The Pokmon Tcg
The Pokémon Trading Card Game has a lot of similar traits to the Pokémon video games. One of the biggest similarities is that you can evolve your basic Pokémon to powerful Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokémon, letting you use more powerful attacks and abilities to knock out your opponents Pokémon.
Evolution is done in stages, and you are unable to skip or jump any stages unless otherwise stated on a card in play – meaning evolution must follow the pattern of basic, Stage 1 and Stage 2, and a single Pokémon can only be evolved once per turn. The exception are GX and EX Pokémon, which may be played straight away and do not require evolution.
To evolve a Pokémon, all you have to do is place the evolved form on top of your active Pokémon or a Pokémon on your bench. This cures any current special conditions, but any attached energy and damage stays put. Once a Pokémon has been evolved, you cant use a previous stages attacks or abilities – only the current evolution.
Evolution can happen in the bench section of your play area, so you can make stronger Pokémon in preparation for your current one being knocked out – and its strongly recommended you do so.
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Flip Graded Pokemon Cards
If you dont like the idea of waiting, you could simply try flipping graded cards.
As the value of Pokemon cards continues to surge, its likely that what you buy today will be worth more tomorrow.
Of course, you need an eye for spotting a good deal, but there are plenty of opportunities on eBay to buy graded cards, and simply relist them at a 10-20% premium.
From a purists perspective, its a bit of a soulless strategy.
But from a profit perspective, youve got to respect the hustle!
Why Do People Collect Pokemon Cards
This is often broken down into two categories:
1. Those who collect for happiness and nostalgia
2. And those who collect, then sell, to turn a profit
But of course, these two schools of thought can work together. Many people sell cards, to fund the purchase of others.
Its important though to identify your reasoning, because it will dictate where and how youre going to start.
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Collecting Pokemon Cards Closing Comments
There are many ways to collect pokemon cards, some ways are expansive and some are cheaper, the main idea of collecting pokemon cards is to enjoy the hobby and the community surrounding the pokemon brand.
I would recommend you to stick with what you love to collect that makes you enjoy pokemon.
The cards can be protected for a long time and gain value as time goes by, it would be wise to protect the cards and products with some pokemon sleeve protection.
If you are looking to start the pokemon cards collecting hobby i can easily recommend trying the waters with one specific product that is fun and affordable for every fan, a pokemon ETB , the retail price goes between 40-50$ and the value inside is amazing with packs and other important items such as card sleeves and game rules.
You can use the links below to get some pokemon deals for buying ETB and card sleeves.
Protecting Your Gx Cards
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How To Determine Pokmon Card Values
Whether youre just getting into Pokémon card collecting, or youve been collecting for a while, its only natural to want to know how much your Pokémon cards are worth!
Thankfully, the internet has provided and there are three useful resources we recommend checking out.
Naturally, these Pokémon card value databases are predominately made up from historical eBay data, as its the biggest Pokémon card marketplace online.
Pokmon Trading Card Game: Getting Started
Image: Nintendo Life
A good way to get started is to find one of the many Trainer Kits you can find, such as the current Alolan Raichu Vs. Lycanroc. These kits are designed for people who are totally new to the game and provide two 30 card decks which are ordered in a perfect way to showcase how to play the game, with all the rules and various effects.
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There are also Theme Decks. Theme Decks come out with each set and provide a full 60 card deck utilising cards from the new set and previous sets, and are often themed around certain Pokémon and/or types. These are a step up from the Trainer Kits in that they are fully fledged decks which mean you can get started right away, but they are typically not of much competitive value. You’ll need to invest on booster packs to obtain rare cards, a process which is costly and time consuming. However, if you’re simply interested in having fun with friends and don’t want to play at a competitive level, then Theme Decks are a good place to begin.
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