How To Tell If Your Pokemon Cards Are Worth Money

Holo Reverse Holo Full Art Holo

Perhaps an easier way to find valuable Pokemon cards is to look for holo cards these are also called holofoil, holographic, shiny, or foil cards. There are several types of holo Pokemon cards:

• Holo The Pokemon image is holofoil
• Reverse Holo The frame around is holofoil, but not the actual Pokemon image
• Full Art Holo The entire card is covered in holofoil graphics

Looking Up How Much My Pokemon Cards Are Worth:

If you get too many results that include cards NOT like yours, use the checkboxes to pick the ones just like yours. Choosing a few comparable items by using the checkboxes gives you a much more accurate estimate of what your Pokemon card is worth.

What to do next:

Once youve gone through and searched for the value of your Pokemon cards using the mavin.io price guide, you have several different options:

If the Pokemon cards are valuable: You can either hold onto the cards, perhaps get them graded if theyre really valuable, and hopefully see them appreciate in value over time. Alternatively, you sell it to a local card shop without getting ripped off since you know its worth. Lastly, you can sell it yourself on eBay to get a competitive price. Read our guide to selling on eBay.

If the Pokemon cards are worthless: A card doesnt have to be worth money to be considered valuable. Each card has sentimental value to someone: where they got it, the deck it was a part of, that time you used it to battle so-and-so a lot of people tend to hang onto them because of the memories. If you want to get rid of your Pokemon cards, they could be worth some memories to a relative or a stranger. Put them on Craigslist, take them to a card shop, donate them, or pass them along to your kids or a relative. Theres still a lot of fun to be had in those dusty Pokemon cards youve been hanging onto!

What Are Pokemon Cards

For the uninitiated, Pokemon Cards are part of the Pokemon Card Trading Card Game that originally launched in 1996. Back then, the original set contained just 151 cards one for each OG Pokemon.

In simplest terms, Pokemon cards are baseball cards but for adorable Japanese Pocket Monsters.

Since then, Pokemon has exploded into the worlds most valuable media franchise, valued at over $100 billion worldwide. For comparison, thats more than Star Wars, Spongebob, and James Bond combined.

Fueling two decades of meteoric growth was a steady stream of new Pokemon creatures and thus new cards to collect. There are around 898 total Pokemon and over 9,100 Pokemon cards to collect in the English market.

Not all 9,100 cards are available on store shelves at once, of course. The Pokemon Company International, the folks who make Pokemon cards, publish and release cards one generation at a time, with each generation lasting about two years.

In total, there have been eight generations of Pokemon cards since 1996. And as the next generation of cards begins appearing on store shelves, the previous generation tends to sell out. At that point, its no surprise that certain cards begin shooting up in value!

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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 Age Of The Pokemon Card

As a general rule of thumb, old Pokemon cards from the Base, Jungle, and Fossil sets are often quite valuable, especially the rare holographic ones.

Also, there is often a lot of hype around the newest Pokemon sets. If you pull a brand new ultra rare card from a booster pack, it will likely be worth money because of demand for new cards.

This isnt to say that cards from 2002-2020 are worthless. Many of the most expensive cards of all time were produced during this period. Its just important to know that extremely old and extremely new cards can often be more valuable.

This is what an old first generation Pokemon card looks like.

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First Edition Holographic Mewtwo

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000

A member of the exclusive and powerful Legendary Pokémon group, Mewtwo is considered to be one of the best Pokémon of all-time.

Instantly recognizable, the psychic-type Mewtwo was created when a scientist altered its original DNA via gene-splicing techniques that transformed the creature into one of the most vicious and savage of all Pokémon.

Harnessing its psychic energy, Mewtwo unleashes physical damage on its enemies via its signature more, Psystrike.

See What The Card Has Sold For Before

The value of Pokemon cards spans a vast range: from a few bucks to hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are Full Art EX and GX Pokemon cards worth anywhere up to $100, Base Set cards worth thousands, and the numbers only get more ludicrous from there.

All that being said, it can be hard to know where to start when trying to find the value of a Pokemon card. The best way to find out how much a card is worth is to check how much it has sold for in the past.

The year is 2011.You’ve battled long hours on the Battle Subway on your way to visit Ns Castle for your showdown against Team Plasma.Whatever happens, you’re unfazed because you just pulled a full art Mewtwo-EX card from the #PokemonTCG.Life is good.#PokemonDay

Pokémon

This is real evidence of the amount of money people are willing to spend on the card, and therefore it can give someone an accurate estimate of their card’s value. One of the best sites to use to find this information is Ebay.

Simply type in the name of the card and any additional attributes that stand out about it. Now, you can see all the current listings of that particular card, along with how much money people are asking for them and usually what a few have actually sold for.

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Which Pokmon Cards Are The Most Valuable

With the limited supply of the first edition base set, as many collectors are so attached to their cards and are unwilling to sell, the prices for the first edition cards have escalated due to their rarity, thus becoming more valuable. Other most sought after Pokémon cards were mostly given out as prizes some decades ago at some tournaments and events.

Its noteworthy that the prices of these cards are bound to change depending on what the buyer has to offer. Below is the price range of some of these rarest cards.

Check The Card For Its Rarity Symbol

The biggest thing to determine a pokemon cards rarity is its rarity symbol. If you look at the card, you will find the rarity symbol in the bottom right corner. It will be next to the card number. If it has a circle, it is common. Uncommon cards have a diamond. Even though diamond marked cards are uncommon, they are pretty easy to find, and they are not usually worth a lot of money unless they are printed in 1999 or 2000.

If the card has a star, it is rare. It can also have a star H or three stars, which is super rare. Cards with these markings on them are most likely to have value, so you will want to set them aside. You might find other symbols that indicate whether the card was sold as part of a limited edition set. You can look up the card as a Promo, a Deck Kit, or a Box Topper to find the value. You may find one worth $100 or more, so it is worth looking up.

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Use Free Valuation Sites

Another great way to figure out how much a Pokemon card is worth is to use card valuation sites. These websites allow a user to input a couple details about their card, such as its name and number, and be returned with results about its estimated value.

Websites like CardMavin compile up-to-date information about how much individual cards are selling for across the internet and use that information to make an estimate about the card’s current value. This is the easiest way to check what a Pokemon card is going for in the present market.

Video Of Me Looking Up Pokemon Cards Values:

If you get too many results that include cards NOT like yours, use the checkboxes to pick the ones just like yours. Choosing a few comparable items by using the checkboxes gives you a much more accurate estimate of your Pokemon cards value.

What to do next:

Once youve searched mavin.io and figured out the value of your Pokemon cards, you have several options:

If your Pokemon cards are valuable You could hold onto the cards and collect them, as most collectors do, and hope they appreciate in value over time. It may be a good investment to get them professionally graded by PSA, this will dramatically increase their value.

You could sell your Pokemon cards to a local card shop, knowing full well their value . But remember, dealers purchase collections at wholesale prices. They need to make a profit after all, and selling a large collection takes a considerable amount of time and resources so dont expect to get 100% of what youd get online.

Selling your Pokemon cards online will get you the best price, but it can be time consuming: taking pictures, writing descriptions, responding to customers, packing, shipping, returns its a lot of work. If you have the time and patience, selling them online is a great way to make money. Read our guide to selling on eBay.

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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.

Tournament And Promo Cards

Some of these special cards were quite commonplace back in the day–such as the promotional Mew card given out in 1999 to those who bought tickets for Pokemon: The First Movie– so theyre not worth more than a few dollars now.

But some, like the 2011 and 2012 Tropical Beach card from the Pokemon World Championships, can easily fetch hundreds of dollars.

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Which Pokmon Cards Are Worth Money

In general, Pokémon cards from the original Base Set printing are worth more money than cards printed in recent sets. This is due to supply and demand economics as obtaining older cards no longer in print is much harder. However, the condition of a card is key in determining its value.

A card that is still in print is not likely to rise to an extremely high value soon. On the other hand, older cards that are not being printed anymore, especially limited editions or promo cards, generally have a higher value.

This can be a great place to start when trying to decide which of your Pokémon cards may have some value Check your oldest cards first.

However, you will need to know more than the cards age if you are truly hoping to find out if there might be gold stashed in your card binder collection.

The Best Place To Sell Your Pokemon Cards Online: Ebay

The main marketplace is for sure going to be eBay, Pratte says. Even if youre someone who just stumbled upon your childhood collection, its really easy to take a couple of pictures make a decent listing.

Why eBay? Its home to several high-profile deals, and it also caters to the $20 and $30 transactions. In short, eBay is the perfect meeting ground for nostalgic buyers and sellers and those whove been wheeling and dealing Pokemon cards since the 90s.

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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.

First Edition Holographic Blastoise

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $5,500

A water-type Pokémon, Blastoise first appears in the Pokémon Red and Blue video games as the final evolutionary stage of Squirtle, one of the original three starter Pokémon.

Relying on twin water cannons that retract from the shell on its back, Blastoise is capable of delivering powerful blasts of water with superior accuracy.

And just as we saw Charizards boost in popularity stemming from its appearance on the cover art of the Pokémon Red video game, Blastoise was the center of attention on the Pokémon Blue video game:

Rightfully considered one of the coolest-looking of all Pokémon, Blastoise remains a collector favorite and this card can bring thousands of dollars in high grade.

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First Edition Item Finder

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $750

The intent of the Item Finder is exactly as it sounds: it aids players in locating items.

While its name and how it helps players find items greatly changed in later Pokémon games, the first edition card merely instructs the player to discard two cards from his or her hand and replace them with a trainer card.

First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard

Price: $220,574

A PSA 10 Base Set 1st Edition Charizard just sold at auction with an ending bid of $183,812.00 via .

Including the 20% buyer’s premium, the total transaction value exceeds $220k.

As of now, this is the highest known sale of the card.

Cardhops

This card is often referred to as one of the most sought after cards, having been printed in the Pokémon Trading Card Games early days. They have been in existence for over twenty years and are limited in number. Its distinguished by a printing error as it doesnt have a shadow underneath the fire breathing dragon Pokémon.

As such, it stands out as one of the most valuable cards of all time, with the error being corrected in most of the subsequent print runs. This shadowless iconic card was purchased by former rapper, Logic, for a staggering $220,574 at an auction held in October 2020, thus, setting a new record as the most valuable Pokémon card.

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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: