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How To Tell Pokemon Card Rarity

Blastoise Wizards Of The Coast Presentation Galaxy Star Holo

How to Tell if your Pokémon Cards are Rare or Expensive!
  • Release Date: 1998
  • Grading: CGG 8.5
  • Pokemon card value at auction: $360,000

The Pokemon Trading Card Game community was stunned when this insanely rare Pokemon card was discovered by the public for the first time in 2021. Originally commissioned by Wizards of the Coast in 1998, the Blastoise Presentation card was supposed to give stores an idea of what the TCG line would look like in its final print run.

While there are varying reports about its history, its currently believed that only two are known to have ever existed, with only one currently accounted for. Its essentially is one of the earliest known Pokemon cards to exist, at least for the North American release. It was so early that one of the copies had a Magic: The Gathering backside to it, while the other is simply blank.

The historical Nintendo artifact went up for sale at Heritage Auctions in January 2021, and sold for a whopping $360,000, making it the third most expensive collectible just an inch behind the Base Set Charizard. Given that only two of these exist, it could one day take the top spot as the most valuable Pokemon card of all time. If nothing else it may be the rarest Pokemon card in the world.

Pokemon Players Club Shiny Espeon: $2000

If you ever wanted proof about how much a Pokemon cards price can change just because of the Pokemon on it, you need to look further than the Pokemon Players Club Shiny Espeon. This card is almost identical in story to the Umbreon card you saw just a moment ago, but required only 40,000 experience points instead of 70,000.


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Despite being more available, Troll and Toad has this card for a slightly higher price of just under $2000. This is likely because Espeons shiny form is more noticeable than Umbreons, since the bright neon-green fur is a lot more distinctive and Espeon has its own unique degree of popularity.

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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Umbreon Gold Star Holo

  • Release Date: 2005
  • Grading: BGS 9.5
  • Pokemon card value at auction: $70,000

Eevee and its evolutions are some of the most popular characters in the Pokemon franchise. It makes sense then that a Gold Star Umbreon would quickly become one of the most coveted Pokemon cards in the TCG.

The story behind this Pokemon card also makes it unique as players had to accumulate over 70,000 XP points by the end of the Pokemon Players Clubs fourth season to obtain it. Trainers not only had to physically go to events, but they had to win a lot of matches.


Due to its low population, not a lot of these Pokemon cards have actually gone up for sale. All of that changed in June 2021 when the Gold Star Umbreon sold for $70,000 at auction. Its BGS grade of 9.5 makes it all the rarer, as only two in the whole world have received a grade this high.

How Rare Is My Pokemon Tcg Card

How to Tell if a Pokemon Card Is Rare and How to Sell It

Pokemon cards belong to one of three groups of rarity: common, uncommon and rare. These groups are represented by three different symbols, which are shown at the bottom left or right of each card, and to help you to understand how rare your cards are, weve put together this short guide that will explain.

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What Are My Pokemon 1st Edition Base Set Cards Worth

If you own any of the cards listed below, condition is the biggest factor in figuring out what your cards are worth. The prices below illustrate what these cards are worth after grading in mint condition as PSA 9’s & 10’s.

Important to note: It is very unlikely that your cards will grade this high if they have been played with. If you have these cards laying around in less than mint condition, it still may be worth getting them graded as long as they are in pretty good shape.


Finally A Quick Word On Card Condition

Condition and value go hand-in-hand, so its important to be realistic about your expectations.

Unless kept unopened, cards from 20+ years ago tend to have imperfections.

This can take the form of scratches, whitening round the edges, creases, bends and dirt.

Collectors may pay premium for card rarity, but the real premium is in the card condition.

Many people rediscover their old cards, thinking theyre worth a fortune because of media hype, but the reality is, theyre not!


There isnt a shortage of old Pokemon cards, but there is a shortage in mint condition.

If you do possess minty cards, then you may be on to something!

I dont want to devalue what you have, the nostalgic value is through the roof in my opinion!

But I hope youll see this as a fair assessment, which will help you when trying to assess the value of your cards.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to check out some of these additional resources below:


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How Do Alternate Art And Other Special Digimon Cards Come Into Play

While the above list is what you’ll see in scaling rarity there are also cards that feature alternate artwork. This alternate art can be found on Digimon, but can also be seen on Tamer cards. These Alternate Art cards, or Parallels, will keep the same rarity indicator, as well as all other stats and special abilities. The only way to tell them apart is by recognizing that the art is different and the changes to the border.

How Do I Store My Collection

How to Tell the Rarity of a Pokémon Card – Fastest Method

To preserve the value of your collection, proper storage is imperative. You can store your collection in a sleeved folder or in sleeves within a cardboard box, though the latter is typically the preferred method.

  • Sleeved Folders: Sleeved folders protect your collection against damage and allow for optimal viewing of the cards. You should avoid storing your collection in extreme heat, as temperature changes within a sleeved folder can cause your collection to warp.
  • Individual Sleeves: Those collecting for the value that the single cards hold should consider storing their collection in individual sleeves. It is also important to note that the clarity and quality of sleeves vary between manufacturers.

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How To Understand Pokemon Card Rarity

Guide


From its inception Pokemon as a franchise has been sweeping the world. It’s impossible to find someone that doesn’t know what a Pikachu is. While many people interact with Pokemon through Video Games, or through Anime there are also a huge number of people who interact with the franchise through the Trading Card Game. With over 800 Pokemon in the world, and new cards that combine multiple Pokemon on one card, or even a single Pokemon that require four cards to summon it can be difficult to know what you have. Whether you’re looking to get into Pokemon, or are finding your old binders of Pokemon cards it’s important to understand Pokemon Card Rarity.

The 11 Most Rare And Expensive Yu

Players: 2

Publisher:Konami

In 1996 Japanese magazine Weekly Shonen Jump published Yu-Gi-Oh!, a manga series created by Kazuki Takahashi, introducing protagonist Yugi Mutou and his mysterious millennium puzzle to the world. Upon said puzzles completion, Yugi unlocks a dark spirit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, who uses Yugis body as a host whilst competing in several wicked and nefarious games.

The mangas popularity saw the swift production of two anime series. The first was a short-lived 27 episode Japan-only series, which mirrors the mangas dark themes and multi-game focus, whereas the second was Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters , a 224-episode spectacle primarily involving Yugi and friends using illustrated cards comprising numerous fictional monsters, spells and traps to compete in card games.


The latters success led to entertainment conglomerate Konami launching real-life counterparts of the anime cards – and thus the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game was born. The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG is one of the most profitable card games around, generating almost $10 billion and counting since its inception. Undoubtedly some Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are worth more than others – this list gathers together some of the rarest and most expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! cards you can find today.

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Look For The Black Line

The plastic layer we mentioned earlier -on which the two faces of a Pokemon card are pressed- has a distinct black color.

When youre trying to spot fake pokemon cards, this is something that you should ALWAYS look for.

If turn a genuine Pokemon card sideways, you can spot this black line in the middle of the material. In case of a fake Pokemon card, this layer isnt and as a result, the side of the card will be completely white.


What Types Of Trading Single Cards Are There

How to Tell if a Pokémon Card Is Rare and How to Sell It

There are three main types of Pokemon cards: character, energy, and trainer. All three card types are needed to successfully compete in the trading card game.

  • Character Cards: These Pokemon cards depict various characters and how evolved they are. The character on the card may be in its basic form, Stage One form, or in Stage Two form. Character cards are some of the most powerful in the game. These characters are also present in the online game, Pokemon Legends.
  • Energy Cards: This type of Pokemon card is necessary to power your Pokemon throughout the game. You can also find Special Energy cards that provide a different type of boost, depending on your character. Energy cards can be found within each booster pack.
  • Trainer Cards: Trainer Pokemon cards can be used for items, supporters, and stadiums during battle. Many contain special rules, which are indicated towards the bottom of the card.

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Pokemon Players Club Shiny Umbreon: $1900

If you’ve got a soft spot for the blue and black shiny version of the Dark-type Pokemon Umbreon, then be aware that you’re not the only one. The Japanese version of the Shining Umbreon Pokemon card is pretty highly desired, with its unique coloring and gorgeous frame-piercing artwork making it fittingly beautiful as one of the first shiny Pokemon to appear on a card.

However, its price is so high because of much more than just its looks and popularity. The Shining Umbreon card only saw a very limited release through the Japanese Pokemon Players’ Club for hitting the maximum number of experience points through the club between 2005 and 2006, making it one of the rarest cards out there. For this reason, Troll and Toad has had it listed at just near and impressive $1900.

Where To Buy Secret Rare Pokemon Cards

Where can you buy the secret rare Pokemon packs? Many retailers and game stores have varying collections of secret rare Pokemon cards for sale that a trader or trainer will find satisfying. Some of them include Pokemon Center, Walmart, GameStop, Amazon, and BestBuy. South Africans can get them at Price Check, Ubuy, Pwned Games and other game stores spread across the country.

The Pokemon franchise will continue producing TCG collections as long as the Pokemon video game remains popular among gamers. Secret rare Pokemon cards are back in the trend, thanks to internet influencers who frequently showcase their collection on social media platforms. With the above guide on how to find secret rare Pokemon cards, the process should not be hard at all.

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Briefly.co.za published 2021s popular games among players. Numerous video games have been released during the year, and some are still in the process. Video games have become a great way to pass time, especially now that unnecessary movements are discouraged to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Which games are trending in 2021? They include the Horizon Forbidden West, God of War: Ragnarok, Halo Infinite, Resident Evil Village, and Far Cry 6. Check the article to know which ones are out and the release date for those yet to be made accessible to fans.

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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 $88 on average. However, a quick look at eBay reveals that first edition Charizards can easily sell for thousands of dollars.

What Are You Supposed To Do With Pokmon Cards

Identifying Pokemon Card Rarity

Younger kids tend to just collect and trade the cards. As they learn to read, they may also want to play the trading card game. The point of collecting the cards is to build a powerful deck of 60 that will help you win battles against other trainers. But your kid might just be interested in collecting the cards he likes best or deems most valuable. Each pack of cards is different, so if your kid doesnt have any cards , you may want to get him started with a theme deck: a pack of 60 cards that comes in a small cardboard box or metal tin. Theme decks also come with a coin and cardboard markers that can be used in gameplay when deciding which player goes first or when counting damage, but you can also use die instead. Cards also come in booster packs of 10, in tins or blister packs.

New cards are released every time a new season of the TV show comes outyour kid might refer to this as a new generation or series. The new series usually coincides with the latest video game titles. Right now, the trading card game is in its eighth generation, so all of the newer collections of cards will say Sword & Shield on the box.

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First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard #4

A very valuable version of a classic fan-favourite

Sold for $369,000 in December 2020

Shiny Charizard has been one of the Pokémon card games most popular cards since it first released in 1999, so theres no surprise that 20-plus years later, it remains one of the most sought-after cards for collectors and fans alike.

While a number of first-edition cards from the Pokémon TCGs early days are worth some money – assuming theyre still in good nick – due to their limited availability and age, this specific version of the holographic Charizard absolutely stands out as one of the rarest and most valuable Pokémon cards ever released.

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.

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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