Take The Time To Study Their Worth
As Pokemon re-enters mainstream culture with the release of new video games and movies, expect to see an uptick in buying and selling activity of old cards. But interest doesnt pick up overnight.
Its not binary in that sense, Pratte says.
Instead, its a more gradual process where each new Pokemon-related release reminds twenty- and thirty-somethings of their childhood: the crinkling sound of ripping open a new pack of cards followed by a strong whiff of ink as they shuffle through the set, hoping to find something rare.
But as you rummage through your collection, remember that theres no rush to purge now. Spend some time with your cards. See if theyre valuable. Consider getting them authenticated. Then decide if theyre worth selling.
After two decades, Pokemon and its card-collecting hobbyists arent going anywhere anytime soon.
Adam Hardy is a former staff writer for The Penny Hoarder and specializes in stories on the gig economy. Hes a University of South Florida graduate, who studied magazine journalism and sociology.
Pokemon Japanese Hr Contest Winner Full Art Charizard
Sold in June, 2021 for $20,100
Despite the global health situation in 2020, Pokemon tournaments still took place at home and in shops throughout Japan.
From July to September 2020, contestants in the Charizard VMAX HR competition could participate in 16-player tournaments for a chance at winning two unique Charizard cards.
Winners of the first rounds consisting of four players each won the Full Art Charizard V shown here.
Those four players would then advance to the championship round for a shot at winning the Full Art Charizard VMAX HR competition card as the top prize.
The extreme difficulty of receiving the BGS 10 Pristine grade gives this card a significant boost in value.
Pokemon Japanese Promo Tamamushi University Prize Magikarp
- Pokemon cards value: $78,000
It might not fetch the same price as the next card on our list, but this one is among the rarest Pokemon cards ever made, only available originally as a prize in the Tamamushi University Hyper Test. Only those who won a battle at the event were able to add this card to their collection.
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Pokemon French First Edition Dracaufeu
Sold in February, 2021 for $37,300
The First Edition Dracaufeu, or the French name for Charizard, is also relatively easier to find in PSA 10 condition than the English version.
Though only 28 examples have achieved that grade, PSA has only graded 382 overall, meaning that roughly 7% of them are PSA 10s.
Blastoise Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Holographic
Originally just a myth, this prototypes existence was finally confirmed in 2020.
At first glance, this card might appear to look like a counterfeit or an illegitimate reproduction of a Pokémon card. However, this card is special, as its not even an official card at all. Rather, its a presentation card created by Magic: The Gathering producer Wizards in 1998. Their aim? To convince Nintendo to let them handle the English release of the Pokémon TCG, which was released internationally one year later. Five cards were said to have been made, but only one has been sold at auctionfor $360,000 in January of 2021. This truly special test card is indeed one of a kindat least, to the worlds knowledge. Though evidence still emerges, its clear this legendary prototype is a staple of the TCG collecting world.
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How Much Are Your Pokemon Cards Worth
Use Mavin to see how much your Pokemon cards are worth. Mavin tells you what its worth based on similar cards that have recently sold online.
Youll need these details:
For example Dragonite 52/108 foil
Pokemon Japanese Design Promo 4th Grade Winner Illusion’s Zoroark
- Pokemon cards value: $40,800
During a tie-in event for the Ruler of Illusions: Zoroark movie, these were given out to winners of an illustration contest. The six winners were all granted 100 copies of the card they designed, which means there are only 100 copies of this specific card in circulation, making it one of the rarest Pokemon cards ever made.
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First Edition Holographic Hitmonchan
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $3,250
Sporting boxing gloves, shoulder pads and extreme quickness, Hitmonchan exhibits every bit of the appearance of the fighting-type Pokémon that he is.
The five protrusions on top of its head round out an overall ferocious look.
Bidding for this card in high grade can be just as ferocious as Hitmonchan itself as prices will often rise above $3,000 or more.
Pokemon German First Edition Glurak
Sold in January, 2021 for $37,000
If you come across a First Edition Charizard from the German release, you’ll notice that Charizard’s name is instead “Glurak.”
Also, unlike the English version, you’ll notice the First Edition German version is not shadowless.
That’s true of the other non-English first editions as well.
Of the 900 German first edition Gluraks that PSA has graded at the time of this writing, 50 have received the lofty PSA 10 distinction.
That’s about a 5.5% success rate compared to around 3.7% for the English first edition Charizards, making it relatively easier to find in that condition.
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Sleeves For Card Protection
Sleeves are great. They protect cards from wear and make them easier to shuffle. Some Pokemon cards can be quite valuable, so its important that they dont get damaged, during play sessions.
Thats why sleeves can be a really nice gift for someone who plays Pokemon cards. These are also great if youre looking for a more budget friendly gift.
We have two options that wed like to show you. One comes with traditional Pokemon art, but has lower quality, while the other doesnt feature Pokemon art, but is more durable.
These sleeves depict the popular Charizard. The art looks pretty cool, but the quality isnt the greatest. The sleeves will split very quickly. Usually the wear is pretty noticeable, even just after a couple of games.
If youd rather gift sleeves of a higher quality, theres another option.
Dragon Shield is the golden standard for card sleeves of various card games. Their sleeves are pretty close to indestructible. Sure, they can get dirty after using multiple years, but you can clean them pretty easily.
Our playgroup has been using their yellow sleeves for over 6 years now, and in all this time maybe two of them have split.
The downside is that they dont have official Pokemon art, which can be a bummer. Nevertheless, you can browse their Art Sleeves, which feature many amazing designs, including dragons. These will probably appease Pokemon players.
Super Secret Battle No 1 Trainer
The answer to “What’s the rarest Pokémon card of all time?”
Sold for $90,000 in July 2020
Its unlikely youve heard of Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer, and extremely unlikely youve ever seen a copy in person. When it comes to rare Pokémon cards, there are very few cards rarer than this.
No. 1 Trainer is a holographic promotional card awarded to finalists in the Secret Super Battle tournament held in Tokyo, Japan in 1999. To earn a place in the competitions finals, which were held in a secret location, players had to first win a regional tournament. Their prize was the No. 1 Trainer card, which granted them access to the finals.
The cards text translates to: The Pokémon Card Game Official Tournament’s champion is recognised here, and this honour is praised. By presenting this card, you may gain preferential entry into the Secret Super Battle. The card features the Japanese logo for the Pocket Monsters Trading Card Game, along with artwork of original generation Pokémon Mewtwo by illustrator Hideki Kazama.
This is a card so rare and valuable that Indiana Jones probably had to escape a crumbling temple with it at some point. Its 1999 counterpart cards No. 2 Trainer and No. 3 Trainer, similarly awarded to winners in Japanese Pokémon tournaments during the late 1990s, are almost as rare and valuable.
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Pokemon Japanese Play Promo 50000 Points Espeon Gold Star
Sold in June, 2021 for $25,700
Earlier, we had a look at the 2005 Pokemon Japanese Play Jolteon gold star card that required 20,000 EXP Points to redeem and explained how difficult it was to achieve.
As Pokemon Players Club members completed specific actions, such as attending an event, winning a battle, or placing in a tournament, they could accumulate experience points.
As if accumulating 20,000 EXP points for the Jolteon wasn’t hard enough, those who had the endurance and capability to press on even farther could unlock the Espeon after earning 50,000 EXP points.
The holographic element mixed with the gold star designation and incredible design from Masakazu Fukuda resulted in a breathtaking card that few ever have the chance at holding.
St Edition Charizard Holographic: $369000
Not only is this Holographic Charizard Pokémon card from the revered 1st Edition Set. The Sportscard Guaranty Corporation , one of the most trusted third-party card grading services, also rated it and gave it the highest possible condition rating: SGC Gold Label Pristine 10. A rare card in such good condition is even more unique. Plus, everyone loves Charizard! In December of 2020, this card sold for $369,000.
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Japanese Promo Card Holo Pikachu Illustrator
Card sale date: April 2022
Card selling price: $6 million
What makes it special: As the most popular and well-known Pokémon character, its no surprise that Pikachu tops the list of most valuable Pokémon cards. Only 39 Pikachu Illustrator cards were given out to the winners of three art competitions conducted by CoroCoro Comic magazine.
Competitors created their own Pokémon art, and winners received this Pikachu card, showing the character drawing two other Pokémon Charmander and Mew. This artwork was created by Atsuko Nishida, who designed Pikachu for the Game Boy Advance.
Specifics of the particular sale: The PSA rated this card, which was sold to Logan Paul in a private auction, as GEM Mint 10.
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.
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Pokemon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holographic Lugia
Lugia is widely regarded as the most coveted second generation Pokemon.
This legendary bird is incredibly powerful, extremely difficult to catch and the poster boy of vintage classic Pokemon Silver on GameBoy.
Backstory
Lugia made its introduction into the TCG in the 2000 Neo Genesis set. However, early print runs are known to contain errors and imperfections.
Youd think Wizards of the Coast would have got the hang of things by now!
Anyway, because of this, its extremely difficult for 1st Edition Holo Lugia to gain a high grade.
The popularity of this Pokemon, combined with low population of Gem Mint cards make it extremely valuable and expensive Pokémon card to buy.
Here Are Some Of My Favorite Tcg Accessories
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it helpful on your TCG journey. After 20 years of being in the Trading Card Game community, I commonly get asked what my recommendations are on X products. To help save everyone a bit of time, Ive listed below my top picks as a TCG collector that I hope youll also find helpful.
These are affiliate links, so if you do decide to use them, Ill earn a commission. But in all honesty, these are the exact accessories that I use and recommend to everyone, even my own friends and family.
Sleeves: If you want the best for Magic and Pokemon cards, I really like Dragon Shield Matte Art sleeves. They have an excellent shuffling feel to them and have great durability, so you dont have to worry about them breaking on you. If you want my full thoughts on these sleeves, check out my .
Binders: For competitive Magic and Pokemon players, go with the Vault X 12 Pocket Binder. Im a big fan of 12 pocket binders for keeping playsets of 4 together and this binder is good quality without premium prices. For the pure TCG collectors, I would recommend Dragon Sheild 9 Pocket binders.
If you are looking for a solid deck box, then you cant go wrong with Ultra Pro Towers. Fantastic protection at affordable prices, everything you need. If you want to get a bit fancy like me, go with the Gamegenic Watchtower.
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Summer Battle Road Mew Victory Orb Trophy
- Release Date: 1999
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $60,000
The second tournament Trophy Pokemon card on the list, the Mew Victory Orb Trophy was given out during the 1998 Summer Battle Road competition. Spanning nine regions across Japan, only the top three Trainers in each bracket scored the rare Pokemon card.
According to PSA, only 16 of them have been given the coveted Gem Mint 10 score. One of these pristine collectibles popped up at a PWCC auction in December 2020 and ended with 51 bids for a final price of $60,000. It even came with the original plaque handed out at the finals.
As we dive deeper into this list, prepare to see more of these trophy Pokemon cards dominating the top spot. Since they were awarded at tournaments, they are intricately more scarce population-wise, and thus more valuable.
Pokmon Base Set 1st Edition Shadowless Holo Blastoise #2
The second of the trio of evolved starters from the 1999 set, Blastoise was also the cover star for Pokémon Blue.
First off, lets get the price tag out of the way. A PSA 10 copy sold for $45,000 in 2020, with another selling for $44,000 this year.
Its all the more astounding considering there are around 100 when looking at graded pristine copies.
However, Blastoise is indisputably one of the most popular Pokémon ever, and the same goes for Squirtle and Wartortle, which is the evolution path it follows.
In fact, its the second-most valuable card from the original 1999 set.
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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.
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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Blastoise Cd Promo From The Pokmon Song Best Collection
In 1999, Japanese fans were able to buy the Pokémon Song Best Collection music CD. The album featured a compilation of songs from the Pokémon anime. The songs featured on the album’s finalized tracklist were actually decided by Pokémon players who got to vote in a magazine poll. What made the album really collectible though, is that it also came packaged with a handful of rare Pokémon TCG promo cards such as Snorlax, Venusaur, and Charizard.
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Pokémon Blue Box mascot Blastoise was also one of the cards included in the album and featured alternate artwork of his iconic Base Set card. The promos artwork is drawn by renowned Japanese artist Ken Sugimori, who created the designs for all the original 151 Pokémon in the Kanto PokéDex. Incredibly, the Blastoise CD Promo sells for just $50 ungraded on auction sites and only goes for around $350 for a perfect graded version. Considering this rare promo is from 1999, and features an alternate artwork from legendary illustrator Ken Sugimori, this is another card that should definitely be worth more in 2022.
