Pokémon Card Rarity Symbols Chart

How To Value Your Pokmon Cards

wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 73 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 45 testimonials and 82% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 3,524,026 times.Learn more…

If you want to sell your Pokémon cards, it’s important that you value them first so you know you’re getting a good deal. Fortunately, Pokémon cards are easy to value once you know what to look for and where to look.

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

Rayquaza Gold Star Holo Ex Deoxys

• Release Date: 2005
• Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
• Pokemon card value at auction: $45,100

An early favorite of Ruby & Sapphire, Rayquaza has seen an uptick in popularity over the last decade. So it makes sense then that its cards would also start to climb up in value over time. In 2005, The Pokemon Company released the Ex Deoxys TCG expansion featuring the Flying / Dragon-type.

As a gimmick to get Pokemon card collectors interested in the set, the Japanese company introduced Gold Star Pokemon cards into the hobby. As mentioned earlier, the incredibly rare Pokemon cards featured a special symbol next to the name of the mon. Of course, the king of these marked collectibles is the Hoenn Legendary itself.

In December 2020, a perfectly graded Gold Star Rayquaza sold at auction for $45,100. Given the Legendarys continued popularity in the franchise, and just how little of the gold Pokemon cards were actually produced, we expect this item to increase in value as time goes on.

Recommended Reading: How To Get Silcoon In Pokemon Go

What Are The Rarities Of Pokmon Tcg Cards

There are many different rarities in the Pokémon TCG, and not every set includes cards of every rarity. To determine a cards rarity, first check its rarity symbol on the bottom right or left of the card.

Cards printed for certain products do not have a rarity symbol. Instead, they have a colored silhouette of the main Pokémon associated with the product.

Promo cards have a black star with the word PROMO printed over it.

Common cards have a black circle.

Uncommon cards have a black diamond.

Rare cards have a black star.

Rare Holo cards have a black star and a shiny illustration. In many English sets, for every rare holo card there is another card at a lower rarity that is identical in terms of gameplay, but has a different collector card number.

Any card at Rare Holo rarity or lower can also come with a Reverse Holo. These cards are foil on every part of the card except the illustration. This only changes the physical appearance of the card and does not change its rarity or collector card number. Because every pack contains one Reverse Holo card, they are not usually much more valuable than their regular versions.

Note: Some deck-exclusive and league promo cards are reprints, with their original expansion symbol and collector number but a different rarity. Rare Holos can be reprinted as Rare, and Rares can be reprinted as Rare Holo. In the second case, the new Rare Holo has a different foil pattern from other Rare Holo cards in the same set.

Charmander 1st Edition $300

Charmander’s value has been all over the place in the last 12 months. After the 2020 summer of record sale after record sale, baby Zard’s value has taken a dip recently, but don’t be surprised if Charmander rebounds due to the power Charizard yields on the market.

PSA Pop: 652 – 661

Current Pokemon Card Value: PSA 10 $979 PSA 9 $300

You May Like: Original Pokemon Show Streaming

First Edition Shadowless Holographic Chansey

Its a good thing Chansey likes to care for the sick and injured because you might pass out when you learn how much this card is worth. Several of the 48 recorded PSA 10 copies of this rare first edition Chansey have sold for over $25,000 at auction, with the highest sale sitting at $36,877.

Hes not Charizard, but we still love him.

Psa 10 Holographic Shadowless First Edition Chansey: $1100

Despite not being one of the iconic starters or legendaries, Chansey is still one of the most valuable cards from Pokemons Base Set. Like every other base set card, the Shadowless version gets a much higher price at auction.

There are 48 PSA 10-graded holo, shadowless Chanseys verified by the PSA. Despite that, they dont tend to fetch as high a price as their slightly more common expansion mates, like Charizard, probably because it is a less popular Pokemon. The last verified auction sale of a PSA 10 Chansey was in 2021, when PWCC Auctions sold one for $27,412.

You May Like: How To See How Much Pokemon Cards Are Worth

Also Check: How Long Has Pokemon Go Been Around

Crystal Charizard Holo Skyridge

• Release Date: 2003
• Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
• Pokemon card value at auction: $25,100

In 2003, interest in Pokemon cards had started to wane among core fans who had been collecting since it launched in 1999. As a result, production of the Skyridge set was considerably lower compared to past expansions.

This would also be the last release printed by Wizards of the Coasts and features the iconic e-reader designs meant to be a tie-in for the Game Boy Advance. Its low production has made the retro set one of the most expensive Pokemon cards products to hunt down from the era.

The crown jewel of the expansion is none other than Charizard. Its rare Crystal Holo design variant was extremely limited even at release. In November 2020, a perfectly graded version of the collectible sold for $25,100 at auction.

Ultra Rare Pokemon Cards

Throughout the evolution of the Pokemon TCG there’s been a number of cards that have been introduced with additional effects to them. All Ultra Rare cards will have a Holographic shine to them but will also have text after the Pokemon’s name to denote it as one of these special types of cards. These cards might also feature special art covering half or even the full card. Pokemon cards will cycle out each of these types of Ultra Rare cards so while I will be listing all of the different Ultra Rare cards most types are no longer in current circulation so it will be impossible to come across one via booster packs. The types of Ultra Rare Pokemon Card Rarity are:

• Pokemon Prism Star

Recommended Reading: Is There A Pokemon Game For Ps4

Secret Rare Pokmon Cards

Beyond the half body and full body, Pokémon cards are the secret rare cards. You can identify these cards by the number in the lower right-hand section of it. Traditionally, all Pokémon cards have a number about where they are in the line-up. For example, the Pikachu card is 58/102, showing its the 52nd card out of the 102 it was released with at the time. The secret rare cards will be above that correct number.

Plus, they have extra flair to their card and have different art and colors than the traditional card.

Beyond the secret rare cards are the Rainbow Rare cards. Theyre a bit more noticeable than the secret rare ones and go up higher than the traditional numbers shown on the card. You will automatically know you have one by the distinct sheen and various colors across the card. Some of these have sold for thousands of dollars.

After the various rare cards found throughout the Pokémon Trading Card Game, you have promotional cards. These cards are offered at special events and only for a limited time. You can tell theyre promotional based on the small icon on the middle left of the card, immediately under the cards image.

Kangaskhan Holographic Trophy Card

Regarded as the third-rarest Pokémon card in the world, this holographic Kangaskhan is a special Japanese promo card awarded to participants of the 1998 Parent/Child Mega Battle Tournament. Apart from having unique artwork, this glorious card features the original Pocket Monsters Card Game logo on the front and back, and only 46 copies have ever been officially graded.

This card is so rare that only three have ever been sold publically, with a PSA 7 copy selling for $35,000 in 2020. However, everyone was shocked when a mint condition copy of the card sold for $150,100 on eBay in October of the same year.

Of course, a card featuring the grandaddy of all Pokemon would be worth a lot!

Read Also: What Level Does Doduo Evolve In Pokemon Quest

Daisuki Club Holo Masters Scroll Promo

• Release Date: 2010
• Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
• Pokemon card value at auction: $35,200

In Japan, fans were able to sign up for the Pokemon Daisuki Club. The organization would offer players unique promotions to score limited-edition merchandise. One of those campaigns was for the Pokemon Trading Card Game in 2010.

Fans signed up to the club were able to complete various activities to earn points which could then be exchanged for a special reward. At the very top of the prize pool was the extremely limited Masters Scroll Pokemon card promo which required a whopping 8,600 points to unlock.

Due to the difficulty of obtaining the collectible and its overall scarcity, the gorgeous gold spreckled holographic has become one of the rarest promotional items in the TCGs 25-year history. So its not often that one of these goes up for sale.

Its not surprising that collectors went wild when a Master Scroll promo appeared at a November 2021 PWCC auction. The Daisuki Club promo ended up fetching $35,200 from bidders. The rare collectible will no doubt have great potential to grow in price in the future given how little of them actually exist.

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!

Recommended Reading: How Many Pokemon Types Are There

Ex Deoxys Gold Star Rayquaza Holographic

While first-generation Pokémon typically get all the hype, this Rayquaza card is basically just as rare as the most coveted first edition cards, with only 47 PSA 10-graded copies recorded in circulation. The mascot for 2004s Pokémon Emerald, mint condition copies of this powerful card have been sold for up to $44,400 .

As cute as he is expensive.

Squirtle First Edition $222

Squirtle is the first evolution of Blastoise and carries the 2nd most Pokemon card value of any of the big three pre-evolutions. Although grading has slowed down drastically, prices have dipped in the Pokemon market. That said, Squirtle is one of the essential characters of the show and is a must have for any collector. Be sure to assemble your Squirtle-Squad by acquiring his English Rookie card.

PSA Pop: 822 – 1386

Current Pokemon Card Value: PSA 10 $1225 PSA 9 $222

Read Also: How To Get Shadow Mewtwo Pokemon Go

Examine Current Prices Online

While youll typically find the Pokémon cards worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for sale at auctions, you can find plenty of cards worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars online. Visit online sales platforms like:

• Facebook Marketplace

Then use the search function to determine your cards current monetary value. Look through multiple listings on multiple sites to get a good idea of the cards average price. Pay attention not just to price, but also the highest price that actually sold.

Pokemon World Championship Masters Key

• Release Date: 2010
• Grading: BGS 9
• Pokemon card value at auction: $26,900

In 2010, the best pokemon cards players around the world were flown into Waikoloa Village, Hawaii for the World Championships. Upon arrival, contestants were given a Master Keys Pokemon card.

Because the item was only printed for participants at the tournament, only 36 of these in total were ever created, making it technically one of the most rare Pokemon cards to ever exist in the hobbys nearly 25-year history.

Despite only being intended for those at the event, one of these made there way out to the public and was sold for an astonishing $26,900 in August 2020. A pretty sweet reward to receive 11 years later.

Don’t Miss: How To Evolve Umbreon In Pokemon Go

All Pokmon Tcg Card Rarities

The rarer card you have in your possession, the higher quality trade you can acquire from a player. It also makes negotiating and potentially trading up from your previous card easier. Some Pokémon cards are noted to have sold for thousands of dollars if its the correct form of rarity and someone is willing to buy the physical version.

Related: How to catch Snorlax during Pokémon TCG: Crossover in Pokémon Go

Detailing a rarity

There are many different rare cards, and theres a simple way to identify their rarity. The more common ones will have a small black circle in the lower right or left portion of the card.

Uncommon cards have a black diamond.

Now, the rare cards have been broken up into several different forms. The more common rare card you can encounter is a holographic rare that has a black star on the bottom right corner, similar to the uncommon and common cards.

How Rare Is My Pokemon Tcg Card

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.

Also Check: How To Make A Nice Throw In Pokemon Go

Also Check: How To Make A Pokemon Your Buddy

Find The Set The Card Belongs To

If there is no logo on the right side, its Base. Every other set has an indicator.

When looking into what set a card belongs to, make sure to see if there is any logo on the right side, just underneath and to the right of the illustration. If there is no symbol, the likelihood is that its a Base set card.

There have been error cards that do not have a symbol, so make sure the year matches with the set.

Thoughts On Pokemon Card Set Symbols

Recommended Reading: How To Get More Candy In Pokemon Go

How To Cash In On Your Pokemon Cards

Now that youve gone through your cards and identified which may have value, its time to see how much theyre actually worth and put them up for sale.

As you might expect, one of the easiest ways to check the value of a card is to look it up on an auction site like eBay. Make sure to look at completed listings to see how much the card actually sold for.

Other useful sites are ones like TCGPlayer and TrollAndToad, which act as digital storefronts for game shops and individuals selling cards. Once you look up a card, you can check the Market Price for an idea of how much its currently worth. Like eBay, these sites allow you to sell your cards for a fee.

A snapshot of Charizard cards on TCGPlayer.

Once you know how much your cards are worth, you can either make a listing on one of these sites to sell them, or you could visit a card shop or flea market to haggle in person, whatever it takes to get the very best price for your Pokemon cards.

Joshua is a Senior Editor and Producer of Features at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Star Wars are frequently used words in your vocabulary, youll want to follow him on and IGN.