How To Tell If Your Pokmon Card Is Valuable Or Not
Pull out your card and look in the bottom right corner to locate the rarity symbol. Itll be right next to the card number. For example, a diamond is for uncommon cards, while a circle is for very common ones. Common cards are very easy to get, and theyre usually on the lower end of the price range unless they are a 1999 or 2000 edition.
The black symbol that youll see in the bottom corner of the card tells you how rare it is. For example, a diamond is uncommon, a circle is common, and a star is rare. The star is traditionally black, but cards can come with stars in different colors. For example, a card with a gold or white star means that its very rare.
Now that you know how rare your card is, you want to check the condition. People wont spend a massive amount of money on cards that have tears or are in rough shape. Some online sites for selling cards have databases that will list common card prices. Some will even let you go through an automated system to find the card you want to find an approximate value.
Best Places To Sell Pokemon Cards Online
While there are certainly options for selling your cards in person, the best places to sell Pokemon cards reside online. Most simply this is because online marketplaces have a far wider reach and theres more opportunity to find deeper pockets.
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- Troll and Toad: Best for Quickly Selling a Collection
How To Negotiate Pokemon Card Price
This doesnt mean you should just let go of your cards based on their general value. The collector will likely haggle with you, so prepare to defend yourself with counteroffers.
If you know a lot about your cards, youll have a better chance of securing a good price. For example, you could emphasize that your cards are part of a rare set.
This might make the collector realize that he may miss out on a one-of-a-kind card if he doesnt take your offer. If hes a Pokemon YouTuber, you might notice that he does card reveals.
In this scenario, you could stress that the collector might have to delay his upcoming content if he doesnt accept your offer right away. Still, you have to be careful not to press the buyer too much.
Otherwise, they might refuse to buy your cards. You want to sell at the highest price possible without risking the buyer going irate and leaving.
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Forums Aimed At Pokmon
Forums on Reddit, Serebii, and other sites with large Pokémon fandoms often have a corner where people will buy and sell cards.
These forums are fantastic because you know that youre getting in touch with more fans than you can find on any other site.
However, theres a lot of trust required for this. Most people dont click links, so instead, youre selling directly through the site.
Buyers have to have faith that you do own this card and are going to mail it to them, and sellers have to believe that the buyer will admit when theyve received something and not try to scam the seller out of their money.
The best plan of attack on this is to be active in the forums so that people can tell your account is authentic. This part is easy since these places are a fantastic resource for researching and informing yourself on cards.
If a buyer tries to say they didnt get it or initiates a refund on a card you sent out and have tracked: you can fight against it.
Although this may seem like a lot of extra trouble, you can often sell things for higher through these forums because people cant see the competition besides your post like they can on eBay.
How Do You Spot A Fake Pokmon Card
Counterfeit Pokémon cards have many elements that give them away. Before you try selling a suspicious-looking Pokémon card, check the quality of the card stock, the printing colors and effects, the shape and size of the text and the neatness of the cards borders. When in doubt, compare your card with others you own that are 100% original.
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Should I Sell My Old Pokemon Card Collection
Selling your Pokemon card collection will deeply depend on if you want to sell the cards you have and how much your collection is worth. So one of the first things to do is find out the value of your cards and get an estimate of how much your collection is worth.
Once you find out the value of your collection, you can see if its worth selling. Check out the video below, which goes into more detail on how to find out the value of your Pokemon cards and if they are worth selling.
To find some tips on if you are Pokemon cards worth selling, check out this video on Youtube, which goes over key essentials to look for in Pokemon cards when you want to sell.
The Future Of Pokmon Cards
Given this is vintage, the original high graded cards, sealed boxes and packs are scarce. The probability for further profits is strong. Due to demand, desire and drive, the Pokémon Game appears to be safe. Over $10 Billion in card sales since 1996 is staggering.
Long term investing paid off in a short term for collectors in 2020. Prices have come back down a bit since, due to population growth and declining recent exposure from celebrities and influencers. Its a winning proposition due to Pokémon culture being bigger than any competing market. Pokemon is the #1 ranked media franchise on the planet, slightly besting Hello Kitty. They flat out win. Television, video games, cards, it’s still going strong. The children collecting today know all about the original cards and they covet them. Can you name the top 10 sports cards to own pre-1980? The children collecting today can name the top Pokémon Cards from 1999.
Even though prices have fluctuated a bit, if you zoom out and look at the growth over the last five years, it has been astronomical. The main concern moving forward is liquidity drying up, but that has also impacted the entire card market, crypto, the stock market, the NFT market, and more.
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Buying And Selling Pokmon Cards
Understanding Pokémon cards will help you spot a valuable card. The first thing you should check is if the card says 1st Edition. 1st Edition means the card was printed in the 1st run of that set.
Rarity will make a card more valuable. 1st Edition or Stars usually signifies the card is rare. Depending on the card you will find symbols or numbers in the bottom right-hand corner to indicate rarity.
Next, is the card holographic? Every set has 1 rare card which is often the holographic one. The rare card isnt always holographic, but its a good sign to look for.
Card condition is another key factor in determining value. A card that is bent, scratched, creased, and shows other signs of damage will be of lower value than a card in pristine condition. If you have Pokémon cards make sure you keep them in immaculate condition!
To sum up, these are the things to look out for when buying and selling Pokémon cards:
- Rarity
- What theme deck is the card from?
- Is the card a 1st edition?
If you find a Pokémon card that ticks all these boxes, then it could be worth thousands of dollars!
Top Tips In This Article
Scott Pratte, our expert card trader and collector, provided lots of tips to make money selling Pokemon cards. Here is his best advice:
- First edition or New Edition? All kidding aside, we know that you know New Edition is a boy band from the 70s and 80s. Still, you need to know what you have in that box of Pokemon cards. In other words, which are the rare cards and which are not. Do you have one of the original holographic cards? Cha-ching.
- Whats the condition of your cards? If theyve been under the bed in a box so light didnt fade them or the dog didnt get to them, you may be in good shape. Never taken out of the wrapper? More cha-ching. That is whats called mint. All cards in good condition are likely worth more than what you paid for them.
- The best place to sell Pokemon cards? Its eBay all the way. It would be great to sell one card for oodles of money and eBay has facilitated some of that. But if you want a big audience and buyers willing to shell out $30 a pop for your cards, you can rack up sales.
- Think youve got something valuable? Consult the Professional Sports Authenticator and get an estimate. This will put you in a good position to haggle with a buyer, which you should expect to do.
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Pokmon World Championships No 1 Trainer
Every copy of this rare and valuable promo card is one-of-a-kind
Sold for $31,200 in April 2021
The first of two rare and valuable Pokémon cards called No. 1 Trainer on this list, this particular card was awarded to winners of the regional Battle Road Spring tournaments held in Japan during early 2002.
The regional tournaments were held as qualifiers for the Pokémon World Championships, with the small number of No. 1 Trainer cards produced for the few winners making them some of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence.
Adding to the card’s rarity is the fact that each No. 1 Trainer card was customised with the name of the tournament winner printed onto the card, making each card one-of-a-kind. According to auction house Heritage Auctions, the personalised aspect of the cards also mean that they rarely appear at auction, making them an even rarer sight in the world of Pokémon cards.
The 2002 No. 1 Trainer card was illustrated by Ken Sugimori, best known as being one of the original artists and designers for Pokémon’s first generation of 151 Pokémon. The text on it reads: “The Pokémon Card Game Official Tournament Battle Road Spring 2002 champion is recognised here, and his honour is praised.” Sugimori’s No. 1 Trainer artwork – featuring fan-favourite Pokémon such as Pikachu, Chansey and Marrill – is exclusive to the card, making it especially unique.
How To Tell If Pokmon Cards Are Fake
Because of Pokémon TCG’s recent explosion in value, the market has been flooded with scammers trying to make a profit. During the release of 2021’s Shining Fates set, the expansion couldn’t be found for half a year due to TCG Pokémon card scalpers. Another major problem that collectors have been facing is the influx of fake Pokémon cards. The easiest way to avoid fraudulent TCG products is to only purchase items directly from official retailers.
Players looking to buy TCG cards online, however, will have to be extra cautious with the collectibles they buy. While fake Pokémon cards have existed since the series launched in the 90s, scammers have gotten incredibly good at creating fraudulent cards that look real. Here are some of the easiest ways to spot fake Pokémon cards.
Although the most valuable Pokémon card collectibles are from retro sets, many modern Pokémon Sword and Shield TCG sets have also had cards selling for a lot of money. Collectors should keep an eye out for Trainer Gallery and Alternate Art cards, as they have been extremely popular with players and fans. And as usual, popular Pokémon such as Charizard has continued to fetch big prices at auctions. With Gen 9 Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releasing in November 2022, the Pokémon Trading Card Game will continue to have collectibles that players can sell for a lot.
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Pay Attention To Fees
Nothing crushes your potential selling profits faster than fees. Its why a number of experienced sellers avoid some of the bigger platforms in favor of niche selling on Facebook once theyve learned the ropes and built a database of fellow collectors over the years. As a beginner seller, or someone who just wants to quickly offload a collection, eBay or Mercari may be your best bet, but it still doesnt hurt to be cautionary about listing upsells.
Bold font. Second category listing. Subtitles. Disproportional promotion campaigns . Theyre all upsells some of the larger companies will offer to pad their bottom line. In some select circumstances, it may be beneficial to use them, but by and large, youre better off passing on all of it and focusing on a great listing with superb photos and a clean, keyword-rich card description.
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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Where To Sell Pokmon Cards For The Most Money Possible
Ready to turn your pocket monsters into pocket money? Here are the best online and in-person ways to sell your Pokémon cards for profit.
So youve got a stack of Pokémon cards to sell. Youve already researched their value, sorted them into penny sleeves, maybe you even had them appraisedor graded. Now its time to figure out where to sell Pokémon cards so you can actually make you a profit. Or maybe you just want to get rid of your collection as quickly and efficiently as possible, while still coming out on top financially. Maybe youre looking to build community and meet other collectors in person while also putting some cash in your pocket. Whatever your motivation, if youre asking, where can I sell my Pokémon cards for the most money, heres the scoop.
Jump to a section…
How To Sell Pokmon Cards On Ebay
Known for allowing the sale of everything from lawnmowers to potato chips, selling on eBay is the number one place to cash in on trading cards.
Because of the bidding function, the low risk for sellers, and the ability to see all other similar sales happening, you gain many advantages from selling here.
Unfortunately, this site does take a small fee from all sellers, but this may be worth it if youve tried on other sites and failed.
To list cards on eBay, you can either start a new listing from scratch or go to the page of a card for sale and click the button on the left side of the screen that says sell one like this.
This shortcut is better for those selling many different cards and who dont want to redo an entire listing for every card.
Another great option with this site is that you can track how the card market is looking. If you notice many cards are selling, and for more, you can post your cards.
If, instead, you find that its a buyers market, its better to save the cards and wait.
The market can shift at any time, so be aware of when its in your corner. eBay is an incredibly versatile platform, whether you want to recycle computers for cash or sell other things around your house.
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Whats The Most Valuable Pokemon Card
The Pikachu Illustrator cards have sold for the highest amount, publicly at least. These cards were awarded to winners of a Pokemon contest held in Japan circa 1998. Less than 40 of these cards are known to exist. In recent years, a few have sold for between $100,000 and $375,000.
Gem mint 10 first edition holographic Charizards from the 1999 base set are nearly as valuable. They have sold for as much as $369,000 at auction.
Should You Invest In Pokmon Cards
According to a report by eBay, Pokémon trading cards are the most traded cards on the site. More popular than sports cards! A 1999 Charizard card sold for over $350,000! The report goes on to say that the trend is expected to continue to grow.
Does this mean you should invest in Pokémon cards?
Its definitely worth investing in Pokémon cards. Rare and collectible cards will likely hold their value and even increase further.
You dont need much knowledge to get started. Provided you are prepared to do some research before buying or selling any cards you should be OK. Most cards can be checked online to find out if they are or will become valuable.
Like all investments, there is a risk of losing money. You could buy a card for more than its worth or trading cards may suddenly become unpopular. These things are possible, but the evidence shows that trading cards are here to stay and becoming ever more popular!
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