How Much Is Your Pokemon Card Worth? A Quick Guide

There are many Pokemon cards but how much is your card worth? This Quick guide will show you how to determine how much your card is worth and what to do next.

Contents

How Can I Check How Much My Pokemon Card Is Worth?

Summary Video

Why Are Pokemon Cards Worth Money?

What To Do With My Card?

To determine the value of your Pokemon card, you can use different tools and websites to compare prices. When checking the value of a Pokemon card, you want to check multiple sources to gauge its estimated worth. To check how much a card is worth, go to one of the services below and search for the card. You will want to search for the name of the card and its card number. You will find the card number on the bottom left. For example, you could search Charizard ex 234/091.

The most reputable websites to check Include:

• eBay

• Price Charting

• TCGPlayer

• CardMarvin

However, if a card is very rare it might not be listed on these websites. Instead, you could search for it online and see if there are any mentions of it or any sales on popular auction websites.

Please be careful when checking the value of a card. Make sure the sales used to gauge the value of your card are indeed your card. Even a minor variation can significantly alter the worth of your card. For example, an ungraded Base Set Charizard can be worth up to $200, but a Base Set Charizard without a shadow on the border can be worth up to $600.

How To Check How Much A Pokemon Card Is Worth

Pokemon cards can be valuable due to a variety of factors, including rarity, popularity, demand, age, set, artwork, condition, grading and limited editions. The most expensive cards usually have a combination of these factors. However, there are instances where Pokemon cards sell for a lot of money without meeting these requirements.

Why Are Pokemon Cards Worth Money?

Rarity can determine a card's value because of the varying quantities of a type of card. Before the Scarlet & Violet series, card rarity was split into three main categories: Common, Uncommon, and Rare. Different symbols were used to represent each level of rarity. A black circle indicated a Common card, a black diamond for Uncommon, and a black star for Rare.

In Scarlet & Violet, the rarity system changed. The previous system was deemed too broad for Rare cards, which ranged from regular, low-value cards to high-value secret rare cards.

The new system introduced additional categories, including Double Rare, Ultra Rare, Illustration Rare, Special Illustration Rare, and Hyper Rare. Each category has a unique symbol.

Rarity

The Popularity of a Pokemon among fans can drive the value of a card up. For example, an extreme case is Charizard. A Pokemon card with Charizard is likely to be worth far more. This happens because Charizard is so popular among fans and collectors. Other popular Pokemon include Mew, Mewtwo, Pikachu, Greninja, Gengar and more. Generally, most starter Pokemon and legendary Pokemon will have a greater chance of a high value.

Pokemon Popularity

The demand for a card will increase the worth of a card. A high demand for a card can be caused: by its limited availability, popularity, strength in the Pokemon TCG and age. The most important thing to remember if you own a card in high demand is to recognise that it might not last.

Card Demand

Nearly all the most expensive Pokemon cards are old and were released at the beginning of the Pokemon TCG. However, an old card will not guarantee its value. Instead, being an old card amplifies the value of the rare cards from those early expansions and the early limited edition cards to extraordinary levels.

Age

The set a card has been released in can increase or decrease its worth. For example, as previously mentioned, cards from an old set like Base Set will have a higher chance of being worth a bunch of money. But this doesn’t apply to just old sets but also to popular ones.

A good example is Evolving Skies. Evolving Skies, released on August 27, 2021. Evolving Skies is a newer set. However, the expansion was super popular because of the Pokemon, unique artworks and concepts used within it. This popularity made the set expensive to purchase and the cards in it more expensive.

Set

There is a wide variety of card artwork. There are basic artworks, holo artworks, full artworks, rainbow artworks, golden artworks and more. Each artwork can bring a different amount of additional value to a card. Different artworks are prominent in different sets throughout the history of the Pokemon TCG. The best artworks are assigned to the rarest cards.

For example, in Scarlet & Violet, the rarest artworks cover the card's surface with detailed illustrations of the Pokemon. These are known as Special illustration rares. And they have a rarity category.

Artwork

The condition of a card is the most essential factor for a valuable card. A card in perfect condition can be 10x its value. However, a card in terrible condition can be worth nothing. The condition is decided by looking for scratches, scuffs, stains, printing errors and other imperfections.

Grading a card is having its condition evaluated by a grading service. The condition of the card is ranked, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a card in perfect condition and one being in an awful condition that is hard to sell. If you do not get your card graded, it has an ungraded price that falls between a 10 and a 1. However, an ungraded card in good condition is worth more than one in worse condition. The most popular grading services are PSA, BGS, CGC, and PGC, but the best choice may vary depending on where you live.

Condition & Grading

Lastly, the most expensive Pokemon cards are in some way limited editions. For example, the Pikachu Illustrator card is the most expensive Pokemon card. It was an exclusive limited edition card only given to the winners of an illustration competition in 1997. The most valuable Limited edition cards are from competitions or special events.

Limited Edition / Exclusive Cards

If your Pokemon card is worth a decent sum, you could sell, grade or store it. The first decision is whether you plan on grading your card. If not that’s fine, and it will still be a valuable card. However, if you think your card is in good condition, you can choose to grade it.

Grading a Pokemon card is a complex process, but is worth it. To Grade a card I’d recommend one of three services: PSA, CGC and BGS. Each service has Pros and cons, it's up to you which you pick.

However, PSA is the most popular option. A PSA-graded card has the most value in the market. Each service will provide a step-by-step guide to submit your card. The price of grading a card can vary depending on the value of what you submit. The more expensive the card, the more expensive the grading will be. The whole process can take up to a year. However, when the card returns, its value can be significantly more than before the grading. An important warning is to be incredibly careful with the process. Please do your research to ensure that the service you choose will insure the card if it were to be damaged or lost.

The next decision you will want to make is to store it as a part of your collection or to sell it. To sell the card, you have a few options. You could sell it to a local card shop or online through a trusted platform like eBay. Now you know the value, you won't lose a valuable card.

If you’d like to store the card, then please do so carefully. Do not leave the card exposed to direct sunlight or moisture. Keep it safely stored in a sleeve and protective case or inside a high-quality binder.

What To Do With My Pokemon Card?

To conclude, knowing the worth of your Pokemon card can be rewarding or disappointing. In my opinion, even if your card isn’t worth anything, you can still enjoy it as a piece of personal memorabilia. Check out other articles about the latest Pokemon TCG Set and How To Check For Fake Pokemon Cards.

Conclusion

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