Tuesday, April 9, 2024

How To Tell If Your Pokemon Cards Are Worth Money

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Pokemon Card Set Symbols

The Little-Known Method to Determine if Your Pokémon Cards Are Worth Money

Use this handy guide to look up Pokemon card set symbols, set names, and set years.

The most common way to organize Pokemon cards is by set. To identify the set, look for a little symbol at the bottom of the card, next to the card number. There are a bunch of these set symbols 5-6 sets are released every year, each with a different set symbol, and theyve been printing cards since 1999!

The following table is a complete list of Pokemon card sets, sorted by date the newest sets are at the top the oldest are at the bottom. If I missed something, let me know if the comments! I want this to be THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR POKEMON CARD SETS!

The Language Of The Pokemon Card

Most Pokemon cards are printed in either English or Japanese. Japanese Pokemon cards have different set names and numbers to English cards, so theyre often considered separately, and have different valuations applied to them.


However, Pokemon cards are also printed in other languages, such as German, French, and Dutch. These cards will have the same card number as their English varieties, but are often worth slightly less than the English version of the Pokemon card.

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#10 Stormfront Charizard, $489.46

Prepare to see a lot of Charizard on this list. As the series most popular Pokémon, it appears on almost all of the cards here in some form or another.

Stormfront was released in 2008 under the Diamond & Pearl umbrella. While not one of the sets many rare Lv.X Pokémon, Charizard was still a highly coveted Secret Rare, putting him as the most valuable card from the entire set.

Aquapolis Lugia


The Pokémon Company/Wizards of the Coast

#9 Aquapolis Lugia, $490

Aquapolis came from that weird e-Card era of the Pokémon Trading Card game, where cards could be scanned into the e-Reader peripheral for the Gameboy Advance. While the whole thing was a total failure , some of the cards from that time are still pretty valuable. Lugia is the most expensive card from Aquapolis, coming in at around $490-$500.

FireRed & LeafGreens Charizard ex

The Pokémon Company


#8 FireRed & LeafGreen Charizard ex, $500

The return to Kanta in the GameBoy Advance era also saw the TCG follow suit, with a set entirely featuring Pokémon from the original 151. To give it that Advance generation flair, a number of Pokémon also received an ex form, a new feature that was first introduced in EX Ruby & Sapphire. Of course, the #1 card was Charizard ex.

Charizard VMAX from Shining Fates

The Pokémon Company

#7 Shining Fates Charizard VMAX, $510


Base Set Charizard. Note the drop-shadow on the right side of the art frame.

The Pokémon Company/Wizards of the Coast

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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.

Is Your Pokmon Card A Misprint

Pokemon Cards Value

It may sound counterintuitive that an error would make something more valuable, but then, it also makes something more unique and therefore rarer.

Keep in mind mention that a misprinting of a card, doesnt automatically make your card worth more money. As mentioned before, a misprint of a card will generally result in a lower score from a professional card grading service.;

However, there is a market for misprints, and certain well-known misprints, in particular, can drive up the price of a Pokémon card and sell for a decent amount of money.;

One such printing error is the much desired first edition base set Red-cheeked Pikachu, which is currently worth more than $10,000 USD provided that it is in Gem Mint condition.;


Even lower graded version of this card can be seen to be sold for several hundreds of dollars.;

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First Edition Holographic Ninetales

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $3,000

It’s easy to see where Ninetales gets its name although the spelling of “tails” is noticeably different.

And while each of its golden-white tails is catching to the eye, it is said that simply grabbing one of them can result in a 1,000-year curse giving this fox-like Pokémon its reputation of extreme vengeance.

Inspired by the;kitsune;of Japanese folklore, Ninetales holds mysterious powers within its nine tails and can even control the mind with its piercing, red eyes.

First Edition Holographic Gyarados

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,800

This serpentine creature is an extremely temperamental and destructive Pokémon that relies on both its water and flying abilities to unleash its wrath.

Its tough scales are practically impenetrable while its sharp fangs are capable of crushing rocks.

Because it lives in both fresh and saltwater, its best to stay clear of water in general if you want to avoid Gyarados.

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Pokmon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind

An ultra-rare promo card – one of only a dozen ever made

Sold for $65,100 in October 2020

Only 12 Tropical Wind cards were produced as promo cards for the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle, a precursor to the Pokémon World Championships, making it one of the most valuable Pokémon sets around.

The Tropical Mega Battle saw 50 players from around the globe take part in a tournament for the trading card game in Honolulu, Hawaii. The only way to participate was to win a battle in your local region and earn an invite, making it an exclusive event for the best Pokémon trainers in the world – and the cards offered as prizes some of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence.

This particular Tropical Mega Battle promo card, the 1999 Japanese-language copy of Tropical Wind, has sold at auction for as much as $65,100 in PSA Gem Mint 10 condition, with the most recent record-breaking sale taking place in October 2020. PSA estimates its value to be as high as $148,482, making the ultra-rare card a contender for one of the most expensive Pokémon cards ever made.

First Edition Item Finder

Are Your Common Pokemon Cards Worth Money?

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $750

The intent of the Item Finder is exactly as it sounds: it aids players in locating items.

While its name and how it helps players find items greatly changed in later Pokémon games, the first edition card merely instructs the player to discard two cards from his or her hand and replace them with a trainer card.

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Xy Evolutions Charizard Holo Error Card

Misprints and errors are often worth big money in the world of any collectible. This is a newer holo card that is has the starfoil on the entire card. The whole card should not have the starfoil finish, making this one a very interesting and rare error. Newer cards are often not worth as much as the vintage cards from the late 90s, but in this case, it can be worth around a hundred dollars. The Charizard is a flying, flame thrower and in any Pokemon deck is a very powerful card. The Charizard is often seen as one of the most undefeatable and for this reason, these cards in general are worth more money than most other Pokemon, but when you add the interesting error, it really stands out as something special.

What Is Our Pokemon Card Values Chart

Our pokemon card value finder is the largest TCG lookup database that is updated on an hourly basis. Our online price guide tool helps users easily search and instantly find the price of any Pokemon cards. You can search by individual card, by Pokemon name, or browse our Pokemon card set list available for all TCG sets.

People of all ages love Pokemon! We know first hand, as we are major poke-fans ourselves. We grew up collecting Pokemon cards and playing the original games on the gameboy when they first came out. Heck, we remember trading our holographic Charizard card for a copy of Pokemon red for the original gameboy. We love Pokemon and the TCG so much that we dedicated our time to creating this website for other people who love it as much as we do.

Beginning your search is simple. You just type the name of the Pokemon you want to lookup, the Pokemon TCG set name, or the name of the rare Pokemon cards you want to see list information on. We will return you the results that we have in our database and you can easily jump to the next Pokemon, card, and set in line. We believe that browsing cards and finding prices should be simple and easy to do.

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Identifying Valuable Pokmon Cards

  • 1Check card rarity. Each Pokémon card has a rarity that determines how likely you are to open it in a booster pack. While this isn’t the only thing that determines a card’s a value, it’s probably the biggest. Look in the bottom right corner of the card to find the rarity symbol, next to the card number:
  • A circle means the card is common, while a diamond marks uncommon cards. These are easy to find, and not usually worth much unless the card was printed in 1999 or 2000.
  • A star means the card is rare, while a star H or three stars are special, extra-rare cards.XResearch source These rarities have the highest potential to be valuable, so separate them from the rest of your collection.
  • Other symbols typically mean the card was sold as part of a special product, not a booster pack. Try looking up the card as a “Promo”, “Deck Kit”, or “Boxtopper” version to check the price. These can range in price from a few cents to over $100, depending on the product.
  • 2Investigate early cards closely. Cards printed soon after the game was released are especially valuable, and even commons and uncommons might be worth $5 each or more.XResearch source Any card that says “Wizards of the Coast” at the bottom of the card is from 1999 or early 2000, and is worth investigating closely. If one or both of the following features are present, and the card is a rare, it could potentially sell for $100 or more:
  • Pokemon World Championship Master Key Trophy Card

    Here

    Sold in August, 2020 for $26,900

    The Pokémon World Championships are where the best of the best meet each year to battle it out for money, prizes, and the title of Pokémon World Champion.

    Players who earn enough points in qualifiers and smaller tournaments receive a special invitation to compete in the three-day event held in rotating locations.

    The first tournament kicked off in 2004 in Orlando, Florida, but in 2010 the competition made its way to the Hilton in Waikoloa Village, Hawaii.

    Just thirty-six contestants participated in the 2010 event and each received a copy of this beautiful foil card in a special case.

    With so few of them ever produced, they are among the rarest Pokemon cards, and command huge prices if and when they do surface for sale or auction.

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    First Edition Shadowless Holographic Blastoise

    Blastoise has always been a fan favorite from the first generation, so its no surprise that any early, rare prints of this Pokémon are worth big money. Shadowless cards are similar to their regular First Edition counterparts minus the inclusion of the 1st Edition logo. Their name stems from the lack of drop shadows for the illustration window and they are more valuable than the prints that followed. Blastoise was incredibly rare in 1999, which means its considered a novelty today. It would be difficult for the untrained eye to differentiate the many versions of these;initial Blastoise prints. Quite a few can be found on eBay, but coming across the;real First Edition Shadowless Holographic would be quite an impressive feat.

    Use Free Valuation Sites

    Another great way to figure out how much a Pokemon card is worth is to use card valuation sites. These websites allow a user to input a couple details about their card, such as its name and number, and be returned with results about its estimated value.

    Websites like CardMavin compile up-to-date information about how much individual cards are selling for across the internet and use that information to make an estimate about the card’s current value. This is the easiest way to check what a Pokemon card is going for in the present market.

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    The Best Place To Sell Your Pokemon Cards Online: Ebay

    ;The main marketplace is for sure going to be eBay, Pratte says. Even if youre someone who just stumbled upon your childhood collection, its really easy to take a couple of pictures make a decent listing.

    Why eBay? Its home to several high-profile deals, and it also caters to the $20 and $30 transactions. In short, eBay is the perfect meeting ground for nostalgic buyers and sellers and those whove been wheeling and dealing Pokemon cards since the 90s.

    The Top 10 Most Valuable Pokmon Tcg Cards

    Pokemon Cards Value – How To Tell What Your Pokemon Cards Are Worth! (Prices Outdated)

    Pokémon cards are more popular than ever, so do you have some hidden treasures in your collection?

    Joe Parlock

    With the Pokémon Trading Card Games popularity at an all-time high, people are rushing to their old collections and hoping to find a few treasures they can sell. You see stories of cards being flipped for five or even six digits online with alarming regularity, causing the COVID-19 pandemics equivalent of a gold rush.

    However, if youre a casual fan digging out their old binders, there is a slim chance youll find any of those mythical best-sellers in your collection. While paying off your mortgage from one card may be all but impossible, you can still make a healthy profit. With that in mind, here are the top ten most valuable Pokémon cards that you might actually own.

    To work this out, I went through every single Pokémon set on TCGPlayers price database and noted every single card worth with a market value of more than $100. I then removed all promotional cards, including tournament prizes, limited editions, and gift cards given to the games staff. While these can be worth a lot, it is very unlikely someone is going to have them sitting under their bed and simply not know about it.

    Stormfronts Charizard

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    Ex Dragon Frontiers Charizard Gold Star

    Sold in November, 2020 for $30,300

    Released in November 2006, the EX Dragon Frontiers set marked the fifteenth main expansion of the EX Series.

    Of the 101 cards in the set checklist, there are two rare Gold Star cards: Charizard and Mew .

    With the odds of pulling a Charizard thought to be roughly 1 in 144 packs, many collectors never had the fortune of pulling this card from a pack, giving it a reputation as one of the toughest Charizard pulls of any set.

    Featuring a stunning image penned by the gifted hands of Masakazu Fukuda, the eye-appeal of this card is also tough to match as the powerful creature breathes fire onto the edge of the card.

    Free Price Guide For Pokemon Card Values

    Youll need these details:

  • Enter the card name. Printed at the top of the card.
  • Enter the card number Printed at the bottom of the card a number like 101/108 or SM14.
  • There are often different versions of the same Pokemon card , so be sure to pick a few comparables from the search results that are just like your card. This will give you an accurate estimated value for your Pokemon card.
  • For example Charizard 101/108

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    Shining Fates Set List

    The Pokemon Shining Fates set is unique it contains 73 base set cards, plus a Shiny Vault subset containing 122 Shiny Pokemon.

    The Shining Fates set was released on February 19, 2021. The fourth subset in the Sword & Shield Series is comprised of two part; a base set containing 73 cards and a Shiny Vault set containing 122 cards. All the cards in the Shiny Vault subset are Shiny Pokemon.

    Cards from this set are sold in booster packs. Packs will contain a reverse holofoil OR a Shiny Pokemon from the Shiny Vault subset. Youll also find scores of Pokemon V, VMAX, Amazing Rare, Shiny Rare, Shiny Rare V, and Shiny Rare VMAX these cards tend to be the most valuable cards in the Shining Fates set.

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    How to Value and Sell a Pokémon Card (with Pictures)

    If you collected Pokemon cards in your youth, chances are you have an old shoe box storing your collection somewhere in moms basement. Rare Pokemon cards have been known to sell for hundreds if not thousands of dollars, but how can you tell if your cards are actually worth anything? Heres how to determine if your Pokemon cards are valuable collectors items or just a pile of cardboard nostalgia.

    Were going to cover the two main factors that go into determining a Pokemon cards value and then explain how to learn a cards worth and where you can exchange it for money.

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    First Edition Holographic Machamp

    Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $1,000

    The final form of Machop that evolves from Machoke, Machop is an intimidating fighting-type Pokémon who looks like the last thing you’d want to fight.

    Known for its brute force and strength, Machamp is nothing but solid muscle and its four arms allow it to strike opponents from multiple angles at once.

    And not only is Machamp overpowering, it also possesses incredible speed making it capable of throwing as many as 500 punches in one second.

    Wearing a championship belt around its waste, the aptly named Machamp is frequently on the victorious side of the fight.

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