Look For Rare Pokemon Cards
Some cards could be worth more than others because they have unique features like holofoil or a special symbol. Other cards may not have many copies.
Heres how to identify rare Pokemon cards.
Rarity Symbols
To determine how common or uncommon a card is, you can look for rarity symbols.
Most Pokemon cards have one of three rarity symbols:
- Stars: Rare
- Diamonds: Semi-rare
- Circles: Common
Cards with a star icon on the back are the rarest and can be worth the most money. You will want to pay closer attention to these rare cards and look for additional special features that add value.
Holofoil
If you collected Pokemon cards as a kid, you likely got excited when a pack of cards contained a holofoil card. They just looked cooler than all the other cards.
Now theres another reason to be excited about holofoil cards. These cards are more valuable than a standard card thats ink-only. The entire Pokemon image may be holographic or only the reverse side.
Rare Letters
Certain card series have rare letters stamped on the front.
Some examples include these stamped letters:
- GX
- LEGEND
- LV.X
These letter stampings can be for recent releases with the United States version of the Sun & Moon set launching in 2016.
Secret Numbers
Some cards may have a secret number that is higher than the actual number. For example, you might have card number 123 of 100 printed cards.
It can be worth your time to have a professional card grader verify the authenticity and condition of rare cards.
Ebay Looks To Cash In On Trading Cards Boom
Collectors are paying record amounts of money for trading cards of top athletes, including LeBron James, Tom Brady and Mike Trout. Theyre also trying to get their hands on all the Pokémon cards they can.
Now, online auction giant eBay is looking for an even bigger piece of that action.
EBay unveiled new tools on its site Thursday for trading card enthusiasts, which includes things like Pokémon, the Magic: The Gathering game, and the 1980s era Garbage Pail Kids.
The new features will make it easier for users to track the value of individual cards and list them for sale on eBay as well as manage their collections.
The tools make it less cumbersome and more transparent and streamlined, said Nicole Colombo, general manager of trading cards and collectibles at eBay, in an interview with CNN Business.
The sports trading card market alone is worth more than $5 billion, according to various industry group estimates.
Colombo said the new features will allow collectors to track the prices of their trading card portfolios much as investors can with stocks in an online brokerage account. She noted that some top basketball cards are trading for more than $100,000, including a rookie card of the late Kobe Bryant.
But eBay faces tough competition in the collectibles world, particularly from upstarts selling digital trading cards via non-fungible tokens, or NFTs.
EBay is the home for all collectibles, but we believe we will see strength in physical cardboard cards, she said.
Black Star Promo Cards 19992002
The Black Star Promo cards were given out in a variety of ways, such as Pokémon League, the Pokémon Movie, in magazines, mail giveaways, and even in a VHS/DVD release.
There are 53 cards in the set, not including error cards, and many have low populations. There are expensive Black Star Promos, such as #24 Birthday Pikachu, #40 Pokémon Center & #41 Lucky Stadium, which I believe is the coolest promo card in the set. The artwork of Charizard with Pikachu and Picchu on his back is legendary. If only there were a holographic version.
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Most Valuable Pokmon Cards To Sell On Ebay
Below we look at 10 of the most expensive single Pokémon cards to have sold on eBay, according to data published by Heritage Auctions, originally sourced from HobbyLark, a games and hobbies information website.
Pokémon Pikachu Illustrator Promo Graded PSA 9 Mint Rarest Card Highest Grade
- Selling price: $90,000
- Date sold: May 8, 2014
Torchic Holo Card And Toy
- Selling price: $10,000
- Date sold: April 2, 2014
Pokémon Dark Dragonite 1st Edition Error Card 5/82 Near Mint/Mint Condition
- Selling price: $9,999
- Date sold: June 5, 2013
Faded Marowak Error
- Date sold: October 3, 2013
Pokémon Tropical Mega Battle Prize Card The Original One In PSA 10 Condition
- Selling price: $8,000
- Date sold: November 12, 2012
PSA 10 Misprint Shadowless First 1st Edition Dragonair Rare Pokémon Card Mint
- Selling price: $4,000
- Date sold: April 27, 2014
1st Edition Shadowless Charizard 4/102 Pokémon Card PSA 10 Mint Holy Grail
- Selling price: $3,650.99
- Date sold: April 13, 2014
1999 Pokémon Game 1st Edition #4 Charizard Holo PSA 10 Gem Mint
- Selling price: $3,350
- Date sold: September 28, 2014
1999 Pokémon Game 1st Edition #4 Charizard Holo PSA 10 Gem Mint
- Selling price: $3,050
- Date sold: July 10, 2014
Pokémon Card Gold Star PSA 10 Gem Mint Espeon Rare
- Selling price: $3,000
- Date sold: June 22, 2014
How Do I Determine Card Value
Card condition and rarity both heavily dictate value, so make sure to familiarize yourself with the aspects of determining each.
- Card Condition: Those looking to turn a profit should consider having their collection graded. The condition of the collection largely determines the grade it receives and ultimately, its resale value. Cards with no visible defects on either side are considered mint or near mint, so make sure to avoid those that are scratched, whitened, torn, or stamped, as these imperfections reduce value.
- Card Rarity: Pokemon single cards feature a tiny symbol on their bottom right-hand corner which indicates the cards rarity. A circle on your card indicates that it is common, whereas a diamond informs you that it is uncommon. Likewise, a star indicates that it is rare hologram cards fall into this category. These rare holos feature a shiny, foil layer over the artwork. A star “H” or three stars indicate ultra-rare cards and are thus the most valuable type. Promo cards are generally of little value and are not considered rare.
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Over Half A Million Pokmon Trading Cards Were Sold On Ebay In 2019
The second-hand Pokémon market is going strong.
The new Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion added more than 200 cards and brought the eighth generation of Pokémon into the TCG for the first time, which means there are more cards for players to add to their collection.
TCG collecting is a common hobby and eBay is where most collectors go to try and grab some good deals on cards they dont already have or need to build a deck around for competitive play.
Throughout 2019, there were more than 19 million searches for Pokémon on eBay and more than 500,000 Pokémon Trading Cards sold on the website during that period. Those numbers come directly from eBays internal research based on search and sales data for the previous year.
Along with that data for the general search and sales totals for the year, eBay was also able to compile a list of the most expensive cards sold, the most popular Pokémon in terms of individual search, and the overall best selling titles from each of the major areas that Pokémon occupies as a brand.
Here are the highlights, according to eBay data:
Buy Pikachu Illustrator Card On Ebay
When I was a kid, there were only 151 Pokémon, and the Charizard card was king. Nobody actually knew how to play the game, but he had one of the highest attacks , a massive 120 HP, and a great shiny background. Simpler times and the most expensive Pokemon cards were at the most $20.
As it turns out, many of the rarest cards had already been released in Japan by then, available to a select few from the region. As for the Charizard, its still highly coveted, with a copy selling for $369,000 in December 2020.
Heres a rundown with seven of the most interesting and scarce Pokemon cards in existence, along with investment advice for the long-term if you manage to add one to your collection.
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Some Fans Stayed Away To Support Striking Workers
But not all Pokemon fans immediately joined in on the cookie craze. Employees for Nabisco, the company that makes Oreos, went on strike in five states last month to protest unfair demands. As part of the strike, workers asked the public to boycott Nabisco products, and some, like one Kotaku writer, chose to honor that request, rare cookies be damned.
The strike, however, ended with a union vote last week, according to the Huffington Post. So if you’re so inclined, there may still be time to catch ’em all.
Is The Card Market A Bubble Ready To Pop
Everyone Marketplace spoke with gave us mostly the same assessment: prices for some cards will probably decrease eventually, but theyre not going to tank so badly that the entire market will crash.
The degree of the decline and when will depend on the type of card, according to Eugene Smith. The vintage cards released back in the 90s are no longer being printed and are basically part of history now, meaning many of them will likely continue to have value.
But because grading companies like PSA are still going through a backlog of cards, Smith thinks there will be an increase in supply.
Then post-holidays, theres going to be far less consumer spending happening. Its pretty much a perfect scenario for a decrease a correction, Smith said of the Pokémon vintage card market.
Garcia agrees that prices will eventually level off, although he doesnt think theyll dip that drastically.
Pokémon is one of those things thats never gone out of style, he said.
Since Pokémon first launched on the GameBoy in 1996, the franchise has spawned the trading card game, a wildly popular anime series that continues to run new episodes, dozens of console games and Pokémon Go, which was The Summer Event of 2016 and helped add $7.5 billion in market value to Nintendo within 48 hours.
Many collectors, like Caitlin Sidhu, Kalvin Foley and Jason A., became Pokémon fans when they were kids, proving its longevity.
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Card Decks Boosters And Individual Cards
The Pokémon Trading Card Game – also known simply as PTCG – has evolved itself over the years to include many different card games and card types. Youll find most of these, plus booster packs and individual and rare cards right here on eBay – buy and sell your Pokémon cards until you reach collection perfection! Did you know that eBay also has a huge range of individual and collectible cards from other trading card games too?
Pokmon Fossil 1st Edition Prerelease Aerodactyl
The second Prerelease given out to the public, Aerodactyl has seen a steady increase in price since 2019, when PSA 9 grades were valued under $40. $152 is the top sale in 2020 for PSA 9, with many sales between $70-$100 recently. PSA 8 grades are still around $40. With only 304 total graded, and 15 PSA 10s, there is a lot of upside with this prehistoric Pokémon.
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Jungle 1st Edition Meowth #56
Which Pokémon character had the most exposure on the TV show after Pikachu? Meowth, thats right!
The Jungle 1st Edition set has seen steady profits since the fall of 2019. A Meowth PSA 10 was fetching $20 then, with current sales averaging $50 and a top sale of $102.50 on August 8. PSA 9 prices have stayed under $25, but that wont last. Consider this there are only 370 graded 1st edition Meowth cards right now. That number will increase, but that wont matter when there are only 229 total PSA.
10s and 124 PSA 9s. Time to go Team Rocket and snatch up every single one that you can.
Supply Chain Crunch Has Americans In A Scramble Find Out Why
New York Collectors are paying record amounts of money for trading cards of top athletes, including LeBron James, Tom Brady and Mike Trout. They’re also trying to get their hands on all the Pokémon cards they can.
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Most Valuable Pokemon Cards To Sell On Ebay
Pokémon trading cards have seen a resurgence in recent years. Some of the most expensive single Pokémon cards ever sold on eBay reportedly range in price from $3,000 to $90,000.
The popularity of the cards surged following the launch of the Pokémon Go mobile app back in 2016, which “resurrected Pokémon mania,” Texas-based Heritage Auctions noted at the time.
Heritage Auctions describes itself as “the largest auction house founded in the United States and the world’s third largest,” according to its website.
Pokémon cards first landed on the U.S. market from Japan in the late 1990s. “Prices soared, with common cards often trading for $10-$50 or more online and in school playgrounds” at the time before their popularity faded in the mid to late 2000s, according to Heritage Auctions.
But Pokémon card prices have now skyrocketed. Among the highest priced Pokémon cards sold recently was a copy of a 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard card. The copy was sold at an auction for $360,000 a few months after a 1st edition of the card was purchased in October 2020 for $150,000 by YouTuber Logan Paul.
Back in February, the Pokémon franchise marked its 25th anniversary.
PSA’s grading system values cards using a 10-point grading scale.
What Types Of Trading Single Cards Are There
There are three main types of Pokemon cards: character, energy, and trainer. All three card types are needed to successfully compete in the trading card game.
- Character Cards: These Pokemon cards depict various characters and how evolved they are. The character on the card may be in its basic form, Stage One form, or in Stage Two form. Character cards are some of the most powerful in the game. These characters are also present in the online game, Pokemon Legends.
- Energy Cards: This type of Pokemon card is necessary to power your Pokemon throughout the game. You can also find Special Energy cards that provide a different type of boost, depending on your character. Energy cards can be found within each booster pack.
- Trainer Cards: Trainer Pokemon cards can be used for items, supporters, and stadiums during battle. Many contain special rules, which are indicated towards the bottom of the card.
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Hottest Pokmon Card Auctions On Ebay
Youd have to have grown up in a cave on a remote island not to know the trading card game that has gone from casual pastime to collecting phenomenon during its relatively short lifetime. Now, chasing some of the rarest and most popular cards issued over the last 20-plus years have collectors and fans to the most watched Pokémon card auctions on eBay.
Whether seeking out sets, bulk lots, high-grade 1st edition cards, shadowless cards, error cards and other rarities or maybe even rare unopened boxes, the market has become a vibrant one. Daily card sales on eBay have skyrocketed.
Grading Pokémon cards has become a phenomenon on its own and its the graded cards that have given rise to some of the best eBay Pokémon auctions. PSA, a division of Collectors Universe, has now graded over one million Pokémon cards, most within the last few years. Pokémon Go has played a big role in resurrecting Pokémon mania.
Every generation defines what is nostalgic to them, says Collectors Universe President Joe Orlando. Pokémon started its rise in the U.S. during the late 1990s. Today, the young people who were playing the classic game then are now well into adulthood. As a result, the game has enjoyed a kind of rebirth in the hobby. That fact coupled with the continued global popularity of the game enabled PSA to reach the million-card milestone.
The top 4 Pokémon cards sold on eBay?
1. Charizard
The Cookies Are The Latest In A Long Line Of Pokemon Crazes
While collectable cookies may sound like an outlandish idea, it’s par for the course for the Pokemon franchise, whose products have encouraged devotion sometimes verging on mass hysteria for decades now.
“The thing about Pokemon, it was designed for people to just go collector crazy,” Dennis Lee, a staff writer with The Takeout told Weekend Edition. “So you’ve got some characters that are really hard to capture, and the scarcity is what really drives up the prices.”
Pokemon card collection became the hot new hobby for kids and many adults in the ’90s, and it’s a subculture that’s still going strong today. Some who have been diligent collectors have profited considerably: there are Pokemon cards that have sold for more than $45,000, according to the gaming site Kotaku.
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How Value Is Determined
The surge in Pokémon card prices doesnt necessarily mean every card is worth a lot of money or will be.
I think prices will rise for some cards, but obviously not all cards, which is what some people dont get, Caitlin Sidhu explained. If cards are still in print, they wont rise in price. Once the card is out of print it may go up in price, but its not guaranteed.
Jason A., a collector from East Tennessee who declined to give his last name, compared it to the stock market: You can take a bet on a cards value. Is it going to increase? Is it going to flop? Or is it just gonna stay steady?
There are plenty of cards out there that when they first got released are still the same price that they were back then, he said.
A cards scarcity, condition and the actual Pokémon on it all play a role in its value. First edition holographic cards released as part of Pokémons first print in 1999 command high prices especially Charizard.
Why is he always so coveted? In that first set, he was objectively the most powerful, with both the highest HP and the strongest attack. But maybe the reason for his appeal is more obvious than that.
I mean, hes a dragon. Kids love dragons, Garcia said. In the cartoon show, he was kind of rebellious, did whatever he wanted.
Kalvin Foley, after losing his eBay bid, said he was able to finally obtain his Rainbow Vmax Charizard in a private sale.
Only 39 were initially released through a Japanese comic contest in 1998.