Pokemon card value
Pokemon card value: what is your card worth?
Pokemon card value from one photo of the card: the exact card and printing, a value range from recent sold prices in a condition like yours, a fake check, and whether to sell, hold or grade it.
The result
What the Pokemon card value report shows
One card per photo, read in this order: which card it is, what it is worth, whether it is real, and what to do with it.
The Pokémon, the set, the card number, the rarity and the edition, with the close printings it was checked against. Not the right card? Choose another from the list.
Centering, corners, edges and surface as the photo shows them: a read, not a grade.
Raw value by condition from recent sold prices for that printing, with the date and the number of sales behind it, and which way prices are moving.
The risk areas the photo shows, such as text, colours, print lines and the holo pattern, each marked as matching the real printing or not.
What a grade could add against the grading fee, and the plain call.
- Don't grade
- Maybe grade
- Send it to a grader
Where a card like yours sells: an online marketplace, a local card store or an auction.
- Sell now
- Hold
- Grade first
Method
How the Pokemon card price check works
- 01
Take a photo of the card
The front, out of the sleeve, flat on a plain surface, with the camera straight above and all four corners in the frame. One photo of the front is all it needs.
- 02
Identify the exact card
The Pokémon, the set symbol, the card number, the rarity symbol and the edition. You confirm the match, or choose the right card from the close printings.
- 03
It prices the card from sold prices
Recent sold prices for that printing in a condition like yours, never asking prices, raw and graded kept apart, with the date.
- 04
It checks for fakes
Text, font, colours, print and holo pattern, compared with the real printing. A flag says what to look at, not that the card is fake.
- 05
You decide: sell, hold or grade
The report says which, and why: where to sell, or what a professional grade could add after the fee.
Reference
Pokemon card lookup: what the photo is read for
The name of the Pokémon is only the start. The same Pokémon is printed in many sets and rarities, so the lookup reads every mark on the card before it looks at prices.
- Set symbol
A small symbol that names the expansion the card comes from. The first set (1996 in Japan, Base Set in English) is the only expansion without a set symbol, apart from misprinted Jungle cards.
- Card number
The card's number in its set, printed with the set's size. A Secret Rare carries a number past the printed size of the set, such as 242/220.
- Rarity symbol
A shape in the bottom corner: a circle for Common, a diamond for Uncommon and a star for Rare. Japanese cards use letters instead, from C, U and R up to RR, SR and UR.
- Holo and Reverse Holo
A Holo Rare has a holographic illustration. A Reverse Holo, of any rarity, has the holographic texture everywhere on the card except the illustration.
- Full Art and Secret Rare
Full Art cards carry artwork over the whole card. Secret Rares can add a gold trim, a shiny scheme or a rainbow foil, the Rainbow Rare.
- 1st Edition and early sets
The 1st Edition Base Set and the First Generation sets (Base Set to Gym Challenge) are among the rarest and most expensive Pokémon cards.
Source: Wikipedia (Pokémon Trading Card Game), as of
Reference
A TCG Pokemon cards price guide built from sold prices
A price guide that lists one figure per card hides what decides the price. The report keeps each of these apart, so you compare like with like.
- The exact printing
Set, number, rarity and edition, and the close printings the card was checked against. Two printings of the same Pokémon can sell very differently.
- Rarity is not the whole story
Pokémon cards are valued by rarity, but a lower rarity card can be worth more than a higher one: popularity in play, the card's age and how many were printed count too.
- Condition
Centering, corners, edges and surface, read from the photo. Colour spots, blurred print, creases, scratches and tears count against a card.
- Raw or graded
A card with a high grade can be worth much more than its ungraded copy, so raw and graded prices are never mixed in one figure.
- Sold, not asking
Values come from recent sold prices, never from asking prices. Each range carries its date.
Source: Wikipedia (Pokémon Trading Card Game; Trading card; Base Set (Pokémon)), as of
Reference
How to tell if a Pokemon card is fake
The fake check compares your photo with the real printing of the card the lookup found, and flags what does not match. A flag is a reason to look closer, not a verdict.
- Text and font
Spelling, the attack and HP text, and a font that does not match the real printing.
- Colours and print
Colours that are washed out or too dark, blurred lines and a pattern of print dots that the real card does not show.
- Holo pattern
A holographic area in the wrong place, or a foil pattern that does not match the printing it claims to be.
- Layout and symbols
A set symbol, card number or rarity symbol that does not belong to the card it sits on.
- Edges and cut
The cut and the edges as the front photo shows them. The check reads the front only for now.
Photos
How to take a photo of a Pokemon card
Out of the sleeve, flat, in daylight, with all four corners in frame. One card at a time.
Do
Take it out of the sleeve
A sleeve or a top loader glares and hides the surface. Hold the card by its edges.
Shoot from above
On a plain, dark surface with the camera straight above it, so the borders and the centering look as they are.
Keep the corners in frame
Corners, edges and the card number at the bottom decide the lookup and the condition read.
Use daylight
Near a window, out of direct sun: daylight shows print lines, scratches and whitening on the edges.
Angle a holo away from the light
A holographic card glares easily. Move the card or the lamp until the holo pattern shows without a bright spot.
Don't
No flash
Flash puts glare on the holo and the gloss and hides the surface.
Leave a bent card as it is
Do not rub or flatten it first. Photograph it as it is.
No stacks or binder pages
One card per photo: a binder page or a pile makes the lookup guess.
Reference
Pokemon card grading words, from Poor 1 to Pristine 10
Many collectors send cards to a professional grading service. These are the words on the label, on the scale of one grading company.
- Pristine 10
A virtually flawless card to the naked eye, with 50/50 centering and flawless colour and registration.
- Gem Mint 10
A 10 overall where one criterion falls short of Pristine: corners look perfect to the naked eye, the surface is free of print spots and has perfect gloss.
- Mint 9
Four sharp corners with only minor wear. For trading card game cards, only a few minor manufacturing or handling defects.
- Authentic Altered
Printed in the grade box when a card is authentic but has been altered, for example recoloured or trimmed.
- Poor 1
Major surface damage, such as severe creasing that breaks the surface, or a missing part of the card.
Source: CGC Cards (grading scale), as of
Scope
What the Pokemon card scanner can and cannot tell
A photo can show
- The exact card: set, number, rarity, edition and printing
- A condition read of centering, corners, edges and surface
- A value range from recent sold prices, raw and graded apart
- Signs of a fake or an altered card that show in a photo
- Whether to sell, hold or send the card for grading
Only an expert with it in hand can tell
- An official grade: only a grading company gives one
- Prove that a rare holo or a 1st Edition card is genuine
- A re-coloured holo or a trimmed edge the front photo does not show
- What a buyer will pay on the day
A market price alone does not say what to do with the card. This check adds a fake check, a grading decision and a selling path, and trying it needs no subscription.
Next
After the Pokemon card value check
The report ends with one call. These are the moves behind each one.
- 01
Sell it raw
Compare your card with recent sold prices of the same printing and condition, not with asking prices, then list it where cards like it sell.
- 02
Hold it
Keep it in a sleeve and a top loader, out of the sun, and check the price again later. Card sleeves protect cards from wear and tear.
- 03
Send it for grading
When top-grade copies of that printing sell far above raw ones and your card looks close to flawless: the fee is paid whatever grade comes back.
- 04
Check a graded card's number
Look up the certification number on the grader's own site: the record should show the same card and grade.
Free Pokemon card price check: no card, no account
Your first checks are free: trying the form needs no credit card and no account, and there is no app to download from an app store. It works in your browser on a phone or a computer.
Limits
What a Pokemon card value estimate cannot promise
Values are estimates from recent sold prices, not an offer or an appraisal, and the condition read is not a grade. We do not buy cards. Not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, Nintendo, Creatures, Game Freak or any grading company.
FAQ
Pokemon card value: frequently asked questions
How can I check my Pokemon card value?
Take a photo of the front of the card and use the form on this page. The check identifies the exact card and printing, then shows a value range from recent sold prices in a condition like yours, so you know the current market for that printing.
How do I check if my Pokemon cards are valuable?
Find the exact printing first: the set symbol, the card number and the rarity symbol. Then compare it with what the same printing sold for. The report does both, card by card.
Is there a free online Pokemon card value scanner?
This one works online in your browser, and your first checks are free: trying the form needs no account, no credit card and no app.
What Pokemon card is worth money?
Rarity is a start, but not the whole answer: a lower rarity card can be worth more than a higher one. The 1st Edition Base Set and the First Generation sets (Base Set to Gym Challenge) are among the rarest. Condition, popularity and the exact printing decide the rest.
How to tell if a Pokemon card is rare?
Look at the bottom corner: a circle is Common, a diamond Uncommon, a star Rare. Japanese cards use letters, from C up to UR. A card number past the set's printed size, such as 242/220, marks a Secret Rare.
How to tell fake Pokemon cards from real ones?
Compare the card with the real printing: the text and font, the colours, the print, the holo pattern and the symbols. The fake check does that comparison from your photo and flags what does not match. A photo cannot prove a card is genuine; a grading company can.
How much is my Pokemon card worth?
That depends on the exact printing, its condition and whether it is graded. The report gives a raw value range from recent sold prices, with the date of the sales, and keeps graded prices apart.
Should I get my Pokemon cards graded?
Only when the numbers add up. A high grade can make a card worth much more than its raw copy, and collectors often use a PSA 10 value as the benchmark for what a card can reach, but the fee is paid whatever grade comes back. The report says don't grade, maybe or send it, with the reason.
How does this Pokemon card scanner identify my card and find the price?
It reads the set symbol, the card number, the rarity and the edition from the photo and shows you the match to confirm. Then it looks up recent sold prices for that printing.
Why are Pokemon card prices so different from one app to the next?
Prices differ with what they are built from: asking or sold prices, raw or graded sales. The report shows sold prices for one printing in one condition, with the number of sales, so you can see what the range rests on.
What is the difference between Gem Mint 10 and Pristine 10 on a Pokemon card?
On the scale of one grading company, Pristine 10 is a virtually flawless card with 50/50 centering; Gem Mint 10 is a 10 where one criterion falls short of that. The grading words above list the steps down to Poor 1.
What if the scanner picks the wrong card?
You see the match before any price, with the close printings next to it. Choose the right one and the value range follows it.
Does it work for Japanese Pokemon cards?
It reads the Japanese rarity letters as well as the English rarity symbols. Prices for a Japanese printing are kept apart from the English one.
Can I scan a whole binder or collection?
Scan one card at a time: take each card out of the binder page so the corners and the card number are in the photo. Card by card, you get to know what the collection holds.
Is a Pokemon card price check the same as an appraisal?
No. It is an estimate from recent sales to help you decide what to do, not an offer and not a formal appraisal. We do not buy cards.
Pulled something shiny, or found an old binder?
Try it with one card: take a photo out of the sleeve and see its value range, the fake check and what to do next.