How To Make Money Selling Magic Cards

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Pokémon Cards

How To Sell
What Determines Worth
Assessing Your Card's Worth
Where To Sell
Make Informed Decisions
FAQ

Pokemon Cards

apilarinos / iStock.com

Listing your childhood toys online is a good idea if you want to make a pretty penny these days. Pokémon merch, for example, can make you thousands of dollars if you play your cards right. It turns out some fans still gotta catch 'em all.

If you're still holding on to your rare '90s Pokémon cards, you're probably sitting on a gold mine. Perhaps you won't become the next multimillionaire by selling Pokémon cards. However, it's an excellent way to make some extra cash and help improve your finances.

Here's all you need to know to offer your share of these nostalgia-inducing collectibles to the highest bidder.

How To Sell Your Pokémon Cards

The Pokémon craze is real. Already this year, YouTuber Logan Paul purchased about $2 million worth of Pokémon cards, and the rapper Logic paid over $180,000 for a rare Charizard card during an auction.

Who Buys Pokémon Cards These Days?

Celebs aren't the only ones interested in becoming the ultimate Pokémon masters. People all over the internet are excited to bid on these valuable pieces of memorabilia. If you're new to selling Pokémon cards, the process might seem a little daunting, but before you give it a hard pass, think about the potential rewards.

Which Pokémon Cards Are Worth Money?

You might not own any trophy-edition pieces unless you were an avid tournament participant. Still, your regular Pokémon cards can make you a fair amount of money if they have specific characteristics. Some collectors have earned hundreds of dollars — if not thousands — on a single Pokémon card exchange.

The first step toward making your little fortune is dusting off your old Pokémon cards and picking out the right ones to sell. Here are the most valuable Pokémon cards you might actually have:

Card	Set	Estimated Value
Charizard Shadowless Holo	Base Set	$2032
Charizard Star	EX Delta Species	$1500
Rayquaza Star	EX Deoxys	$961.46
Blastoise Shadowless Holo	Base Set	$797.99
Charizard	Plasma Storm	$572.47

What Factors Determine a Pokémon Card's Worth?

Usually, newer cards are not worth much, since collectors can still easily find them on the market. The three main factors that determine the final sale value of your older Pokémon cards are:

Pokémon type
Scarcity
Condition

Pokémon cards from the original Base Set from 1999 are the oldest and rarest. A complete deck of the Base Set can sell for up to $10,000. This set includes 102 cards with beloved classic Pokémon like:

Pikachu
Charizard
Seel
Pidgey
Squirtle

Rarest Pokémon Cards

Some Pokémon cards have special value, including:

Holographic cards: They have reflective and shimmery backgrounds.

Shining Pokémon cards: They are inverse holographic cards.

Full-art cards: Their illustrations extend over the entire front of the card.

First-edition cards: They are among the first to be printed and display the "edition 1" logo on the bottom left corner of the Pokémon illustration.

Rarity Symbols on Pokémon Cards

All Pokémon cards have a symbol that indicates how uncommon they actually are. You can find it in the bottom right corner of the card. The three main rarity symbols are:

Circles: This symbol means the card is ordinary.
Diamonds: This symbol means the card is pretty uncommon.
Stars: This symbol means the card is rare and more valuable.

If your card's collector number is higher than the actual number of cards in the deck, it's probably a secret card, which means it will sell for more money.

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How To Tell How Much Your Pokémon Cards Are Worth?

Now that you've determined you have a rare Pokémon card, you should check if it's still in reasonably good shape. Collectors are unlikely to spend their hard-earned money on Pokémon cards that look old or have tears.

Some online card-selling sites feature databases that list card prices and other relevant information. Some even have automated systems to find the exact card you're looking for.

When in doubt, search for specialized Pokémon trading forums. That's the fastest way to ask your fellow sellers and collectors how much a card is worth.

Where Can You Sell Your Pokémon Cards?

If you choose to sell Pokémon cards on the digital marketplace, be highly descriptive in your listings. Make sure you don't spare any detail, as an omission could make or break a sale.

What Is the Best Website for Selling Pokémon Cards?

Pokémon card-selling sites emerge on the internet by the minute, and some are more reliable than others. Don't always trust the first website that pops up when you're searching. Play it safe and try these options instead:

eBay
Troll and Toad
Cardmarket
Card Cavern
TCGplayer
Facebook Marketplace

Do Pawn Shops Buy Pokémon Cards?

You'll probably have a harder time getting pawn shops to take your common cards, but if you have some rare pieces, go for it! Make sure you know how much you want for your items beforehand, and run a quick Google search to find pawn shops that sell Pokémon cards near you.

Start Selling Your Valuable Pokémon Cards Today

Selling Pokémon cards shouldn't cause you any unnecessary headaches. However, to make the most profit, you must always make informed decisions.

Takeaway

Whether you choose to trade your cards online or face-to-face, make sure you follow basic safety rules to avoid scams and other surprises.

Take the time to do your research, and don't take the first offer. You'd be surprised how much your Pokémon cards can actually sell for.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you're still unsure whether your Pokémon cards are worth something, the following information may rid you of your doubts.

How do you spot a fake Pokémon 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 card's borders. When in doubt, compare your card with others you own that are 100% original.

How do you get your Pokémon cards professionally valued?

Get your Pokémon cards graded by the Professional Sports Authenticator. It uses a 10-point scale that's widely accepted as the industry standard. However, you may want to avoid it if you think your Pokémon card is worth less than $100 since its grading services cost at least $20.

What does it mean when your card has more than one star?

Pokémon cards with more than one star are often rare, as they usually came within promotional and special decks.

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Daniela Rivera is a bilingual freelance content creator with an advertising and media background. She has a Communication Science degree and 10+ years of work experience as a copywriter. She specializes in generating engaging and creative concepts and texts for advertising, e-commerce, blogs, podcasts, and social media.