How to sell Pokemon cards
Pokémon cards have been popular for years. The video game craze has turned into a top dollar industry for trading cards. You may have a Pokémon card collection in your closet or hidden away in the attic like many sports cards. In your group, there may be some gems.
When you sell Pokemon cards, it can be worth a lot of money. There may be some rare cards in your collection. There are a few cards from the Pokémon world championships that are worth up to $1 million.
Many collectors are online and searching for ultra-rare cards and are worth a lot of money, like a Mickey Mantle baseball card. Others have a collection of cards, and they want to add to their hobby. Some Pokémon cards are prized pieces to collectors.
If you have a collection that you think may be worth some money, you can find out quickly what they are worth. There are many online sites to use to get prices. You never know. You could have a fortune and not even know it.
Selling Single Pokémon Cards
To check and see if you have any rare Pokémon cards in your collection, you should begin sorting your collection. The Pokémon Company has made millions of cards, and going through your cards will help you see what you have. Once you know what cards you have, sort them by each set.
The cards’ set will have a small symbol on the old one’s bottom right corner with a Pokémon drawing. If you do not know what the symbols mean, eBay has a list of them and what they mean.
Once you have each set sorted, you will want to put them in numeric order. Some base set cards were released in the U.S. that will not have a selected symbol on them.
After you have sorted through your collection, you want to protect your cards. There are protective soft sleeves that you can use. These sleeves protect the cards from UV light and from getting damaged.
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Next, you should make a list of all of the cards you have. You can see certain symbols on the cards. You may have stars, diamonds, or circles on the cards.
If you have any secret rare cards, you will have Pokémon with stars at each set’s end.
The stars mean that the card is rare. The diamonds represent that the card is Uncommon. The circle indicates that the card is standard. The rare cards are always what you look for. They are worth more money than the others.
Once your collection is sorted and listed, you should go online and price each card. The card prices are constantly changing. Therefore, using a buyer’s guide may not be accurate for these cards.
We suggest eBay has the most accurate prices per card. The actual buyers of the cards are the best way to know what your collection is worth.
Why are people looking for the rarest Pokemon cards?
Let’s take a look back to 2021 when most countries were still under lockdown. People couldn’t do a lot of things outside, so they had to make do with stuff at home.
Since most people are on the internet nowadays, those folks would explore more content on it. They’re bound to encounter the most famous ones, such as content from Logan Paul.
He’s a famous YouTuber who had a match with professional boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. How did this fighter have anything to do with selling Pokemon cards?
On June 7, 2021, he posted on Instagram that his rare Charizard card was his lucky charm in that match. He claimed it was “1st Edition, Pristine PGS 10”, and his card was one of the only three in the world.
What truly caught people’s attention was Logan Paul’s claim that it was worth $1 million. Upon reading that amount, people started to get into the card-collecting craze.
Eventually, it turned out that his card wasn’t legit. A person by the name of Shyne sold him the fake cards, so he received his payment back.
Still, the rush to find the rarest Pokemon cards continue. Many people still see this as an opportunity to strike it big, especially for those who lost their jobs.
Unfortunately, this brought a lot of unintended consequences. Major retailer Target had to suspend selling Pokémon cards and other trading card games after people turned to violence for them.
That’s because of what happened on May 7, 2021. A 35-year-old man had to pull out his firearm after four men assaulted him for the trading cards.
Fortunately, most people are more level-headed when selling Pokemon cards. It’s been a great way for people to earn from stuff they discover while decluttering their homes.
Perhaps you’ve been playing the game back then and you had one of the rare Pokemon cards. If you’ve stored it well, maybe it’s still in mint condition!
What to do before selling Pokémon cards
Let’s say you found a deck of Pokemon cards hidden somewhere at home. Don’t touch the cards right away! Remember when Logan Paul that his card was “pristine?”
Buyers want their cards to be spotless, so those fetch the highest prices. Wear cloth gloves while handling them. Make sure you don’t crease or fold the cards as you look at each one.
Write down details about the cards you have. You will still have to get verification from a professional. Your analysis just makes sure you have a rough estimate of your card’s value.
Here are the details you have to check:
- 1st Edition Cards – If one of the cards has a “1st Edition” logo, you may have a promising one in your hands! This means it’s part of the first print run of that specific set. The Base Set Machamp has this logo through all its print runs, so it’s not as valuable.
- Holographic Cards – You might notice that some of your cards are shinier than others. That means they have a holographic surface, so collectors typically value them more than others. The reverse holographic cards fetch an even higher price!
- Popular Pokemon – One of the reasons why Logan Paul’s card was valuable is that it contained Charizard, one of the well-known Pokemon.
- Card set – Pokemon cards come from a specific card set that came out in certain years. If you found a card you collected in 1999-2002, you might have one from the Base Set. That means it will likely fetch a high price.
- Card condition – Remember the tip about wearing gloves when handling the cards? That’s because you have to make sure you retain its condition when you found it.
Here’s how you can determine the condition of a Pokemon card:
- Surface scratching – At first glance, you might notice dents, dings, or printing defects on your card. The Pokemon cards worth selling are as spotless as possible. After that general inspection, hold your card against light and slightly tilt it at different angles. This will let you see if there are tiny scratches on the card.
- Border Centering – Pokemon cards have a distinct yellow border around them. You want to make sure your card has even borders on all sides.
- Sharp corners – People often pick up cards by pulling from its corner. That part tends to soften and whiten with prolonged use. It would be best if your Pokemon card retains its colors as much as possible.
- Solid edges – Check if your card’s edges have any flaking, whitening, or uneven coloration. Those can make or break valuable Pokemon cards.
Separate the promising cards from the rest of the deck. After that, you should keep each card inside a Card Saver and a penny sleeve. You can buy those from Amazon.
Why get PSA grading for my Pokemon cards?
Checking the value of your cards yourself isn’t enough. If you thought this would turn out like an episode of Pawn Stars, think again. Pawn shops might not be ideal for selling your Pokemon cards.
If you want collectors to take your old Pokemon card collection seriously, you will have to take it to the Professional Sports Authenticator.
The PSA is the most popular card grading company in the world. Not only does it confirm the value of Pokemon cards, but it also does that for baseball cards and other trading card games.
They can legitimize the value of your card, so you’re more likely to succeed in selling it. The inspection you did earlier is the first step to getting a PSA grade.
Here are the rest of the steps for PSA grading:
- Create a PSA Account – You can do this for free, but you can subscribe to their paid subscriptions too. The Gold and Platinum memberships make it more affordable for people to submit bulk orders. You might not need these options if you just got lucky in finding rare Pokemon cards in your attic.
- Start your submission – Open your PSA account and click the green Submit button. Select Pokemon cards, but know that the PSA can rate cards from other trading card games.
- Choose your Submission type – Select the Grading option, and then choose the option to the right that suits your Pokemon cards.
- Choose your service level – Remember when you estimated the value of your cards via initial inspection? That will let your select the right service level. The lowest is called Regular, and it charges $100 per card that has a maximum declared value of $1,499.
- Enter your items – You will now have to choose the cards that you’ll submit to the PSA. Make sure you match all the specific details with the options.
- Print your submission form – Have a copy for yourself and your submission, and make sure you sign both of them.
- Prepare for shipping – Wrap your cards with rubber bands, so they stay together during delivery. Secure them inside the box by lining the inside with air pillows that you can also buy from Amazon. Include it along with the cards inside the shipping box. Write your service time on the box, so the PSA could return them to you as soon as possible.
Once you get your cards back, you’ll notice that they’re now inside a plastic laminate. That means the Professional Sports Authenticator encapsulated your collectibles.
You should also notice a white box in the upper left corner of your card. That shows the card’s rating and its certification number.
Other things to do before selling Pokemon cards online
To check and see if you have any rare Pokemon cards in your collection, you should begin sorting your collection.
The Pokemon Company has made millions of cards, and going through your cards will help you see what you have.
Once you know what cards you have, sort them by each set.
The cards’ set will have a small symbol on the old one’s bottom right corner with a Pokemon drawing.
If you do not know what the symbols mean, eBay has a list of them and what they mean.
Once you have each set sorted, you will want to put them in numeric order. Some base set cards were released in the U.S. that will not have a selected symbol on them.
After you have sorted through your collection, you want to protect your cards. There are protective soft sleeves that you can use. These sleeves protect the cards from UV light and from getting damaged.
Next, you should make a list of all of the cards you have. You can see certain symbols on the cards. You may have stars, diamonds, or circles on the cards.
If you have any Secret rare cards, you will have Pokemon with stars at the end of each set.
The stars mean that the card is rare. The diamonds represent that the card is Uncommon. The circle indicates that the card is standard.
The rare cards are always what you look for. They are worth more money than the others.
Once your collection is sorted and listed, you should go online and price each card. The card prices are constantly changing. Therefore, using a buyer’s guide may not be accurate for these cards.
We suggest eBay has the most accurate prices per card. The actual buyers of the cards are the best way to know what your collection is worth.
Where Can I Sell Pokémon Cards for Money?
Many online sites have Pokémon cards listed for sale. The number one site for how to sell Pokemon cards is eBay. eBay is the preferred site by collectors and sellers.
When you sell Pokémon cards on platforms like eBay, it tends to be easier. eBay has a vast marketplace where cards are auctioned and sold.
Pokémon Prices is another website to go to. They have the price guides of all the cards on this site as well. This site is a good resource for pricing. Pokémon Pricing has a place to sell your cards.
Trends in pricing are listed on this site, which can be very helpful when selling your cards. You can list cards individually on here to sell or as a collection.
Troll and Toad is another site that has a huge fan base for buying and how to sell Pokémon cards. You can sell booster packs, packs, and training boxes on this site. Card Market is another place to sell your cards. It is very easy to sell on this site. You set your price and also grade the cards here.
TCG Player is a vast marketplace for selling game cards. You can sell your cards to the site if you need to get rid of your cards. There is no charge to list your cards.
Comic book stores in your area may be helpful if you need money today. These stores have to make a profit too, so always keep that in mind. Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are sites to put your cards on too. You can sell cards to people who are in your area this way.
Other ways you can sell your Pokemon cards
You may also find professional toy auctions where you can find buyers for your cards. They have premium services that help you with this too.
Note that an auction involves waiting for people to submit purchase offers for your item. This may take a long time before you even get people willing to do so.
You should also be careful about picking an online auction. Otherwise, it might damage your cards or never return them to you. Work with reputable ones like Heritage Auctions.
Alternatively, you could sell to collectors directly. You can find them posting their desired cards on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media websites.
Others post videos on YouTube. They might announce in one of their videos that they want certain cards. They’ve often experienced collectors and avid Pokemon fans, so they’re more willing to pay a high price.
This could be better than an auction house because you don’t have to pay a middleman for your exchange. The buyer’s money just goes to you without any deductions.
The potential downside is that you’re more likely to encounter scammers. They might insist on paying less than what your cards are truly worth.
This is especially true if you haven’t done your homework about card grading. Scammers can sense if you don’t know your stuff, so they can use it to their advantage.
You can prevent this by getting a PSA rating for your Pokemon cards. You can just point to the rating and start a smooth negotiation about the price.
How to negotiate Pokemon card price
This doesn’t mean you should just let go of your cards based on their general value. The collector will likely haggle with you, so prepare to defend yourself with counteroffers.
If you know a lot about your cards, you’ll have a better chance of securing a good price. For example, you could emphasize that your cards are part of a rare set.
This might make the collector realize that he may miss out on a one-of-a-kind card if he doesn’t take your offer. If he’s a Pokemon YouTuber, you might notice that he does card reveals.
In this scenario, you could stress that the collector might have to delay his upcoming content if he doesn’t accept your offer right away. Still, you have to be careful not to press the buyer too much.
Otherwise, they might refuse to buy your cards. You want to sell at the highest price possible without risking the buyer going irate and leaving.
How Much Can You Sell Pokémon Cards For?
Once you have decided where to sell your Pokémon cards and have sorted every set-out, the next question is, how much can you sell your cards for? Some of the error cards are worth a lot of money. The prices range anywhere from $3.00 to $11,000 on eBay.
Some base card sets can be worth up to $200,000. If they are the first edition, you may have found a top seller because it is limited.
The Pikachu trainer trophy cards are worth up to $100,000. These are hard to find. The Holographic Shadowless First Edition Charizard is one of the top-selling cards worth up to $11,999.
If you think you have a top dollar card, do some research and have it graded.
Are selling your Pokémon cards profitable?
How to sell Pokémon cards can be profitable if you have cards that are worth money. Common cards do not sell for much, but you can always check online to see how much your total collection is worth.
When you sell Pokémon cards, it can be profitable in the long run. You may not make money as quickly as you want, but in the long run, you can see some cash.
Final thoughts
You could make money from this if you “buy low, sell high.” Find ways to purchase rare cards at a low price, such as auctions. If you’re a fan, you might stumble upon them by opening card packs.
After that, sell them at a markup on other websites. Note that this might not be the best way to make a living. You’re not always sure that someone will buy from you.
Perhaps you should sell cards as a hobby while you have a regular job. You can have extra time for that if you have a remote job.
