HOW TO KNOW THE VALUE OF YOUR POKÉMON CARDS

How to know the value of your Pokémon cards

One of the questions that every card collector asks himself is: How can I find out the price of my cards? The truth is that there is no exact formula that tells us what the price of each specific card is. The closest we could get to this answer is by using specialized websites such as Cardmarket .

However, there are a number of variables that we can look at to determine whether the card has greater or lesser value.

The rarity of the letter

All Pokémon cards have a rarity that determines the probability of obtaining the card. There are several different types and we will usually find these symbols at the bottom of the card. The most important ones are:
    • A circle: means that the card is common. These are the most common and usually have the lowest value.
    • A Diamond: Identifies uncommon cards . They are still quite common to find.
    • A star: means that the card is rare, usually in this section we find the rarest cards, since only one appears per pack. In this section we can find normal cards, holographic cards, fullart cards . A good indicator is the brightness, normally synonymous with the card having value.
    • Other symbols: These usually indicate that the card comes from a special product, not from a card pack. There are different symbols within this category such as " Promo " cards, "Deck cards" or " Amazing cards". rares ". Their prices can vary greatly depending on the letter.

    The year the letter was printed

    As a general rule, cards become more valuable as they age. When a set goes out of print, the price of its cards rises because the sealed product is no longer as readily available to consumers. Looking through older cards can yield some good news in the form of valuable cards .

    Language of the letter

    Another factor to consider when determining the value of your cards is their language. Normally, the most highly valued cards are those in English. However, currently, cards in Spanish are highly valued in the market.

    We must not forget about Asian expansions either. In the market we can find cards from various countries such as Japan or South Korea, with the former being the most highly valued.

    Most popular pokemon cards

    Collectors often look for cards from the most famous Pokémon. In particular, many people look for cards from the first generation. Cards from Pikachu, Eevee or Legendary Pokémon , for example, are often highly sought after cards among buyers. In this section, the absolute king is Charizard . A card of this type is usually synonymous with a valuable card .

    Popular Cards among collectors:

    • Pokémon GoldStar Cards
    • Old Pokémon Shinings cards
    • Pokémon Crystal Cards
    • Modern Shining Pokémon Cards (Luminous in Spanish)
    • Pokémon Amazing Rare Cards
    • Secret Pokémon Cards
    • Alternative Pokémon Cards
    • Cards of a specific Pokémon; People usually collect cards of Pikachu, Charizard, Eevee, Blastoise, Mewtwo, Gyarados, Rayquaza, etc.
    • Waifus Letters

    Status of the letter

    The last factor that influences the price of the card is the state of preservation in which it is found. A card that is in perfect condition ( Mint ) will not be worth the same as one that has been played ( Played ). The better the state of preservation of the card, the higher its value on the market.

    All Card Status from Best to Worst

    1. Mint (M)
    2. Near Mint (NM)
    3. Excellent (EX)
    4. Good (GD)
    5. Light Played (LP)
    6. Played (PL)
    7. Poor

    Mint (M)

    A Mint card is in perfect condition, no excuses. This means that the front is in perfect condition, there are no surface scratches, and the surface is completely clean. On the back, it means that the card is indistinguishable from cards in a newly opened booster pack. For value purposes, the price does not vary greatly between Mint and Near Mint cards, but the standards for defining condition do differ. For cards that are sold mostly for playing, Near Mint condition is usually the predominant condition.


    Near Mint (NM)

    A Near Mint card looks like it has never been played without sleeves. It may have minimal marks, but is generally undamaged.
    The edge of a NM card may have small white marks, but these should be few and very small. When the card is viewed in daylight, the surface should be generally clean. There may be a few minor marks, but scratches should not be tolerated for NM cards.
    Generally, a Near Mint card is in a condition where it would have no markings of any kind if it had been played in an unsleeved deck (something we do not recommend under any circumstances).
    Since Mint condition is not generally used for new issues, Near Mint often means Near Mint or better (equivalent to the American NM/M condition).


    Excellent (EX)

    An Excellent card looks like it has been lightly played with and is not sleeved. Excellent cards can usually be recognized at a glance without a thorough inspection because they are not perfect. However, even if the damage is visible, it is only minor.
    Excellent cards usually have a couple of white marks in the corners or along the edge. The surface may have a few minor scratches, which are visible upon closer inspection. However, the card cannot be judged as Excellent if it has creases so deep that they are visible to the naked eye.
    An Excellent card is a condition where it is not very clear whether the card would be considered marked or not if it were played in an unsleeved deck.
    The American equivalent is Slightly Played or Lightly Played (not to be confused with the European Light Played).


    Good (GD)

    A Good card looks like it has been used for a long time in a tournament without using sleeves.
    Cards in Good condition show very noticeable wear throughout the card. The edges and corners may have many white marks, the surface is often scratched, and the card has usually accumulated some surface dirt. However, the card still has damage that appears to be due to regular play. The card does not show any water damage or creases.
    A Good card (and cards in worse condition) is clearly in a condition where it is not allowed to be played unsleeved as it would be considered a marked card.
    (The American equivalent of this is Moderately Played or Very Good.) Note that 'Good' is a misnomer. A Good card does not look good. In fact, it looks very beat up, making the American nomenclature Very Good even less appropriate.


    Light Played (LP)

    A Light Played card looks like it has been used unsleeved for a very long period of time. It has no alterations (tinted edges, scribbles on the card, etc.). If it has no alterations and is tournament grade, it may look pretty bad, but it can still be considered Light Played.

    The American equivalent is 'Played' or 'Good'.

    Played (PL)

    A Played card has a worn appearance that could be found on a card with regular use without sleeves.

    A Played card looks very bad, and from this state one begins to doubt whether the card can be accepted for tournament play even using sleeves. However, the card has not been altered (tinted edges, scribbles, etc.)

    The American equivalent is Heavily Played or Good.

    Poor

    A Poor card has damage that is not caused by unsleeved use of the card.

    A card in Poor condition is literally destroyed. It is obviously not allowed for tournament play or has been marked in such a way that it ruins the card (scribbles, tinted edges, etc.)

    How to know the status of a Pokémon card:

    Use specialized search engines

    Once you have a card that you think meets any of the above requirements, it's time to find out if it's actually valuable . In Europe, the most common search engine is the Cardmarket website , which offers a complete market with the price of each card. All you have to do is search for the name of the card in the search engine and find the card that matches the one in your collection.

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