10 Tips: Do you Have Valuable Pokémon Cards?
We have all read and heard of stories of people selling their Pokémon cards for 4 or even 5-figure values. According to discussions over at runrex.com, certain Pokémon cards are extremely valuable and could fetch a fortune in the market when put up for sale. However, the key term in that statement is “some”. This is because there are cards that are not worth that much according to the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com. So, if you have a collection of Pokémon cards, before proclaiming yourself as rich, you must find out if they are valuable. This article will look to highlight 10 tips that will help you find out if you have valuable Pokémon cards.
- Rarity
The rarity of a Pokémon card, as explained over at mtglion.com, determines how likely you are to open it in a booster pack. The rarity of a card is one of the biggest factors that determine the value of a card. To check for a card’s rarity, look at its bottom-right corner where you will find the rarity symbol next to the card number. A circle or a diamond means the card is common or uncommon respectively, and these are not usually that valuable unless they were printed in 1999 or 2000. A star means that the card is rare while a star H or 3 stars means that the card is a special, extra-rare card. If a card is rare, then it could be extremely valuable.
- 1st edition mark
1st edition Pokémon cards are also very valuable, and you should check to see if you have any of them. According to runrex.com, the hallmark that indicates a card is a 1st edition card is located on the center-left side of the card and looks like a “1” inside a black circle, with lines radiating above it. 1st edition cards are among the rarest and most valuable Pokémon cards.
- Shadowless
A “Shadowless” card is one that has no “shadow” underneath its art box as explained over at guttulus.com. Such cards are extremely valuable and will usually sell for a premium. When it comes to “Shadowless” cards, when you look at them you will notice that the border of the card’s art box switches directly into the background which shows that it doesn’t have a “shadow”.
- Secret Rares
Another way you can tell if you have a valuable Pokémon card is by finding out if it is a secret rare. You can do so by looking at its collector number, located at the bottom-right corner according to mtglion.com. If a card is a secret rare, it will have a collector number that is higher than the total number of cards printed in that set. For example, you may see something like “110/105”. Secret rares can also be quite valuable and can go for hundreds of dollars.
- Early printing
As pointed out by the gurus over at runrex.com, cards that were printed soon after the game was released are very valuable. These are cards that were printed between 1999 to 2000 as mentioned earlier. If the card is written “Wizards of the Coast” at the bottom, then it belongs to this category. If it doesn’t have a collector number, then the card is also probably an early printing as well as could be valuable.
- Holographic cards
A holographic card, or holo, will have a shiny, foil layer over its Pokémon artwork from discussions over at guttulus.com. A “Reverse Holo” on the other hand is shiny everywhere around the artwork. These cards can be very valuable particularly if they are rares or secret rares as well which is why it is always important to look for them.
- Extra symbols
Extra symbols on the card could also be a sign that the card is of great value according to the folks over at mtglion.com. Cards whose name is followed by special symbols such as LV.X, LEGEND, BREAK, SP for “Special Pokémon” and so forth could be extremely valuable which is why you should also check your cards for these symbols when deciding if you have valuable Pokémon cards or not.
- FA cards
FA cards, or Full Art cards in full, are can also be very valuable and can fetch a fortune on the market which is why you should check if yours belong in this category. According to discussions over at runrex.com, these cards have a picture that extends over the entire card, with the text printed on top of them. There are extremely rare which is why they are so desirable to collectors and fetch such a fortune.
- World Championship cards
Cards that were given as prizes in official Pokémon tournaments, particularly the official Pokémon World Championships, are also very valuable. According to the gurus over at guttulus.com, this is because these cards are very few since only a handful are printed to be given to competitors. Such cards are also usually banned from competitive play making them even more valuable as collector’s items. World Championship cards have got a different back as compared to original cards, which is one way to find out if you have one. Another way you can do so is by simply conducting an internet search, particularly if you are unsure if the card you are examining is a World Championship card or not.
- Error cards
Last but not least, it is also worth pointing out that Pokémon cards with misprints and errors are also worth a fortune. From discussions over at mtglion.com, such cards are very rare in the market, which means that collectors will pay a premium price to get their hands on them, with their scarcity driving up their value. However, it is important to point out that non-error versions of these cards are usually worth very little if anything at all, which shows that it is the “error” part of these cards that make them valuable with an example being the Pikachu 58/102 error card with misprinted red cheeks which is valued at about $250 on eBay, where it has at least 1 view per hour.
These are just some of the features and characteristics that will let you know if you have a valuable Pokémon card, with more on this wide topic to be found over at the highly regarded runrex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.