Are my Pokémon cards worth anything? How to check
Most Pokémon cards sell for very little. A small number sell for a lot, and the difference comes down to four things you can check at home: which printing the card is, how rare it is, what condition it is in, and what the same card has sold for recently.
Pokémon itself will not value your cards. Its support page says The Pokémon Company International does not track resale values, and that the community sets them. So the job is yours, and this guide gives you the steps in order.
No prices appear on this page on purpose. A price in an article is out of date the week after it goes up. The method below gives you today's price for your exact card.
Step 1: Work out which era the card is from
PSA's Pokémon collecting guide gives the short history:
- The Pokémon Trading Card Game started in Japan in 1996 and reached the United States in 1999.
- Wizards of the Coast printed the English cards from 1999 to 2003. Collectors treat these cards as vintage.
So a card from 1999 is one of the early Wizards of the Coast English cards. The card's set tells you more. Pokémon's card database guide says you identify a card's expansion by the icon in the bottom-right corner of the card. Find that icon, then match it in the official Pokémon card database.
Border colour gives you a quick filter for newer cards. Pokémon changed the classic yellow border to grey from the Scarlet & Violet series onwards. A grey border marks a recent English card. Yellow-bordered cards are older, but the border alone does not date a card to 1999.
Step 2: Look for the 1st Edition stamp
1st Edition cards are the first print run of a set. PSA's guide says English 1st Edition cards carry a circular "Edition 1" stamp near the lower-left corner of the art box.
Two points matter here:
- Not every set has 1st Edition prints. No stamp does not mean the card is a fake or a reprint.
- PSA says collectors rank 1st Editions above their Unlimited versions, because they are the first printing.
If you are searching for "1st edition Pokémon cards UK" because you have found a stamped card, protect it now. Put it in a sleeve and a toploader before you do anything else.
Step 3: For 1999 Base Set, check for Shadowless
The 1999 Base Set had three printings, and PSA's guide explains how to tell them apart:
| Printing | 1st Edition stamp | Drop shadow on the right of the art border | HP font |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Edition | Yes | No | Thin |
| Shadowless | No | No | Thin |
| Unlimited | No | Yes | Thicker |
Shadowless cards come only from the 1999 Base Set. After the 1st Edition run, the stamp came off but the missing shadow and thin HP font stayed. Later printings added the shadow and a thicker HP font, and those are Unlimited.
PSA places Shadowless above Unlimited in desirability and behind 1st Edition. When you search sold prices, include the word "Shadowless" or "1st Edition" so you compare the right printing.
Step 4: Read the rarity symbol
Pokémon's database guide says the rarity symbol sits in the lower-right corner of the card. The basic three are:
- a circle: common
- a diamond: uncommon
- a star: rare
From the Scarlet & Violet series, Pokémon added new rarity symbols:
- two black stars: double rare
- two foil stars: ultra rare
- one gold star: illustration rare
- special illustration rare, for alternate-art Pokémon ex and Supporter cards
- three gold stars: hyper rare, the name for what used to be called secret rare
Rarity alone does not set the price. Demand for the Pokémon and the set matters as much. Our guide on which Pokémon sets hold their value covers the sets collectors chase.
Step 5: Judge the condition honestly
Condition changes the price of the same card more than anything else. Use PSA's grading standards as the benchmark. A PSA 10 is a virtually perfect card: four sharp corners, sharp focus, full original gloss, and centring within about 55/45 on the front and 75/25 on the back.
Check each card under a bright light:
- Corners: sharp, or rounded and soft?
- Edges: any white chips along the coloured border?
- Surface: scratches, dents, creases or print lines?
- Centring: is the border the same width on all four sides?
A crease or a bent corner puts a card far below that standard. Describe every flaw when you sell, and photograph it.
Step 6: Check that the card is genuine
Before you value a card, make sure it is real. A fake has no resale value, however good it looks. Our guide on how to spot fake Pokémon cards covers the checks.
Step 7: Check what the card actually sold for
Asking prices tell you what sellers hope for. Sold prices tell you what buyers paid. Use sold prices only.
On eBay UK:
- Search the exact card: name, set, card number and printing, for example "Charizard Base Set Shadowless".
- Turn on the Sold items filter. eBay's product research help page says completed listings cover sales from the previous 90 days.
- Match the condition. Compare raw cards with raw cards, and graded cards with the same grade from the same grader.
- Take the middle of the recent sales, not the highest one.
If you have an eBay seller account, the product research tool in Seller Hub goes further. eBay says it covers up to three years of sales and shows the real price when a seller accepted a Best Offer. The normal sold filter does not show that accepted price.
What to do next
Sold prices that come back low mean the card suits a bundle sale, or your own collection. A high result is the signal to slow down:
- Protect it in a sleeve and toploader.
- Compare it with the PSA standards, and read is grading Pokémon cards worth it in the UK before you pay to grade.
- Read how to sell Pokémon cards in the UK for where to list it and how to post it safely.
- Work out your take with the eBay fee calculator before you set a price.
Common questions
Are Pokémon cards worth anything?
Most are worth little, but some early cards and rare cards in good condition sell for a lot. Identify the set, the printing and the rarity, judge the condition, then search eBay sold listings for the exact card. Pokémon itself does not value cards.
How can I tell if a Pokémon card is from 1999?
English cards from 1999 to 2003 were printed by Wizards of the Coast. For the 1999 Base Set, look for the circular Edition 1 stamp near the lower left of the art box, and check for a drop shadow on the right side of the art border. No shadow and a thin HP font mark a 1st Edition or Shadowless card.
What does a 1st Edition Pokémon card look like?
It has a small circular stamp reading Edition 1 near the lower-left corner of the art box. Not every set had a 1st Edition print, so a missing stamp does not mean a card is fake.
How do I check the value of a Pokémon card in the UK?
Search the exact card on eBay UK and turn on the Sold items filter. Match the printing and the condition, and use the middle of recent sales. Ignore asking prices, because they show what sellers want, not what buyers paid.
What does Shadowless mean on a Pokémon card?
Shadowless cards are a 1999 Base Set printing with no 1st Edition stamp and no drop shadow on the right of the art border. PSA ranks them above the later Unlimited printing and behind 1st Edition.
Where this fits
Valuing a card is the first step. The Pokémon cards UK hub links every guide on collecting, grading and selling. If you plan to sell, start with how to sell Pokémon cards in the UK, and run the numbers in the profit calculator.