Pokémon, also known as Pocket Monsters, has filled our childhood with so much joy.
Even till date, Pokémon continues to be one of the most iconic entertainment worldwide, be it movies, animes, video games or Pokemon cards.
This popular franchise is now said to be one of the most valuable intellectual property.
Let’s not forget this tear-jerking scene too.
Do You Have a Valuable Pokémon Card?
There has been quite a bit of attention on Pokémon Cards, given that some of the cards received a dramatic increase in valuation over the years.
Who would have guessed that those very same cards that you splurged your pocket money on, can turn out to be a profitable investment?
Most Valuable Pokémon Card Ever Sold
If you managed to find any of these cards somewhere hidden in your childhood stash of toys, you might be able to make some returns from your “childhood investments”.
The price of Pokémon Cards is affected by supply and demand. You can do so by researching on past transacted price on various Pokémon Cards to help you better determine your selling price.
Here are some of the highest sold Pokémon Cards:
Do note that these high-value cards are usually given a PSA 10 grading before it can fetch such a price.
| Name of Pokémon Card | How Much Was It Sold For? | More Details |
|---|---|---|
| Pikachu Illustrator | $312,895 (US$233,000) | This card was given out as a prize to winners of an illustration contest by CoroCoro Comics in 1998. |
| 1999 Charizard (1st Edition, Holo, Shadowless) | $16,113 ($11,999) | Needs to be in perfect condition. |
| Raichu (Pre-release ) | $13,429 (US$10,000) | Only 10 of these Raichu cards, with the word "pre-release" printed on the card. This is an estimated value given that there has not been a public sale record. |
| Dark Dragonite (1st Edition, Non-holo) | $13,429 (US$10,000) | Dark Dragonite was supposed to be printed Holo. The non-holo version was intended and rare. |
| Pokémon Tropical mega Battle | $13,429 (US$10,000) | Promotional card distributed at a TCG tournament at Honolulu. The one with Psyduck is said to fetch the highest price. |
| Kangaskhan Parent/Child | $13,429 (US$10,000) | Needs to be tournament promo edition. |
| Master's Key Prize Card | $11,816 (US$8,799) | Only 34 copies worldwide. |
| Marowak (Faded Error) | $10,743 (US$8,000) | Needs to be in perfect condition. |
| 2007 Espeon (Gold Star, POP 5) | $6,714 (US$5,000) | Ultra rare card from Pop Series 5, Promos Pokémon set. |
| 1999 Dragonair (1st Edition, Shadowless, Misprint Error) | $5,371 (US$4,000) | Card needs to contain misprint error where there is a rainbow smudge on the word "number". |
| Chansey (1st Edition, Holo) | $1,604 (US$1,195) | Needs to be in perfect condition. |
| Zapdos (1st Edition, Shadowless) | $1,342 (US$1,000) | Needs to be in perfect condition. |
| 1999 Blastoise (1st Edition, Holo Shadowless) | $972 (US$724) | Needs to be in perfect condition. |
Few points to take note, the numbers above were from some of the Pokémon Cards community. There has been some latest update with regards to the price of some of the cards.
- A rapper called logic actually purchased a 1st Edition Charizard in PSA 10 condition at a price of $304,815 (US$226,000).
- A Kangaskhan was actually sold for $202,311 (US$150,000) just one week before this article was published.
You can also have your Pokémon Cards collection professionally graded by companies such as PSA or Beckett to help buyers understand the condition of your Pokémon Cards.
I guess you are probably excited to see how some of these cards look like.
So here we go!
Pikachu Illustrator
1999 Charizard (1st Edition, Holo, Shadowless)
Raichu (Pre-release)
Dark Dragonite (1st Edition, Non-holo error)
Pokémon Tropical Mega Battle
Kangaskhan Parent/Child
Master’s Key Prize Card
2007 Espeon (Gold Star, POP 5)
1999 Dragonair (1st Edition, Shadowless, Misprint Error)
Check out the misprint here:
Chansey (1st Edition, Holo)
Factors Affecting Value of Pokémon Card
If you managed to dig up your stash of Pokémon Cards or looking to invest in them, here are some of the factors that will affect the price your Pokémon Card fetch.
| Key characteristics of valuable Pokémon card | More Details | How to spot it? |
|---|---|---|
| Edition of the card | 1st edition is the rarest. | There is a logo on the center left of the Pokémon Card. |
| Shadowless | Pokémon Card without shadow fetch a higher price. | By looking at the border around your Pokémon on the card. |
| Printing Error | Cards with printing error can be sold at a premium due to the rarity of it. | There are various misprints and errors for some of the cards. Do read up more on them! |
| Semi-holographic background | About half of the rare Pokémon Cards are in a set of holo. | Holo: Holographic background behind the Pokémon Reverse Holo: Holographic background outside the Pokémon |
How To Spot a 1st Edition Pokémon Card?
As seen from above To spot a 1st edition Pokémon Card, look out for the 1st edition logo situated at the middle of your Pokémon Card.
How To Spot a shadowless Pokémon Card?
To spot a shadowless Pokémon Card, simply look at the border around your Pokémon on the card. If there is no shadow behind the border, it is a shadowless card
From the image above, the one on the left is a shadowless card as compared to the one on the right where you see a shadow behind the frame surronding the Pokémon.
Pokémon Cards with Printing Error
It is funny how mistakes are now being rewarded.
Cards with printing error can be sold at a premium.
One example will be the Pikachu card shown below:
You notice that the Pikachu on the left has a red cheek. That is actually a printing error. Pikachu’s cheeks are supposed to turn yellow when generating electrical current.
How To Spot a Holo or Reverse Holo Pokémon Card
About half of the rare Pokémon Cards are in a set of holo.
There are two types of holo, mainly the holo and reverse holo.
Here’s how to differentiate them:
Step-by-Step Guide to Selling Your Pokémon Cards
Assuming you were going through your stash of childhood memories and came across your Pokémon Card collection.
You chanced upon a card which looks like it can fetch you a high price right now.
Here’s what you can do.
- Check out the valuation of your card by referencing past sales data.
There are also platforms online that can give you an estimate of the value of your card. - If you are planning to sell a card which is of high value, you may wish to get it professionally graded by companies such as PSA or Beckett.
- You can then choose to list your listing either on eBay or Amazon for worldwide audience exposure. For Singapore, Facebook marketplace or Carousell does the job!
- You can start off by selling your cheaper cards first to understand some of the difficulties you may face when selling your card.
- When shipping, ensure that you package the card properly and we suggest that you go for the quickest method of shipping your card.
