Pokémon TCG

How Much Are My Pokémon Cards Worth?

A common Pikachu from a recent set sells for cents, and a scarce Pikachu printing can sell for far more. The price belongs to one printing, in one variant and condition, so the first job is to work out exactly which card you have.

Find the exact card first

Look at the bottom of the card for the set symbol and the collector number. Together they name one card in one set. The Base Set Pikachu, for example, is 58/102: card 58 of a 102-card set. Pikachu has been printed on dozens of other cards, and each is priced separately. Where to find each part of a card →

A collector number higher than the set's printed total, such as 198/165, marks a secret rare: an illustration rare, full art or similar card that sits outside the main set. Those are usually the scarce cards in a modern set, and they are priced as their own cards.

What sets a Pokémon card's value

Once you know the printing, these factors move the price. How far each one moves it depends on the card.

FactorWhy it matters
Printing and rarityScarcer cards, such as secret rares and holofoils, usually sell for more than commons and uncommons from the same set.
VariantThe same card can be Normal, Holofoil, Reverse Holofoil, 1st Edition or Unlimited, and each variant has its own price.
ConditionNear Mint copies sell for the most. Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played and Damaged copies sell for less.
GradeA slab from a grading company, like PSA 10 or CGC 9.5, certifies condition, which matters most on scarce cards.
LanguageJapanese and other non-English printings are priced separately from the English card.
Era and setEarly sets can carry a premium, but many older cards were printed in large numbers and are not worth much.
DemandA card's price follows how many people want it, including how strong it is in play and how popular the Pokémon is.

The variant is easy to miss. A reverse holo and a normal copy of the same card are priced separately, and the gap can be a few cents or several dollars. Holo, reverse holo and 1st Edition, explained →

Age on its own does not decide value. A common from an early set in played condition can be worth less than a recent illustration rare. Condition and print run tend to matter more than the year on the card.

Where the price number comes from

TurnZero HQ prices Pokémon cards from TCGplayer market prices. TCGplayer works out a market price for each variant of a card from recent sales on its marketplace. Because it comes from real listings and sales, it moves as demand and supply change, and a card with few recent sales can have a price that is out of date or unreliable.

Treat it as a good estimate of what a Near Mint copy of that variant sells for, not as a fixed value. When a card matters to you, look at the recent price trend as well as today's number. The price chart on each card's page in TurnZero HQ shows the last 90 days.

Market price vs. what a store pays

Market price is what a card sells for on a marketplace. What a store offers you for it is a different number, and it is usually lower. A store that buys your cards has to resell them, pay for the shelf space and cover its costs, so it offers less than it expects to sell for. How much less depends on the store, the card and how much of it they already hold.

Way to sellWhat to expect
Sell to a storeFast and simple, at an offer below market price. Some stores offer more as store credit.
Sell on a marketplaceCloser to market price, minus fees, shipping and the time to list and pack each card.
Sell to another collectorCan reach or beat market price for a card they want, but takes time to find the buyer.
Keep itThe value can rise or fall, and no price guide can tell you which.

The number in a price guide, including the one in TurnZero HQ, describes the market. Before you count on a figure for a sale, ask the store for its offer.

How to see your cards' value in TurnZero HQ

Your Pokémon collection lives in My Library, behind the game menu, in the same TurnZero HQ account as any Magic cards. Each copy you add is a card in a variant, condition, language and grade, and TurnZero HQ adds them up into one collection value.

  1. Add your cards. Search by name and pick the printing, scan a card by its set code and collector number, or import a CSV from the TCGplayer app, Collectr or Dragon Shield. Scanning → Import and export →
  2. Set each copy's variant, condition, language and grade if you know them. The scanner adds a card as its headline version, since a camera can't reliably tell a reverse holo from a normal copy, so check the variant on your rare cards.
  3. Read the total at the top of the collection. Each copy counts at your own value if you gave it one, otherwise at its variant's TCGplayer market price, and otherwise at the card's headline price.
  4. Open a card for the price of every variant and its 90-day price chart, which is free. The card page also links to buy it on TCGplayer.

Prices are imported once a day, so the value you see is at most about a day old. Cards with no price at all stay in your collection and your card counts, but they are left out of the total and listed as unpriced copies underneath it. A missing price is never counted as $0.

TurnZero HQ also records your collection's total every night. With Premium, tapping the value opens that history as a chart over the last 30, 90 or 365 days. The recording runs for every account, so upgrading later shows the history that was already kept. Everything else on this page is free, including the collection, scanning, import and export, each card's price history and three binders. Premium adds the collection value chart and up to 50 binders. The Pokémon collection tracker →

What it doesn't do

The value in TurnZero HQ is a market estimate for your cards, and a few things it leaves to you:

✓

It doesn't adjust a copy's price for condition. Give worn copies a value of your own.

✓

Market prices are for raw cards, so a graded copy counts at the value you enter, not a graded price.

✓

It prices the English catalog, so a Japanese copy needs a value of your own.

✓

It doesn't track sealed product or population reports.

✓

It doesn't predict where a price is going, and it isn't an offer to buy your cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much are my Pokémon cards worth?

It depends on the exact card, not the Pokémon on it. Find the set and collector number printed at the bottom of the card, look up that printing, and check the price of your variant (Normal, Holofoil, Reverse Holofoil, 1st Edition). Then adjust for condition and any grade. A few rare cards are worth a lot, and most of a typical binder is worth little each.

Are old Pokémon cards worth more?

Not automatically. Age matters most for early sets in good condition, especially 1st Edition and holofoil cards from the first few sets. Many cards from the 1990s and 2000s were printed in huge numbers and sell for very little, particularly commons and anything played. Check the price of the specific card instead of assuming.

What is a TCGplayer market price?

TCGplayer's estimate of what a card is currently selling for on its marketplace, worked out from recent sales. It is a marketplace number for one variant, usually a Near Mint copy, and it moves. It is a good guide to what a card is worth, and it is not a quote from anyone who will buy your cards.

Will a store pay the market price for my cards?

Usually not. A store buying from you has to cover its costs and resell at a profit, so buy offers come in below market price, and the gap varies by store, card and how much they already have in stock. Selling directly to another collector gets closer to market price but costs you fees, shipping and time.

Does condition change what a Pokémon card is worth?

Yes. Market prices are generally for Near Mint copies, and a Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played or Damaged copy sells for less. How much less depends on the card. TurnZero HQ lets you record each copy's condition, but it counts a copy at the variant's market price unless you give it a value of your own, so set one for copies that are clearly worn.

Is a graded Pokémon card worth more?

It can be, mostly for scarce cards in top grades, because a grade is an independent record of condition and authenticity. Grading costs money and you don't know the grade in advance, so for a low-value card the fee often costs more than the grade adds. TurnZero HQ records the grader and grade on a copy, but market prices are for raw cards, so a graded copy counts at the value you enter.

Does TurnZero HQ show what my Pokémon collection is worth?

Yes. It adds up your copies at TCGplayer market prices, imported once a day, and shows the total at the top of your Pokémon collection. Every card page has a 90-day price chart for free. The chart of your whole collection's value over 30, 90 or 365 days is a Premium feature. It does not track sealed product or population reports.

Can I check the value of Japanese Pokémon cards?

Only partly. The catalog and its prices are the English Pokémon TCG. You can record that a copy is Japanese, but the English market price would not fit it, so give that copy a value of your own from a source you trust.

See what your Pokémon collection is worth.

Add your cards, set each variant and grade, and get one total from daily TCGplayer prices. Free on iPhone, Android and the web.

Create Free Account

Pokémon and Pokémon character names are trademarks of Nintendo. ©Pokémon. ©Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc. TurnZero HQ is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc., or GAME FREAK inc. Card data comes from the open PokemonTCG dataset, and prices from TCGplayer.