Q&A for How to Value Your Pokémon Cards

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  • Question
    How can I detect a fake card?
    Community Answer
    If the back of the card's color is light, if the card is more flexible than normal, if the attacks are outrageous, and if the packs the cards come in are sealed with regular glue, instead of the kind of sealing the Pokemon company uses, then it's likely that the cards are fakes.
  • Question
    What are the white stars for?
    Community Answer
    If the star is at the bottom of the card, this means that it is an ultra-rare card. If the star is located beside attacks, it's just the colourless attack cost symbol.
  • Question
    What does the symbol on the bottom right hand corner of a Pokemon card mean?
    Community Answer
    That is the set that the card is from. For example, if you see a fist, then that card is from the furious fists set.
  • Question
    What does an R mean after the weight on the right side of my card?
    Community Answer
    That mean that the card was part of the Team Rocket expansion. They are indicated by the Team Rocket signature R.
  • Question
    How much is a complete collection of all Pokemon cards first edition Europe (including Charizard and Blastoise foil card in good condition) worth?
    Community Answer
    You've got yourself quite a collection there. It cannot be appraised without seeing if any cards are foil, reverse holo, etc., so your best bet is to google the price of each individual card (grueling, but worth it) for a total sum, then slightly raise that total price for the lot, since it is a complete set.
  • Question
    What are some websites that can show me prices for my Pokemon cards?
    Community Answer
    One website that can help with pricing Pokemon cards is Collectors' Cache. It is a fantastic website that sells Pokemon cards from almost every generation and year, and it can help you determine prices based on the card's rarity, year, and condition.
  • Question
    What if my Pokemon cards don't have a rarity sign -- what does that mean and how much would it cost?
    Community Answer
    It either is a very early copy, or potentially a misprint. Check into a card pricing site, search for that card and the rarity should be listed there.
  • Question
    How can I tell if my Pokemon cards are holographic?
    Community Answer
    If it's shiny in the picture box, as explained in the part at the top of this article.
  • Question
    What does a white star outline for the rarity mean?
    Community Answer
    If it says promo, then it's a promo card. But if it's all white or silver, then it is ultra rare.
  • Question
    I have got a golden dive ball -- it is 161/160, what is its price?
    Community Answer
    Pokemonprices.com has the 161/160 card in the Primal Clash Set (Secret Rare Dive Ball) as ranging from $17-22.50 dollars, with a $19 average.
  • Question
    What does 4/102 mean?
    Community Answer
    It means that the card is number 4 of an expansion pack that, not including secret rares, had a total of 102 different cards. It is commonly associated with the incredibly rare Charizard Foil of the base set of Pokemon Cards.
  • Question
    Are PROMO cards more rare than the regular card?
    Community Answer
    Yes and no. Promo cards can be found with certain products. For example, if I bought the mewtwo ex tin, in the front would be a promo mewtwo ex which can't be found anywhere else. Promo cards can't be found in regular packs.
  • Question
    What does Stage 1 in the top left corner mean?
    Community Answer
    Stage one means that it might evolve from one of your other Pokemon. You can put a "stage 1" card above a "basic" card and it means that your Pokemon is now evolved. For example: Pidgey is basic, so it has not evolved. On the other hand, Quilava has stage one because it has evolved.
  • Question
    What do the numbers 150/149 mean?
    Community Answer
    It's a special card that is promotional, and you can't find it in the regular booster packs for that set. That is potentially valuable.
  • Question
    What do the symbols mean next to the, for example, 1/146 mean? Do they have any value?
    Community Answer
    It is the pack. For example, a coral-like symbol means it came from a flashfire pack and a fist means it is from furious fists.
  • Question
    My Marowak Break card has a white star outline for the rarity value. What does it mean?
    Community Answer
    It means that your card is an ultra rare. The same symbol can be found on such cards as Victini 98/101 of the Noble Victories set. Your particular card (in case you're wondering) is valued at about US$2.25 if it's near mint or mint.
  • Question
    My right hand corner numbers say 7/12 how much is that worth?
    Community Answer
    It depends on whatever TCG expansion it was. You can look it up using websites designed for this purpose.
  • Question
    Next to my Pokemon's name is a boy symbol. What does that mean?
    Community Answer
    If it's a Nidoran, it's just to indicate that it's the male Nidoran. There is a male Nidoran and a female Nidoran, which are different (but related) Pokemon.
  • Question
    What use do trainer cards have, and is there any worth to them?
    Community Answer
    In the actual game they are the cards that can let you do special things, like draw cards or heal Pokemon. Nobody really cares about them otherwise, unless it's a world championship card.
  • Question
    What does a male symbol look like?
    Community Answer
    The male symbol is the one with the arrow sticking up to the right. If you're still confused, do a Google image search for "male symbol" and look at the pictures.
  • Question
    What's the difference between a common and a reverse card?
    Community Answer
    The reverses backgrounds are shiny, usually with a design, but have the normal set number at the bottom (82/86). They won't have this instead: RC13/RC25. RC = Radiant Collection.
  • Question
    What if there is an ex at the end of their name?
    Community Answer
    It means that it is a ex card, which is typically more valuable than other modern cards. If it has an M in front of the card name followed by ex, that means it is a mega, which is worth quite a bit more.
  • Question
    How much is my new Charizard card worth?
    Community Answer
    If it's EX or BREAK, it might be worth $5+, but if it's not, then probably not worth more than $1.50.
  • Question
    What does it mean if the star is shiny silver?
    Community Answer
    The card is an ex or a Mega, excluding the black star promos, which you can see in the front of Pokemon EX tins.
  • Question
    I have a Rapid strike energy card that has a silver star, holographic border, and its collector number is higher than the total of cards. How much would this be worth?
    Corben Collins
    Community Answer
    I would suggest going onto a website called Mavin put in your card name and the collector number and it should show a few cards then you can see roughly how much it is worth. Example: My Keldeo V 053/202 is worth about $3.
  • Question
    What is the world's rarest card?
    Thatshygirlfriend
    Community Answer
    It's a PSA 7. The card sold for $375,000 during a PWCC auction. Incredibly, the rare Japanese collectible shattered its previous record only a year later on February 24, 2022, when it sold for $900,000.
  • Question
    What does RC8/RC32 MEAN?
    Ayla DeWeese
    Top Answerer
    In the context of Pokémon cards, I am not aware of any official use of the terms RC8 or RC32. It is possible that these terms are being used by collectors or sellers to refer to specific versions or releases of certain Pokémon cards, but without more context it is difficult to say for sure. In general, when referring to Pokémon cards, collectors and sellers may use a variety of terms to indicate the rarity or condition of the card, such as: First edition: Refers to the initial print run of a card, which may be more valuable than later print runs. Holofoil: Refers to cards with a holographic or foil effect, which are generally more valuable than non-foil versions.
  • Question
    I have a card with lower right numbers that do not match any others. What does this mean?
    Ayla DeWeese
    Top Answerer
    If you have a Pokémon card with lower right numbers that do not match any others, it is possible that you have a misprint or error card. Misprints and error cards occur when there is a mistake during the printing process, which can make the card unique or more valuable to collectors. To determine the value of your card, you should first try to identify the card's name, set, and rarity. Once you have this information, you can search online marketplaces and forums to see if there are any similar misprint or error cards that have been sold or discussed. This can give you an idea of how rare or valuable your card may be. It's important to note that not all misprint or error cards are valuable.
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