Pokémon: How to value a card

In order to determine the value of a card, it is necessary to consider its state of conservation. In particularly old sets, it’s rare and difficult to find cards in excellent condition. Therefore, when found, these cards can reach very high figures.

This is why, nowadays, it is more difficult to find cards in excellent condition in the marketplace. As a result, Pokémon cards are considered a collector’s item and not a gaming item, which has triggered a lot of interest in both collectors and retailers.

So how can we correctly give value to a card according to its condition?

There are several factors that are useful to analyze and place each card within an accurate range:

• Price of the last eBay item sold, with similar conditions to ours

• Price changes on sales on Cardmarket website

• Minimum purchase price under the same conditions on eBay

• Minimum purchase price under the same conditions on Cardmarket

• Price of the latest sales on Facebook groups

After having analyzed and evaluated the factors mentioned above, it is possible to obtain an indicative price, directly correlating to the condition of the card. Clearly, the price is subject to fluctuations and to secondary factors that may slightly vary the value.

Thanks to experts in the sector, we will be able to define and obtain an indication of a likely price and a possible thorough price check.

Remember to provide high-quality photos and all of the necessary details in order to have a proper evaluation.

Once you get a price indication, you are ready to place your cards in the market according to the different ways that we will address later.

LANGUAGE

The evaluations are subject to the languages of the cards themselves. The most popular and attractive cards are in English, Italian (for the Italian consumer) and Japanese.

ENGLISH cards:

• Given the broad reference market, they are usually the highest demanded cards

• Being that they are more common, they have a larger stock that could negatively impact the price at first. However, with time, this trend could reverse and therefore the value could increase

• Many collectors only buy and sell English cards since they have a wider target audience

ITALIAN cards:

• Lower print run than the English cards

• Excellent for the local Italian market

• The price increase curve is definitely lower than that of the same card in English, but it is still a good investment in the long run

JAPANESE cards:

• Higher print run than the two previously mentioned, which determines a slightly lower value

• As a result of Pokémon being a brand of Japanese origin, they are highly sought after by collectors

• There are many editions reserved only for the Japanese market, which reach considerable figures since they are difficult to find abroad

Following this information, it is evident that an excellent strategy is to buy cards in English from the United States. This can be done through a mail forwarding service (US mailbox company, where they ship the goods directly to you after receiving in their warehouse) or a middleman (person of trust who can send the products directly to you).