Hello friend! As a fellow Pokemon card collector, I know you‘re probably wondering, "How much are my Pokemon cards worth?" Well, you‘ve come to the right place!
The good news is **yes, there are several excellent apps you can use to look up your Pokemon card values.** I‘ll walk you through the best options, along with useful websites and tips from my decade of experience as an investment analyst in the trading card industry.
## Top 3 Pokemon Card Value Apps
Here are my top recommended apps for valuing your Pokemon card collection:
### 1. TCGPlay
TCGPlay allows you to easily lookup pricing information on virtually any Pokemon card. It compiles and analyzes actual sales data from across the web to give you an accurate current market value for each card.
I like TCGPlay because it has a database of **over 300,000 Pokemon cards** – that covers everything from the super rare Charizards to the most obscure common cards. The app is free and very user-friendly. You can either search for a card by name or scan the barcode with your phone camera to instantly get the value.
TCGPlay also shows helpful stats including the card‘s price trend over time and a sales history chart so you can see exactly what it has sold for recently. For collectors, it provides a way to catalog and track your collections value. Overall, TCGPlay is my #1 recommendation.
### 2. Pokellector
Pokellector is another excellent free app for checking your Pokemon card values. It acts as an online collection manager with a complete database of every English Pokemon card ever printed.
What makes Pokellector unique is that it has separate **price estimates for each specific card variant.** For example, you can see the different values for a card‘s 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited, Reverse Holo, or Cracked Ice Holo versions. Having these detailed variant values is a great research tool.
Beyond pricing, Pokellector lets you catalog your collection online, track upcoming releases, view card images and descriptions, participate in the community forums, and more. For new and seasoned collectors alike, it‘s one of the most feature-packed apps available.
### 3. Card Dex by The Pokemon Company
For an official app directly from the source, check out the Card Dex app from The Pokemon Company. As you‘d expect from the creators, it contains a **complete index of all 23,000+ officially recognized Pokemon cards.**
The key feature is the camera scanning tool. Simply hold up a card to your phone and it will instantly identify the card name, set, value, and rarity. This makes quickly valuing large collections a breeze. It also compiles your scans into a visual catalog while totalling up your full collection value.
Overall Card Dex is a polished, easy-to-use app tailored to collectors who want quick card information and cataloging functionality.
## Helpful Pokemon Card Value Websites
In addition to mobile apps, there are also some great websites you can use to value cards:
– **Pokemon Prices** – Offers a free price guide with market values for singles, sets, and sealed products. Covers cards from every era.
– **TCGPlayer** – Shows pricing data based on actual sales across their large online marketplace. Scan or search cards.
– **Troll & Toad** – A major collectibles retailer with a price guide showing their buying prices by card set and condition.
– **PSA Set Registry** – Lists high market values for PSA-graded cards ranked by scarcity. Good for valuing ultra rare cards.
– **eBay Sold Listings** – Filter search results by sold listings to see real prices paid for cards on eBay.
## Professional Tips for Accurately Valuing Cards
As a professional investor, here are my top tips when it comes to valuing your Pokemon cards:
– **Check multiple sources** – Prices can vary between sources, so consult several price guides or recent eBay sales to get an accurate range.
– **Consider condition** – Heavily played or damaged cards are worth a fraction of mint condition cards. Be conservative when assessing condition.
– **Look for key indicators** – 1st Edition, shadowless, rare holo symbols, PSA 10 gem mint grades, and certain art variants indicate higher values.
– **Compare print runs** – Earlier Base Set print runs (1st Ed Shadowless) are rarer than later Unlimited prints, meaning higher values for the same card.
– **Know the market** – Join forums and collector groups to stay on top of trends. Values fluctuate with new releases, hype cycles, and shifting demand.
– **Get professional appraisals** – For high-end valuations or insurance purposes, hire a reputable appraiser to evaluate your rare cards.
– **Grade wisely** – Only grade very valuable cards in pristine condition. Grading costs $10-$50 per card but can increase value exponentially if high grades (8+) are achieved.
Following these best practices will help you accurately appraise your cards and maximize their potential value. Let me know if you need any other tips!
## Factors That Make Pokemon Cards Valuable
There are a variety of factors that determine how much a Pokemon card is worth. Here are the main things that increase value:
– **Age** – The oldest cards from the initial 1996/1999 Wizards of the Coast print runs are worth the most due to nostalgia and scarcity. Here are some of the most coveted vintage sets:
– Base Set (1st Edition Shadowless, Unlimited)
– Jungle (1st Edition)
– Fossil (1st Edition)
– Team Rocket (1st Edition)
– Neo Genesis (1st Edition)
– **Rarity** – Rarer cards command higher prices. Key indicators are:
– Secret Rare (GoldBORDER Symbol, approx 1 per set)
– Ultra Rare (Gold Star Symbol, approx 7 per set)
– Rare Holo (Star Symbol, approx 10 per set)
– Uncommon (Diamond Symbol)
– Common (Circle Symbol)
– **Popularity** – Iconic Pokemon like Charizard, Pikachu, Mewtwo, and Eevee consistently sell for higher premiums. Their cards can be worth up to 10x more than other rare cards from the same sets.
– **Condition** – Mint, Near Mint, and Gem Mint graded cards achieve exponentially higher valuations than played/damaged cards of the same type. Proper storage and sleeve usage preserves condition.
– **Low Population** – The total number of PSA 10 graded copies known to exist greatly affects scarcity and value. A PSA 10 1st Edition Charizard recently sold for $350,000!
## Modern Sets That Could Appreciate in Value
While vintage sets from the 90s/early 2000s draw the most demand currently, there are some modern sets since 2010 that I think have strong investment potential:
– **XY Evolutions** (2016) – Nostalgic reprints of Base Set cards. PSA 10 Charizard sells for $1000+.
– **Hidden Fates** (2019) – Incredibly scarce complete sets containing the valuable Charizard and Mewtwos.
– **Champion’s Path** (2020) – Short supply and Master Set (Rainbow Rare Charizard VMAX) sells for $2000+.
– **Shining Fates** (2021) – First appearance of Shiny Charizard VMAX which already sells for $400+ in PSA 10.
The key is finding sets with very rare cards featuring iconic art and in-demand Pokemon. If you secure those cards in mint condition early, they could exponentially rise like vintage Base Set Charizards have.
## Should You Grade Your Cards?
You may be wondering whether you should get your valuable cards professionally graded by PSA or BGS. Here are my grading recommendations:
– **Only grade very rare and mint cards** – Grading costs $10-$50 per card, so only submit your best. Heavily played cards won’t increase much in value.
– **Target iconic chase cards** – Charizard, Pikachu, Mewtwo, and Eevee evolution cards see the biggest gains from high grades. Their demand supports higher prices.
– **Check pop reports** – Look for a low population of PSA 10 or BGS 10 copies. If less than 50 exist, it’s more likely yours will sell for a premium.
– **Use reputable grading companies** – PSA and Beckett are the leaders in the industry. Avoid questionable pop-up services.
– **Maximize declared value** – When submitting, research market prices and declare higher values for cards likely to gem mint (BGS 10, PSA 10). This avoids undervalued labels.
With the right strategy, grading can significantly bolster your Pokemon investment over the long-term. But it’s also easy to waste money on bulk submissions, so be selective!
## Final Thoughts
Well there you have it, my complete guide to valuing your Pokemon cards using handy apps and insider techniques! The key is staying informed on market values, understanding what makes particular cards valuable, checking multiple sources, and leveraging professional grading when appropriate.
I hope these tips help you better understand your collection and uncover any hidden gems. As a fellow enthusiast, it‘s been my pleasure to share this knowledge with you. Let me know if you have any other Pokemon questions arise during your collecting journeys!
