How to check Pokémon card value
- Find the card number. Look at a bottom corner of the card for two numbers with a slash between them, such as
4/102. - Search name and number. Enter something like
Charizard 4/102. The number narrows the results to the right printing, because popular Pokémon appear in dozens of sets. - Match the card. Compare the artwork, set symbol and rarity with your card. Reprints often share a name and even a number. For example, Base Set and Base Set 2 both have a Charizard numbered 4.
- Pick the right variant. Normal, holofoil, reverse holo and 1st Edition copies of the same card can differ greatly in price. Use the row that matches your copy.
- Adjust for condition. Listed prices assume an ungraded card in near-mint condition. Scratches, whitened edges, bends or creases lower the price. A high grade from a grading company can raise it a lot.
What affects Pokémon card value
Condition
Sellers use the grades Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played and Damaged. Check the edges and corners for whitening, the holo surface for scratches, and the card for bends or creases. Also check centering, meaning how evenly the border frames the art. One crease can cut the price by more than half.
Edition and print run
Early Wizards of the Coast sets were printed first as 1st Edition and later as Unlimited. 1st Edition copies are scarcer and usually worth much more. Reprint sets such as Base Set 2 and Legendary Collection are usually worth less than the originals.
Holo, reverse holo and rarity
A holofoil has shiny artwork. A reverse holo has a shiny card body and normal artwork. The rarity symbol next to the number tells you how scarce a card is: a circle for common, a diamond for uncommon, a star for rare. Modern sets add tiers above rare, such as illustration rares, special illustration rares and hyper rares.
Grading
Grading companies such as PSA, Beckett (BGS) and CGC grade a card on a 1–10 scale and seal it in a case. Graded cards have their own prices. A PSA 10 of a popular card can be worth many times the raw price, while a low grade can be worth less. This checker shows ungraded prices only.
Demand
Fan favourites like Charizard, Pikachu, Umbreon and the Eeveelutions carry a premium, and so does popular artwork. Prices also move with nostalgia, new releases, reprints and tournament use.
Language and errors
Japanese and other non-English printings have separate markets. Real misprints and error cards can also carry premiums. This checker covers English cards.
How to read the set number
The collector number is printed in a bottom corner. On Wizards-era cards (1999–2003) it is at the bottom right. On most modern cards it is at the bottom left, next to the set code and regulation mark.
58/102: card 58 of a set with 102 numbered cards. Base Set has 102 cards, so58/102with a Pikachu is Base Set Pikachu.199/165: the first number is higher than the set size, which marks a secret rare printed beyond the main set.TG05/TG30,GG70/GG70: letter prefixes mark subsets such as Trainer Gallery or Galarian Gallery cards.- Promos often have no slash, just a code like
SWSH050orSVP 085.
The set symbol, a small icon near the number or under the art, tells you which set the card is from. That matters when two sets share a size.
How to tell 1st Edition and shadowless cards
1st Edition: look for a small black circular stamp reading “Edition 1”. It is on the left side, just below the bottom-left corner of the artwork. English 1st Edition cards exist for the Wizards of the Coast sets from Base Set through Neo Destiny, including Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket, Gym Heroes, Gym Challenge and the Neo sets. No stamp means Unlimited (or another later printing).
Shadowless: this applies to Base Set only. On the earliest prints, the artwork box has no drop shadow along its right edge. On later Unlimited prints, a dark shadow runs down that side of the frame and the border looks thicker. Every 1st Edition Base Set card is shadowless, and some early Unlimited cards are too. Shadowless Unlimited cards usually sell for more than standard Unlimited ones. The public price data does not separate them, so look up recent sales of shadowless copies.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check Pokémon card value and find out what my card is worth?
Type the card's name and the number printed in its bottom corner (for example “Charizard 4/102”) into the checker. Pick the result whose artwork and set symbol match your card, then read the market price for the matching variant: normal, holofoil, reverse holo or 1st Edition. Adjust for condition: the prices shown are for ungraded cards in near-mint condition.
Where is the card number on a Pokémon card?
It is printed in a bottom corner as two numbers separated by a slash, like 58/102. On older Wizards of the Coast cards it sits at the bottom right; on most modern cards it is at the bottom left next to the set code. The first number is the card's position in the set and the second is the set's printed size. A first number higher than the second (such as 199/165) marks a secret rare.
Are these prices for graded (PSA) cards?
No. The prices are reference market prices for ungraded, raw cards, generally in near-mint condition. Graded cards from PSA, BGS/Beckett or CGC sell at very different prices depending on the grade. A PSA 10 can be worth many times the raw price, and a low grade can be worth less.
What do market, low, mid and high price mean?
On TCGplayer, the market price is based on recent completed sales. Low, mid and high describe current listings: the cheapest, the middle and the most expensive. Market price is usually the best single estimate. High prices are often outlier listings. For Cardmarket (in euros) the checker shows the trend price, lowest listing, average sell price and 30-day average.
Does the checker price 1st Edition and shadowless cards separately?
1st Edition is shown as its own variant when the price source lists it, as some Wizards-era sets do. Shadowless Base Set cards are not separated from other unlimited printings in the public price data, so treat a shadowless card's listed price as a floor and look up recent sales of shadowless copies specifically.
How often are the prices updated?
Prices come from public card-data APIs that copy TCGplayer and Cardmarket data on their own schedule, usually daily. Every price in the checker shows its source and the date it was last updated, and the checker never fills in a missing price with an estimate.
Why does a card say “no price data”?
Some cards have no recent listings or sales in the source data. This is common for promos, trainer-kit cards, very new releases and non-English cards. The checker shows “no price data” instead of guessing. Check recent sold listings for these cards before buying or selling.
Can I scan a card with my phone camera?
Not yet. Camera scanning is planned but not available. For now, type the card's name and number, which takes a few seconds and is usually more accurate than a photo match.