Vadim "Vadim" Dybinskiy Many collectors of trading cards are curious about their value. This is especially common when someone finds a box or folder of items from their childhood. If you're a fan of famous characters who has either discovered your hidden treasure or recently received it from someone, it's time to check the value of the Pokémon card game collection.
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Differences between genuine cards and fakes
The first thing to pay attention to is authenticity. To determine whether your item is genuine and not recently produced by a counterfeiter who prints them on a basement printer, the following checks can help.
Spelling errors are extremely rare in genuine production, so their presence indicates a high likelihood of a fake.
Compare the font and text placement between your card and an original image found online. Often, the text on fakes may be shifted to one side. It might also be smaller or larger. This is a subtle but very important sign of a low-quality product.
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If the card is shiny, the reflection areas on a counterfeit are almost always different. This is easiest to notice when comparing two such items in your hands, one of which is definitely genuine.
The main sign of authenticity is a thin layer of black or blue film in the middle. Each thing should consist of three layers. A film is sandwiched between two pieces of paper. If this is not present, then we have bad news. It's much easier to see the layer in a card cut in half. But even without procedure, the thin dark stripe is visible when examining the sides.
Value
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If you've confirmed that your Pokémon cards are genuine, it's time to find out how much they're worth. The price depends on several factors, starting with rarity. Each card has a special icon indicating this:
- Circle — Common;
- Diamond — Uncommon;
- Star — Rare;
- Star H or 3 Stars — Extra Rare;
Obviously, the better the rarity, the higher the cost. Exceptions include cards of popular Pokémon. For example, Pikachu or Charizard command much higher prices simply due to their significance to fans of the anime and games.
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Also important are the set and edition. Even unusual numbers are highly valued, some of which contain secret information.
Some characters have a level written next to their name. The higher the lvl, the more expensive the card. Sometimes symbols like G, GL, 4, C, FB, or M are written in this place, found only on special heroes. You will have to pay a lot more money for most of them.
Websites for checking prices
There are several websites that can show how much a card might be worth at the moment.
Image: cardmavin.com
On Cardmavin, you just need to enter the name and number to see the required information. Since the market is constantly changing, the same product could be sold and bought for completely different money than it is today. The website's page provides additional information about the average cost of the item. It also includes the minimum and maximum price range for similar things.
Image: pricecharting.com
Pricecharting also offers an option to check what is needed. Enter the name, number, or set of the card. The site also has a feature for searching by photo, which is very convenient. In response to a query, the site will show the most detailed information possible.
Comparing with cards on sale
If you're genuinely interested in buying or selling an item, the best place to do so is on the Tcgplayer marketplace. It's the most reliable method.
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Of course, you can find many attractive offers on eBay, but don't forget that there's a high chance of encountering a counterfeit there. Even if a fake is discovered, the time spent waiting for what could have been the arrival of an original cannot be regained.
Thus, after verifying the authenticity of a Pokémon card, you can determine its value by comparing it to similar specimens on specialized websites. After this evaluation, you can decide whether to sell your treasure or buy a new one.
Main image by Easy Diffusion
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