A circle means the card is common, while a diamond marks uncommon cards. These are easy to find, and not usually worth much unless the card was printed in 1999 or 2000. A star means the card is rare, while a star H or three stars are special, extra-rare cards. [1] X Research source These rarities have the highest potential to be valuable, so separate them from the rest of your collection. Other symbols typically mean the card was sold as part of a special product, not a booster pack. Try looking up the card as a “Promo”, “Deck Kit”, or “Boxtopper” version to check the price. These can range in price from a few cents to over $100, depending on the product.
Look for a first edition stamp below and to the left of the card artwork. This looks like a “1” inside a black circle, with lines radiating out above it. [3] X Research source If the art box has no “shadow” underneath it, it is referred to as “shadowless” by collectors.
Secret rares have a collector number higher than the total # of cards (supposedly) printed in that set, for instance “65/64” or “110/105. " Secret rares can range anywhere from a couple of dollars to hundreds of dollars. If the collector number begins with “SH,” the card is one type of “Shining Pokémon,” with different art than the regular version. These are all also reverse holographic cards. [4] X Research source If there is no collector number, the card is probably an early printing, although Japanese cards continued to not display the number for a while longer. [5] X Research source Not all of these are worth anything, but it’s worth checking.
Some special cards have a holographic border around the whole card, but no other holographic portion. These are also potentially valuable, and can be identified more closely using the guidelines below.
LEGEND Pokémon are printed across two cards, that need to be laid side by side to display the full art and mechanics.
Full art cards have a picture that extends over the entire card, with the text printed on top of it. These are referred to as “FA” cards by collectors. World Championship cards have a different back than regular cards. These are not legal to play in tournaments, but some are worth $10 or more as collector’s items.
Try a Pokémon card-selling site or eBay, or search online for (your card name) + “selling”. Remember to include any special features, using the terms described in the identification section. Most online listings show how much a company is selling cards for. Look for a “buylist” to see how much the company will pay to buy your cards. If selling to another player, the price you’ll get will typically fall between these two numbers.
Be wary of scams. Get a second opinion on your cards’ value before selling them to a stranger.
