Selling Pokemon Cards

So you want to sell your Pokémon cards?

Maybe you’ve got some childhood cards you want to finally sell.  Or maybe you just have a ton of extra cards you need to clear out to save some space.  Or maybe you are just getting out of the game entirely.

Whatever the reason, we can help!

Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about selling Pokémon cards.  This page will hopefully clear some of those up, and answer any questions you may have, before you bring your collection in for an appraisal.

• “I’m going to make a ton of money selling my childhood collection of Pokémon cards!”

First, please read through our article on Identifying Early Pokemon Cards for some more information on what you may own.  The reality is, you may not make a ton of money selling these cards.  You may not even make a moderate sum of money.  Just because these cards are old, doesn’t necessarily mean they are valuable.  Much of the value in older cards is in the Holographic Rares, such as Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise, from the Base Set.  Commons, Uncommons, and even many non-Holo Rares are typically not worth very much–a buck or two at retail prices.  At those values, many of these cards are still considered bulk.

• “But, they’re 1st Edition!”

While 1st Edition can add a significant sum to the value of a card, most 1st Edition Commons and Uncommons are still worth less than a dollar each and thus, still bulk.

• “Well, I do have a Base Set Charizard!”

While that’s an awesome thing to own, there is one major factor that will impact how much money you get for that card–the condition.  In the card collecting world, condition is everything.  And if these were your childhood treasures, you may have played with them (without sleeves, of course). You may have taken them to school to show your friends (in your pockets), or maybe your parents tossed them into the musty basement or attic after you grew up.  All of these factors will affect the condition.  Near mint examples of these cards are rare.  And while they may look fine at a quick glance, things like whitening around the edges, surface scratches, dirt, and even the centering of the card can affect its condition, and thus its ultimate value.

• “But, I saw a video…” or “Someone is selling this on eBay for…”

As you are probably well aware, there is a lot of misinformation on the Internet. During the COVID Pokémon craze, you couldn’t browse YouTube without coming across videos claiming some early Pokémon cards were worth thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars.  Many of these videos were actually fueled by things people saw on eBay.  People can list whatever they want on eBay for whatever price they want.  Just because there is a listing for a Base Set Machamp for $4,000 on eBay doesn’t make that its price or value.  If you are looking for card values from eBay, make sure you are only looking at Sold or Completed listings.

• “So what is that Base Set Charizard really worth?”

As of February 2025, an Unlimited edition Charizard in Moderately Played condition is worth about $230 retail value.  Keep in mind, though, that is the retail resale value.  You’d get less than that for selling your card to a dealer.

• “So I’ve got these graded cards…”

There are several of grading companies out there, and new ones are popping up all the time.  There is really only one that is considered top tier–PSA.  PSA slabs command the highest value in the market.  A few other companies’ slabs, such as CGC and Beckett, are in the next tier down.  But beyond that, slabs from anyone else will be treated the same as raw cards by most dealers.  There are a number of grading companies out there that operate on TikTok or WhatNot that are literally just garage operations. They crack open packs, insert them into their own slabs, and then sell them themselves. Top Shelf Grading is one of these.  If it’s not too late, please don’t waste your money paying these places to grade your cards, or spend money buying already-graded slabs from them!

• “But, I’ve got this grade 10 common from this company I saw on TikTok…”

Unfortunately, a $0.10 common, even at a grade 10 from a non-reputable company, is probably not worth much more than its raw value, and is certainly worth far less than the $10-15 fee that was paid to grade it.

• “Will you buy my slabs anyway?”

The best answer here is, “it depends on the card, the grade, and the grading company.”  The Relentless Dragon doesn’t actively buy non-PSA nor non-CGC graded Pokémon card collections.  That’s not to say that we won’t buy individual slabs, or buy a few slabs that are part of a larger raw collection.  But it would typically have to be a popular Pokémon card, from a good set, at a good grade, and from a reputable company for us to consider buying them.