If you are too grown up to play Pokemon cards and remember where you put your collection, bring it out! In an hour you can make easy money! Here's how to earn some money to buy something you want!
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Sell Cards Individually
Step 1. Divide the cards by decks
The most accurate sellers learn which decks their cards belong to, so the buyer knows exactly what they are buying.
- Decks are distinguished by the small symbol found either in the lower right corner of the Pokemon illustration (old editions) or in the lower right corner of the card (new editions).
- To learn which deck each symbol corresponds to, search for Pokemon on Ebay and compare the illustrations you have with the ones you see - the deck should be written on it.
Step 2. Arrange them in numerical order
Use the numbers found in the lower right corner of the card (all editions).
- There should be two numbers: one for the card number, slash (/), and one for the total number of cards in that deck. (eg a Charizard with 5/102 is number 5 of 102 cards).
- There are a couple of exceptions: Cards from the Basic deck, which were one of the first three decks made in America, don't have a symbol on the card. They are the only ones made like this; and Promo cards, only have a number indicating the card number (Ivy Picachu, for example, is number 1 in the first series of Black Star Promos cards).
Step 3. Put all cards in sleeves
This will protect them from UV rays.
- After putting them in sleeves, it may be a good idea to also put them in rigid protectors (plastic cases that will prevent wrinkles) or in binders with 9-card sheets. You can also get Ultra Pro deck protectors, available in red, green, blue, etc. They are all quite cheap. For convenience, you can use plastic cases.
- All of these things can be bought at a card collector's shop, and the best brand is Ultra-Pro.
Step 4. Make a list of the cards you have (again, broken down by deck)
You will notice that some cards have stars in the lower right corner, others have diamonds, and others have circles.
- Once you have organized your cards by number, you will see the stars first, then the diamonds and last the circles. Then you will see the training cards and the cycle repeats. If you have Secret Rares cards, there will be a Pokemon at the end of the star deck. Otherwise, that's okay. The stars indicate that a Pokemon is Rare, the diamonds indicate that it is Uncommon, and the circles indicate that it is Common. Of course, Rare cards can be sold at a much higher price than the others.
- Note: If your cards are Japanese, and the star / diamond / circle symbol is WHITE instead of black, it means you have an even rarer card. Also, with Japanese cards, if you find three stars as a symbol, you have a "premium ultra rare" card - the hardest card to find!
Step 5. Give it a price
Card prices vary all the time, so avoid spending money on a guide that may not be accurate and go to Ebay to find the full list of cards you want to sell.
Sometimes cards are sold for more than their magazine value, but other times they are sold for less. The only way to decide is to check what happens between the real buyers
Step 6. Create the description page
This is how you will get people to buy. Be sure to write down which deck each card belongs to, the number (eg "This is a Dragon Frontiers card and it's x / 104"), its rarity (Rare, Uncommon, Common, Secret Rare, etc.) and its condition. (Never used, Excellent condition, Good condition, Ruined, etc.)
Describe every detail so the buyer knows exactly what he is buying! Of course also tell him if the card has any creases or scratches - if it does the value will go down, but it's better that the price go down a bit rather than get negative feedback from buyers
Step 7. Publish the page on Ebay or another reputable sales site
Most of them only take a small percentage of the profit, so it's very cheap to use them! If you prefer to sell them in real life, you can also do so.
Method 2 of 2: Selling the Collection
Step 1. Divide the cards into four piles:
Pokemon, training, energy and mixed.
- Divide your Pokemon into piles according to type, eg. Pikachu, Ratatta.
- Divide the Training cards by type, eg. Potion, Transformation, etc.
- Divide the Energy cards into stacks by type: Lightning, Grass, etc.
Step 2. Count the cards in each pile
Write the number of cards on a Post-it note and stick it on top of each pile.
Step 3. Find out the cost of each of your cards
To do this, search websites that contain card pricing guides. You can also search Ebay to see their real purchase value.
Step 4. Make a table
The columns should include: card name, quantity, individual value, and total value (quantity multiplied by the individual values). You can do this with Excel or a similar program.
Step 5. Find out the total value of your Pokemon card collection
Do this by getting the result at the bottom of the quantity and total cost columns.
Step 6. Use eBay or a similar site to sell them
You can do this by packing the entire deck, or dividing it into decks of ten. Alternatively, you can sell them to people living in your area. Check among the friends of your younger siblings, because your "junk" can become a "special treasure".
Advice
- When dividing cards, use a large, tidy table or area.
- Try to keep everything in good condition; creases / scratches / stains cause the cards to lose value.
- Check if you can start an auction. If you put a price directly, people might think it's cheap and buy it right away. If you do an auction, people may be willing to pay more than the actual value of the card and you will make a lot of money!
- Don't be mad if the cards aren't bought very much - just remember how much fun you enjoyed playing them!
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When you've made the final piles, wrap them in plastic wrap and close tightly or use a rubber band. This way you can easily take them and know how many you have in your hand (thanks to the Post-it attached above the film).
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Warnings
- Make sure the cards you are selling are genuine Pokemon cards. If you have fake / counterfeit cards, don't try to sell them. This could cause you problems and give you a bad reputation. Some fakes are obvious, while others are difficult to recognize. Check the border, if there is only one layer of paper then it is fake. Real cards have two layers and there is a thin black line surrounding the middle of the side border.
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Other ways to recognize fake cards are:
- The image. Some fakes are evident from the image, as they may represent a figure that shouldn't be in the image (such as a design attempting to imitate a holographic print).
- Hologram. Some fakes try to look holographic, but a trained eye can easily recognize them. Most holographic images reproduce particular shapes taken from the image itself or from an element of the image. Fake cards attempt to mimic these shapes but the quality of the holographic image is inferior (some just look like a shiny metallic foil).
- The "feel" of the cards. Real papers have a special coating that makes them smooth, which is noticeable even in old papers. Fake cards are made from similar, but inexpensive materials, so they give a different feel.
- Front side. Many fake cards will have the front side image slightly distorted. If you have real cards, compare them with those that could be fake and you will be able to tell with certainty if it is an imitation. However, older cards look slightly different.
