Pokémon cards can be “graded” to determine how pristine and well-preserved they are. Flaws like worn away corners and surface scratches are common in cards that get a lot of use, but they decrease the card’s value. PkmnCards is a good resource for doing this. Search for a given card to see what the font, symbols, and other design elements should look like on a real card. Storing your cards If you do end up acquiring rare or valuable cards, make sure to store them properly so they retain their value. PSA tend to get the majority of the Pokémon grading market and are most commonly use by collectors. This isn’t a huge deal with common cards, especially if you’re a casual TCG player. However, it’s important to be aware of this if you’re collecting rare and valuable cards. Selling your cards

Another good option is to use the official online tutorial. There’s also an official rulebook if you need to clarify any particular points. Troll and Toad who at the time of writing, have over 12,000 listings! You can basically find any card you want!

What Type of Vintage Pokémon Card Products Should I Collect?

The set even includes the first ever ‘secret rare’. 83/82 is Dark Raichu which remains a fan favourite to this day. At this stage, I also want to mention some other popular vintage sets like Gym Heroes, Neo Genesis, Legendary Collection and the e-Card Series. All of which are great options as your collection builds. Some cards are Evolved Pokémon. These are more advanced, “evolved” versions of Basic Pokémon. Generally speaking, these cannot be played right onto the Bench. Rather, you should have the basic version of a given Pokémon first, and then place the corresponding evolved version on top. Why is this a problem? Remember that you can only ever use 6 Pokémon cards at once (1 Active, 5 Benched). So if you keep drawing Pokémon after Pokémon, your hand will be full of cards you can’t use. Human Pokémon Trainers try to “catch ‘em all,” as the saying goes. Trainers catch Pokémon (with a Poké Ball) and are able to give them commands and to send them into combat against other Pokémon.

Now to throw something else in the mix, it’s also worth pointing out that graded cards are more valuable too – if the grading is good of course. It wasn’t until July 2016 that the flame was reignited for me. That’s right, the global phenomenon that is/was Pokémon Go dropped. It only contains the first generation of Pokémon, but mixes in some modern ‘full-art’ card designs, a reverse holographic in each booster, and even five secret rares!months later we were greeted with the wonderful Jungle set. Containing 64 cards (16 holos), it was/is much easier to complete. For the dedicated few, that passion stayed through tough teenage years and into adulthood. But for many, it slipped by the wayside. Trainer cards allow you to perform useful activities like healing damage to your Pokémon or recovering previously discarded cards.

It’s definitely an entertaining show, and I recommend giving it a watch! Ash and his companion Pikachu are two of the most iconic and well-known animated characters of our time. Movies Personally, I think this strategy is best served for more experienced collectors, but who am I to tell you what to do with your money?! What is a Basic Pokémon? As the name suggests, these are fundamental, essential Pokémon for gameplay. If your initial hand has no Basic Pokémon, then you’ll need to reshuffle and draw again, as you need at least one to get started. Your opponent is permitted to draw an additional card in this circumstance. I think a lot of people love this set because of the introduction of ‘Dark’ Pokémon. Some of the artwork is just incredible, and gave an edgier side to Pokémon cards. Whether you’re just getting into Pokémon card collecting, or you’ve been collecting for a while, it’s only natural to want to know how much your Pokémon cards are worth!

Multibuys

There’s also one last set I’d like to mention; Evolutions from the XY Series. This is the 20th anniversary set released in 2016. Players can also maintain a “Bench” of up to five additional Basic Pokémon. These bench cards may be introduced or rotated onto the field over the course of the game. Nowadays, prices aren’t as much as the original base set, making it a great starting point for a beginner. In addition to the animated television series, there are also over 20 Pokémon movies! Most of these films are also animated and are directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Tetsuo Yajima.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (or TCG) emerged in 1996, and it’s still going strong decades later. This collectible card game is based on the Pokémon universe created by Satoshi Tjiri and artistically designed by Ken Sugimori, which features dozens of fictional creatures all with their own unique strengths, skills, and abilities. Where it all began, the original English base set collection was release in 1999 and consists of 102 cards. 16 of which are holos.Naturally, they make great candidates for grading. And again, if you’re looking to hold long-term, you may well find the value of your graded cards exceeds the price you paid in a few short years. Furthermore, they’re very clued up on which new sets are coming out and when – if you’re into the new sets of course. How to Determine Pokémon Card Values If you’ve got a bit more cash to splash, or you’re a bit OCD about white corners or print lines, you may wish to start collecting graded cards.