How to check what your Pokémon cards are worth

1. Identify the exact card

Two cards with the same Pokémon can be worth wildly different amounts, so start by pinning down exactly which card you have. At the bottom of the card you'll find the set symbol (a small icon that identifies the expansion) and the card number, written like 58/102. The first number is the card's position in the set; the second is the set's printed size. If the first number is bigger than the second — 110/102, say — it's a secret rare.

Search the card's name on Pully, open the Pokémon's page and match the set and number. Older cards from 1999–2000 may also have a black “Edition 1” stamp on the left of the picture, which makes them 1st Edition, and early Base Set cards with no drop shadow on the right of the picture frame are known as “shadowless” — both are worth much more than later prints.

2. Check for holo, reverse holo and variants

Many cards were printed in more than one version. A holo card has a shiny picture; a reverse holo has a shiny card face but a normal picture. Prices on Pully's card pages are split by version where the marketplace data allows, so make sure you compare the right one.

3. Judge the condition honestly

Condition is the single biggest factor in what a card is worth. Hold it under a bright light and check:

• Corners — sharp, or rounded and frayed?
• Edges — white specks or chipping along the back border (“whitening”)?
• Surface — scratches, scuffs, dents or print lines, especially across holo areas?
• Centring — is the border even on all four sides?
• Creases and bends — any crease dramatically lowers value.

Most online prices assume near-mint condition. A lightly played card might fetch 50–70% of that; a heavily played or creased card far less.

4. Look at sold prices, not asking prices

Anyone can list a card for any price. What matters is what buyers actually paid. On eBay UK, tick “Sold items” in the filters — every card page on Pully has a button that does this for you. Compare several recent sales of copies in similar condition. Cardmarket's trend price is another good guide, as it's based on recent sales across Europe.

5. Decide whether grading is worth it

Grading companies such as PSA, CGC and Beckett score a card out of 10 and seal it in a tamper-evident case. A high grade on a sought-after card can multiply its value, but grading has fees, postage and insurance costs and can take weeks or months. As a rule of thumb, only consider it for cards worth well over the total cost of grading in their raw condition, and that look close to perfect.

6. Watch out for fakes

Counterfeit Pokémon cards are common. Warning signs include the wrong font or spacing, colours that are too dark or washed out, a glossy or thin feel, missing texture on modern full-art cards, and a card that looks different from others of the same set under a light. If a valuable card's price looks too good to be true, it usually is.

7. Store it safely

Put anything valuable straight into a soft penny sleeve and then a rigid top loader or a magnetic case. Keep cards away from sunlight and damp. Good storage protects the condition — and the value — you've just checked.