Your old Pokemon cards could be worth as much as £2,000 each

Hope you held onto that shiny Charizard


Everyone has a Pokemon card collection hidden away. Just sitting in a pile or filling an entire binder at your parents house. Those who hung onto them could make some serious one, especially if you got into Pokemon early and liked the shiny cards.

There’s a world of Pokemon card collectors on eBay, paying anywhere from a few pounds to £70,000 for super rare special editions. If you have a first edition shiny cards, you can sell them for anything from £200-£2,000 online.

You can tell if your card is a first edition by the dates at the bottom. They have the numbers 1995, 96, 98 and 99 whereas regular cards have just 1995, 96 and 98. Some of the value is worked out by the condition of the card. Getting a 9 means it’s in a great state with only one minor flaw. A 10 is the perfect card and this is reflected in the price. Here are the full list of standards.

Here’s how to find out if Pokemon cards will make you rich.

Shiny cards

The one on the left is a first edition

First edition cards from 1999-2000 are the rarest. For a first edition shiny Charizard you can expect to get around £190 if you’re willing to ship it, as most of the buyers are in the US or Japan. eBay bidding can get serious competitive though, and they have been known to go for closer to £1,000 when in demand.

  • The rarer cards have a darker image and are known as “shadowless”
  • The production date is on the bottom of the card. First editions have 1995, 96, 98 and 99 at the bottom
  • Normal cards only have 1995, 96 and 98
  • Cards which have a holographic shine are considered rarer
  • As mentioned above, they will need to be in good condition to be sold

This sold for £1,400 on eBay

It’s not just Charizards which make good money. The shiny “shadowless” Blastoise above is on sale for £2,000. This Venusaur is on sale for £530. Make sure to check the shade of the picture and the dates at the bottom.

Regular cards

If you have loads of Metapods, Machokes or Geodudes, they’re still not worthless. A single Butterfree can be worth £2 on eBay, which can add up.

  • Look out for cards which are of an unusual set, like Jungle or Rocket. They’re worth more
  • They need to be in near mint condition to be worth anything

The rarest card in the world

This is the most expensive card in the world, according to collectors. There were only 39 printed and it was given as a prize for an illustration contest in the late 90s. It’s on sale for £70,000 just in case you were wondering.

Pre-release Raichu

You probably don’t own this one either, as only 15 were ever made. They do sell for around £6,400 though on eBay though, so it’s worth checking.