Hi there. In this Pokemon TCG post, I want to go over the topic of knowing your Pokemon card prices for buying and trading cards. This is helpful for both players, collectors and I suppose sellers.
Topics
- Not All Card Stores Have Same Prices
- Don't Get Ripped Off While Trading
- Bargain Hunting
Not All Card Stores Have Same Prices
There is a big market when it comes to Pokemon cards and other trading card games (TCGs). People who buy Pokemon cards are collectors and players. Some cards are more for collectors like any holographic cards, promo cards or rare cards. Some cards are more for players who compete in tournaments small and large.
For North America, the website TCGPlayer is a popular website for looking at the market prices of cards. Card prices go up and down depending on demand and availability. Recent tournament results of certain decks can bring up or down the price of certain cards.
When it comes to stores it is not like they are form a cartel and agree on certain prices for Pokemon cards. Each store would have their own pricing with their cards. One store may price certain cards lower than another while another store may price their cards higher but have better availability.
Don't Get Ripped Off While Trading
The inspiration behind this post was based on a Pokemon card trading event I went to recently. This person I was trading with mentioned about a mistake he made. The person thought that this holographic Pikachu from the Celebrations expansion set was worth a lot. He traded his Roaring Moon ex for that Pikachu.
I am not sure when this person did the trade. The market value of Roaring Moon ex as I type this is around 7 USD while the market value of that Pikachu is 0.10 USD. He essentially ripped himself off and the other person which was a kid won big. The main takeaway here is to know your prices and double check. Be careful!
Bargain Hunting
When it comes to purchasing Pokemon cards there are some nice deals out there. It depends on where you look and timing. I have a few examples.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Palkia Vstar League Battle Deck - Gamestop
Gamestop Canada has a very good price for the Palkia VSTAR League Battle Deck as I write this in early March 2024. The price is 25 CAD which is a lot cheaper than even local card game stores in the Toronto area as far as I know.
In this deck you get a lot of staple cards that are good outside of the Water themed decks. Radiant Greninja itself is a good card which may be hard to find and is priced from 6 CAD to 10 CAD. You get 3 copies of Origin Forme Palkia V where each copy is usually 2 or 3 CAD each. Two copies of Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR are in the deck where each copy can go for 3 CAD or 4 CAD. There are other good cards in the deck that can be sold out and priced at around 1 CAD each like Irida.
Pidgeot ex For 6 CAD
There is one small card store in Toronto's Chinatown area that I go to every once in a while and when I get the chance. They happen to have this Pidgeot ex from Obsidian Flames for 6 CAD. I was a little bit surprised by this. Prices for Pidgeot ex typically range from 8 CAD to up to 15 CAD. A non full art version is usually 10 CAD. It was in near mint condition too. I bought the only copy they had plus it was no tax added. It was colourful and a playable card.
Found Raikou V for 3 CAD!??
This bargain deal blew my mind when I saw this at this store that features mostly Japanese Pokemon cards. Raikou V is a very popular card in Miraidon ex electric decks. The attack on Raikou V is good as you can get up to 220 damage but the common damage is at least 100 damage. You can draw 1 card if it is in the active spot. This card went as high as 15 CAD a month or so ago. The typical current price as I type this is around 10 CAD in the Toronto area. Seeing this for 3 CAD was a bit of a steal in my opinion. I bought it ASAP before the other customers realized this deal lol. I am not sure if this store knows the playability of certain cards. This store is more for collectors.
