A comprehensive guide to selling your collection

If you have boxes and boxes of Pokemon(R) trading cards gathering dust in the attic, you’ve probably considered selling them. But where do you even start? Sorting through them and determining their value can be overwhelming. Then there’s the manual work required to capture and upload them to internet retailers, which can take hours without the right technology on hand.

Whether you’re an avid Pokemon Trading Card Game fan or you don’t know your Charizard from your Zapdos), there are ways to streamline the selling process and maximize your profits. This guide will walk you through how to sell Pokemon® cards to fans and collectors.

Looking to sell other kinds of trading cards? Learn how with our article, A Practical Guide to Selling Trading Cards Online.

Step 1: Assess your collection

Before you do anything else, take a complete inventory of your Pokemon cards. Make a list of what you have, taking note of any features that increase or decrease value. These include:

• Art style: Most cards have default artwork, which makes variants more valuable. Determine whether your cards have full art, alternate art, holographic art, or reverse holographic art.
• Set: Which series is the card from? A mint Pikachu from an earlier generation will generally be worth more than a more recent edition.
• Rarity indicators: Look for first edition logos, whether or not the image has a drop shadow, and holographic finishes. These details matter greatly to collectors and can help determine a card’s value.
• Condition: Cards in mint or near-mint condition tend to be more valuable than those with crease lines, tears, stains, or torn corners. If you don’t know the difference between near-mint and lightly played, using a trading card condition guide can help.

To find out what your cards are worth, research similar cards. TCGPlayer is generally regarded as the gold standard in determining the value of ungraded cards, so that should be your first stop. For additional data, look for completed sales, such as finished auctions on eBay; after all, just because someone lists a card for a certain price doesn’t mean anyone’s going to buy it. If a card regularly sells in the same general price range, that’s a good indicator of its current value.

Verifying authenticity: To grade or not to grade?

As much as we’d all like to believe we have a secret treasure trove just waiting to be discovered in an old box of cards, that’s likely not going to be the case. Many cards sell for just a few dollars apiece — the more common ones are often bundled together for a flat fee (more on that later).

But what if you discover you have a genuine rarity in your collection while you’re doing your research? Some cards sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars, with the rarest cards going for six figures. The higher the card value, the more you’ll need to consider having it authenticated.

To do this, you’ll have to send your card to a grading service; PSA and Beckett are generally regarded as the most trustworthy. These services will carefully examine your card and give it a grade based on its quality. Pricing and turnaround times vary, but you can expect to spend between $15 and $500 a card.

Do you need to have valuable cards authenticated? It depends. The first question to ask yourself is whether or not the cost to have it graded exceeds the card’s potential value. If the card has damage or imperfections, a lower score could negatively impact your profits.

On the other hand, some cards gain value just by having that seal of approval. Search for completed sales of your card and look at the difference between graded and ungraded prices; this will help you determine if using such a service would be beneficial in your case.

Step 2: Scan your cards

Next, you’ll need digital files representing your physical cards. The quickest solution is to take photos with your smartphone, but that doesn’t produce the most accurate representation. Collectors are going to be studying every detail of these images. The best way to sell Pokemon cards is to use a high-quality scanner.

If you don’t already have a scanner, look for models that are easy to operate, deliver superior image quality, and have built-in paper protection. A jam can damage your card and diminish its value. You’ll also want a model that supports a wide variety of document sizes, not just standard 8.5” x 11” copy paper.

As far as enhancing the image goes, it’s important not to misrepresent the quality of your cards. Only use features that better portray its actual state, like advanced color-matching. Don’t edit out smudges or imperfections.

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Step 3: Organize your offerings

Once you’ve scanned the cards you’re selling, it’s time to get organized. The right combination of scanning hardware and software can streamline this process by extracting data and automatically naming and tagging each file. Failing that, go through each image and give it a file name that makes it easy to identify, such as “Growlithe 28/102 Shadowless Base Set.”

If you’ve done your research, you’ve already identified potential high-value cards. Those should be sold individually. As for the rest of your collection, you’ll have to decide whether to sell Pokemon cards one by one or in bulk. The latter is a popular choice because it allows you to unload inventory and make some cash in one fell swoop. You also don’t need to list every individual card in the lot; just summarize its contents.

Step 4: Use a trusted marketplace

Now that you know the “how,” your next task is to decide where to sell Pokemon cards. TCGPlayer has an active marketplace directed specifically at trading card game fans and offers a number of tools to help sellers through the process. Facebook Marketplace is an easy and free option if you already have a Facebook account, but your audience may be more limited.

Your best bet for the greatest reach and searchability is eBay. The auction site has been around for almost three decades and has long been the retailer of choice for collectors. Unlike many free solutions, it has comprehensive buyer and seller protections and has partnered with PSA to provide authentication services. You will have to pay eBay its cut of your profits; for trading cards, those fees amount to 13.25% up to $7,500, then 2.35% for any value over that amount.To learn more about how to sell Pokemon cards on eBay, consult this guide.

Alternatively, you can check with your local card shops. You may have to visit them in person to complete the transaction, but that’s often faster than packing and shipping boxes of cards. Choose a shop you trust; some may even be able to guide you elsewhere if any of your cards are particularly valuable.

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Our recommendation: RICOH fi Series scanners and SV600

When you’re ready to sell Pokemon cards, make sure you have the right technology. We take great pride in having spent the last 50+ years researching, designing, and developing some of the most advanced and powerful electronics in the world, including our professional grade fi and SP series of scanners.

Built to purpose for the most demanding document handling jobs, fi and SP scanners are capable of processing tens of thousands of pages per day at the highest levels of accuracy. Their intuitive integration capabilities with all existing work suites minimize time-to-value for businesses looking to invest in tools that will pay dividends for years to come.

The professional-grade RICOH fi-8040 and fi-8170 are great options for scanning Pokemon cards thanks to their intuitive interfaces. The fi-8170 can even scan cards in their protective holders without missing a beat, so your items stay protected throughout the entire process. If you’re looking for something with a lower profile, the ScanSnap SV600 fits the bill with a contactless overhead design. Click here to learn more or shop the rest of our production scanner line.

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