Learning how to sell Pokemon cards on eBay and other Pokemon-selling websites is important if you don’t want to lose money on your collection!
If you want to know the best place to sell Pokemon cards, you’ll probably also want to know the following.
What is the best way to sell Pokemon cards?
Who buys Pokemon cards?
Should I sell my Pokemon cards?
How much can you sell Pokemon cards for?
The short answer is you need to find out where to sell Pokemon cards, what cards to sell, and what price to set.
Selling Pokemon cards is hard since there isn’t a fixed price for some Pokemon cards online. Like other trading cards, it’s a collector’s market, and you must follow its best practices to sell.
Let’s start.
Table of Contents
How to Sell Pokemon Cards
For you to sell your Pokemon card collection, you need to know two things; what buyers want to pay and how much you want to get for your Pokemon trading cards.
You’ll learn what buyers want to pay by studying different online selling platforms like the following:
To find the price, look at each platform and see the last sold price for your rare cards. If one of your Pokemon trading card games collectibles sold for $100, it’s most likely that the same card will fetch a similar price.
You should also compare stores to see where you can fetch the best prices. For example, if your card on Facebook marketplace sold for $50 and on eBay for $150, you should obviously choose the latter.
It’s also important to note that if selling online doesn’t work, you can go to physical stores like pawn shops, stores for trading card game hobbyists, and places that buy and sell cards.
Before you decide to sell, you should also understand why you want to sell your collection. If you need to make an immediate sale, you can go to shops where buyers often look for Pokemon collection rare cards, although they have listing or selling fees.
Reasons to Sell Your Pokemon Card Collection
Here are some reasons you might want to sell and your best action.
You want to profit
Some people collect the rarest Pokemon cards to profit from them. When you buy very rare cards and want to profit, you shouldn’t mind when to sell since you’re targeting a fair price.
Some places to sell Pokemon let you list your valuable cards on display for veteran buyers. Although the selling process might take longer, when a buyer wants your specific card, they’ll make an online, PayPal, cash, or credit card payment through the vendor.
In this scenario, you should look for places where you see other ultra-rare cards and Pokemon cards graded at PSA, CGC, or other authenticator levels.
You want to buy other cards
The Pokemon trading card game online is fun, and if you want to sell a card to buy another card, you can find places to trade Pokemon cards or places that give you store credit to buy new cards.
You do three things
Connect with a person directly to swap your cards
Sell and buy new cards online
Go to a place that gives you store credit.
If you want to swap directly, you can find other people on Facebook marketplace, groups, forums, and other spaces online to exchange cards directly. This way, you’ll do an in-person transaction and exchange cards directly (we don’t recommend swapping cards online unless you can trust the seller).
If you want to buy and sell cards, list your cards on the places to sell Pokemon and accept an instant cash payout online. After that, go to either the same store online or another store and purchase your desired Pokémon cards.
If you want to check the cards physically, you can go to a local pawn shop or collector’s store and ask to swap directly instead of getting a cash payment. Some places to sell Pokemon also let you exchange your entire collection or individual cards for new ones.
You need cash immediately
You might need to sell below market value if you want immediate cash. Depending on how fast you need to sell your Pokemon cards, you can go to sites that automatically buy Pokémon cards for cash or local stores, like pawn shops, that pay you immediately.
If you’re selling extremely rare first-edition Pokemon illustration holographic cards, you can also don’t sell your Pokemon cards but pawn them. Especially if you have a rare first edition, there are some pawn shops that allow you to pawn the rare card for a fixed amount which you need to pay back with interest.
Buying and Selling Pokemon Cards Dos and Don’ts
Before you start selling Pokemon cards, let’s learn the dos and don’ts of selling Pokemon cards online.
Dos
Research the market value.
Always mention the condition (mint condition, playable condition, has tears, etc.).
Provide good pictures.
Give bulk prices (for card collections).
Specify who’ll pay shipping costs.
Properly name the particular card.
Add its specs like “first edition cards” to the title.
Don’ts
Don’t sell fake cards.
Don’t list sold items.
Don’t antagonize potential buyers (answer all their questions).
Don’t sell in person if you can’t verify or vet the person beforehand.
Don’t suddenly change card prices if you’ve already listed them.
When you sell online, ensure you follow the online marketplace rules. Although selling cards is a huge market, the Pokemon community is very open and protective (sharing bogus sellers and potential buyers).
The Types of People in the Pokemon Card Market
The Pokemon card community is full of diverse buyers. However, we can simplify the type of people that go to online marketplaces to find the rarest cards into three groups.
You must understand your target market to make more money from your sale. When you understand what type of buyer you want to attract, you can design your post to fit their needs.
Specific Buyer
The specific buyer usually looks for a specific card they want to buy. Oftentimes, they aren’t interested in bulk cards and don’t mind the higher selling price.
These buyers are usually collectors or people that want to sell a larger complete Pokemon set. If you’re selling to this buyer, you should specify the condition and focus on the collection it belongs to.
As for the price, these buyers haggle but not to the extremely unfair point.
Casual Buyer
The casual buyer looks for deals depending on price. They often buy cards when they find a good deal.
These buyers are sometimes collectors looking to expand their collection or those not actively looking for new cards but don’t mind buying at a discount.
To attract this type of buyer, look at the price that the card sold for and list yours below it.
First-Time Buyer
First-time buyers often look for sets and deals on bulk purchases instead of individual pieces. Since they’re still growing their collection, you can throw in bonuses like energy cards for free.
You can also price your cards below all the different versions on the online platform. This will help you attract buyers looking for the cheapest deals possible.
Where to Sell Pokemon Cards?
Finding the right place to sell your Pokemon cards is equally important as knowing how to price them. Let’s go in-depth into each platform we mentioned earlier.
Here are the top places to sell directly to Pokemon card buyers.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace lets you sell Pokemon cards without charging any seller’s fee. When you list a card for sale, it’s between you and the buyer to agree on how much, where to pay, and how to ship the cards.
We recommend that if you’re selling your cards, you should also list them on Facebook Marketplace for free. However, because this platform is for the general public, it’s harder for you to find genuine Pokemon buyers.
If you have any Pokemon cards worth selling, you can still list them on the platform and passively wait for a buyer. When you post on this platform, ensure you have a verified photo and enough proof that you’re a legitimate seller.
eBay
eBay is among the best places to sell graded Pokemon cards. Since this marketplace is popular among collectors, you can expect inquiries from knowledgeable buyers if you have rare cards. Prepare to answer tough questions regarding its conditions, etc.
It’s important to note that this platform is free for casual sellers, but if you start listing over 250 items a month, the platform will charge you $0.35 per listing. Although not much, this can add up if you sell thousands of cards.
The good thing about this platform is it helps you with shipping and collecting fees.
Amazon
Although it’s hard to sell on Amazon because of the competition, some people still succeed. You don’t need to worry about listing fees if you don’t have a high volume.
Amazon only charges you when you sell an item, which is fair enough since you won’t lose money if you don’t sell the card on the platform. One thing you can do is to list your card on Amazon but try to promote it elsewhere through social media.
One disadvantage of Amazon is that buyers aren’t always looking for collectible deals, meaning you’re competing with other brand-new products, making your listing difficult to find. Use specific keywords for your cards and good but realistic photos to avoid this.
You can list your cards like this.
Mercari
Like eBay, Mercari is where collectors know how to sell Pokemon cards. Because of this, it has a healthy audience of actual Pokemon buyers that look for either decks or specific cards.
One problem with Mercari is it has high fees for sellers. The platform charges you a 10% seller’s fee plus 2.9% and a $0.30 transaction fee for every sale you make.
Because of its fees, you must factor it into your price and mark up your listing to cover your additional cost. Despite some specific cards on the website, you’ll have more luck selling collections, decks, or packs.
TCG Player
This site is for buying and selling gaming collectibles. Aside from Pokemon cards, you can sell, buy, or trade YuGiOh!, Magic the Gathering, and other trading card games.
Because this site has experienced buyers, you must know what you’re selling. These buyers won’t buy regular cards and aren’t always interested in discounts and instead want rare cards despite their price.
The site has no listing fees and offers a card scanner with its pro subscription to help you know the price of your Pokemon cards. However, you must have a massive collection or operate as a business to avail of this feature.
Facebook Groups
One misconception of some beginner sellers isn’t posting on Facebook Groups. The platform usually has an active community, and you can join niche groups that celebrate Pokemon cards.
Before you post, you should read the community guidelines of the group and see whether they allow you to sell cards. Some groups are strict and automatically ban you if you try to sell.
However, you can still share your collection, and if someone is really interested in a card, they can message you directly. Sometimes it pays to show off your collection to the right audience.
Also, Facebook Groups don’t charge anything for you to post.
Troll and Toad
Troll and Toad is one of the most popular places to sell individual cards, rare packs, or training boxes. The platform takes selling Pokemon cards seriously, so it doesn’t allow you to sell cards worth below $30.
You need to contact them if you want to sell extremely expensive and rare cards. The platform follows a strict seller’s guide, which is good for buyers but is sometimes hard for first-time users.
If you just want to trade your card for a new one, Troll and Toad also have a feature where it gives you a 35% store credit bonus instead of cash. This way, you can automatically buy a new card after selling your old one.
Cape Fear Games
This platform caters directly to a gaming and collector’s audience. You can also sell them directly by checking their “buyers list.”
Cape Fear Games has a list of what cards they want to buy and a rough estimate of how much they cost. If the cards you want fit the list, you can contact them directly and see how much you can get for your cards.
Cape Fear Games will pay you in PayPal, cash, MTGOTraders credit, or store credit. If the company wants your cards, they’ll email you confirmation.
This platform is best for individual cards, not sets, decks, or collections.
Card Cavern
If you have Pokemon cards with PTCGO codes and haven’t used them, you can sell them on Card Cavern. This platform specifically looks for cards with codes you haven’t redeemed yet and digitally buys them.
The good thing about this is you no longer need to ship your physical cards. Instead, you can send the codes over via email. Card Cavern still has an option where you can sell individual cards on top of the codes and packs.
This platform only deals with cards with PTCGO codes. If you don’t have these, looking for another place to sell your Pokemon cards is better.
CCG Castle
CCG Castle is a good place to sell or trade your Pokemon cards for new ones. It allows you to exchange cards for store credit, which you can use to buy other Pokemon cards.
You can access the website’s “buy mode” to see what cards they’re buying. If you see your cards on the list, you can sell them directly to CCG Castle.
It’s important to note that CCG Castle doesn’t cover shipping costs. Calculate how much shipping it to the company will cost before you send the cards or agree to sell them.
How to Sell Rare Pokemon Cards by Grading Them
If you know you have a rare card and don’t want to sell it at a loss, you must first authenticate it. Although this process can cost more, it increases the value of your card.
There are two main ways to authenticate your card: PSA and CGC. Let’s look at the difference.
PSA Authentication
PSA (Professional Sports Authenticators) is internationally recognized for grading collectibles and memorabilia. They can authenticate sports memorabilia like baseball bats and collectibles like basketball trading cards, baseball trading cards, or Pokemon cards.
PSA follows a very strict grading system. The higher your card ranks, the better its condition, meaning the higher the price you can demand.
The authenticator has 10 different levels with 1 being its poorest and 10 its best condition.
1 (PR) – poor
2 (GOOD) – good
3 (VG) – very good
4 (VG-EX) – very good or excellent
5 (EX) – excellent
6 (EX-MT) – excellent or Mint
7 (NM 7) – near Mint
8 (NM-MT) – near Mint or Mint
9 (MINT) – Mint
10 (GEM-MT) – Gem Mint
Having a PSA 10 card means it’s in pristine condition and very good care. However, this talks about the card’s condition and not its desirability.
If you have a desirable card in Gem Mint condition, it will raise its value.
CGC Authentication
CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) authentication is one of the top third-party grading services specializing in collectibles. They authenticate everything from comic books to video games and, of course, Pokemon cards.
Sometimes, CGC is more desirable for buyers compared to PSA grading. This is because CGC focuses more on the niche and doesn’t deal with other collectibles.
However, this depends on the type of buyer since others prefer sticking to the PSA grading standard.
CGC has a more accurate grading system. Here are its tiers.
0.5 (Poor) – poor
1.0 (Fa) – heavy accumulation major defects
1.5 (Fa/G) – heavy accumulation major defects
1.8 (G-) – major defects
2.0 (G) – multiple moderate-to-major defects
2.5 (G) – multiple (somewhat lesser) moderate-to-major defects
3.0 (G/VG) – multiple moderate-to-major defects
3.5 (VG-) – below average with several major defects
4.0 (VG) – below average with multiple moderate defects
4.5 (VG+) – slightly below average with multiple moderate defects
5.0 (VG/FN) – average with several moderate defects
5.5 (FN-) – slightly above average with several moderate defects
6.0 (FN) – slightly above average with a major defect and some small defects
6.5 (FN+) – above average with a major defect and some small defects
7.0 (FN/VF) – above average with a major defect and few small defects
7.5 (VF-) – above average with a moderate defect or few small defects
8.0 (VF) – attractive with a moderate defect or few small defects
8.5 (VF+) – attractive with a moderate defect or few small defects
9.0 (VF/NM) – very well preserved and minor handling and/or manufacturing defects
9.2 (NM-) – very well preserved with some wear and small manufacturing/handling defects
9.4 (NM) – very well preserved with minimal wear and small manufacturing/handling defects
9.6 (NM+) – very well preserved with several minor manufacturing/handling defects
9.8 (NM/M) – perfect with negligible handling/manufacturing defects
9.9 (Mint) – perfect with very minor manufacturing defects
10 (Gem Mint) – perfect with no manufacturing/handling defects
Since the CGC grading is very specific, buyers usually know exactly what they’re getting. You should first assess the market to know if your target buyer prefers PSA or CGC rating.
After you authenticate your cards, you can charge a fair price and sell them on your preferred marketplace. You don’t have to limit your listing to just one marketplace; you can sell it across multiple platforms.
Additional Info on How to Sell Pokemon Cards
Here’s some additional info you might want to know about selling Pokemon cards.
How to Price Pokemon Cards?
You can look at the prices of the same card previously sold. You can also compare prices across different platforms.
How to Grade Pokemon Cards
You can contact PSA or CGC to rate your Pokemon cards. Some buyers prefer PSA, while others prefer CGC ratings.
Where to Sell Graded Pokemon Cards
You can sell your graded Pokemon cards on eBay, TCG Players, Troll and Toad, Cape Fear Games, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Can I Sell Pokemon Cards for Cash?
You can sell your Pokemon cards on websites like eBay, TCG Player, Cape Fear Games, CCG Castle, Mercari, etc.
Where Can I Sell My Pokemon Cards for the Most Money?
The best way to sell your Pokemon cards for the most money is on social media. You make the most money when buyers purchase directly from you.
Do Pawn Shops Buy Pokemon Cards?
It depends. Some pawn shops buy Pokemon cards, while others don’t. They are more likely to buy if your card has a PSA or CGC rating. Your chances increase further if you sell your whole collection.
The Bottom Line
I talked about everything you need to know about selling Pokemon cards. Don’t hesitate to try out multiple platforms while listing your cards online.
The trading card business is tricky, and if you want to increase your chances of selling, you can do so by improving your product images. Check out our complete guide on how to optimize eCommerce images.
