With the recent Pokemon craze that has been going around surrounding the new game "Pokemon Go", I decided I would look up some of my old Pokemon cards and see if I could fetch some value for them...
It turns out I could!
Below, I would like to share some tips with you that I learned if you too would like to sell some of those old Pokemon cards that have just been collecting dust in the basement.
Where do we go to sell them?
If you want to get the best prices, the long and short answer is... eBay. There is no better place to fetch the best returns than eBay, plus you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own home! I drove over to my local card store and asked him how much my cards were worth and the first thing he did was pull up eBay and check what they are selling for. He said, "everyone has a smart phone now and they can check instant sell prices, so that is the new price setter. There is no price Beckett or book that sets prices any more, it is all eBay all the time."
At this point, I am assuming you already have an eBay account and already have at least a little experience using the site. It not, that is OK too. I actually first created my eBay account in the last couple weeks for the sole purpose of selling my Pokemon cards.
How do we get the most value from our cards on eBay?
I read several reviews and tips from people who have been selling their cards on eBay for years and their experience was similar to mine. The overall theme seems to be, the better you can make your listing, the more money you can get for your cards.
The most important thing you can do is provide clear and precise information to your buyers. The better and more clear your information is, the more people will potentially view it.
How do we do that?
Identify and label your cards properly!
People search for the cards they are looking for by using the search tab. They type the information in that they are looking for and the matches pop up. Therefore, you need to make sure your title includes all of the relevant information that someone would search for. In regards to Pokemon cards, that means you need the name of the Pokemon, the set that the Pokemon came from, the rarity of the card, holographic or non-holographic, and the condition of the card (Mint, Near Mint, 8/10, etc).
Name of the Pokemon: The name is located at the top if each card.
Set that the Pokemon came in: There is a number in the lower right hand corner that will tell you what number in the set that particular card is.
Rarity of the card: There is a symbol in the lower right hand corner, either a circle, diamond, or star. The star is the most rare, a diamond is uncommon, and a circle indicates it is common. The more rare the card is the greater value it will fetch
Holographic: Just refers to whether the card is shiny or not, sometimes also called foil and non foil.
Condition of the card: This needs to be done by an appraiser to get the most accurate grading of your card, but in general if you have played with your card it is an 8/10 or less...
We will use this card as an example to illustrate what I am talking about:
Name: Charizard
Set: Basic Set #4/102
Rarity: * which means "Rare"
Holographic
Condition: 8/10 as estimated by the card shop dealer
We would want to make sure we see all of this information in our listing title.
Always sell your cards as singles
If you want to get the most value from your cards you need to take some time and list each card individually. This is especially true if you are selling holographics/foils. Yes it is time consuming and yes it will cost you slightly more upfront, but it is worth it in the extra profits you will make.
The only exception to this rule is if you have a completed set, then by all means sell it as 1 set. You will fetch the most money by selling an entire set vs. any other means suggested in this post. So, if you are 1 or 2 cards short of completing one of the sets, it would be worth your time to fill out that set before you sell.
Other than that, the only time you would want to sell a group of Pokemon cards is if they are all commons and you are just looking to unload them as quickly as possible without regards for how much profit you make. Lets not let that be us...
Take good pictures!
This may sound like common sense, but you would not believe how many listings have glares or poor lighting that makes a potentially interested buyer pass right on to the next one. Remember, you are competing with many other listings on the site so you need to make sure yours is done neatly and clearly.
Also, make sure you take multiple photos of each card you are selling, you don't want the buyer to think you are hiding anything...
This is an example of a pretty good picture:
It is a little blurry, but the lighting is good, there are no glares, and it is close enough that you can see all the specifics of the card as well as as any damage that the card might contain.
How to actually list the card on eBay
First, click the start selling tab to get started. Then go ahead and enter the details about your card. If these seems tedious, a much faster method is to search for the exact card you are selling and create a listing based on that one already listed.
Once you have done that, make sure you create a descriptive title that includes all of the information that we mentioned above. A title is the only thing most potential buyers will see so it needs to catch their attention and give them all the information they are looking for.
Next, choose the format you would like to use to sell. Either an auction style, set price, or auction style with the option to buy now. From my experience and from what I have read, using an auction style will most likely net you the most gains. Just be sure to select a minimum price you would be willing to accept in case it never gets there.
After you have done that, you need to set a minimum bid amount. You should have an idea of what your card might be worth before you sell it, but even if you don't, set your minimum bid at $.99 and see if anyone bids. I like to set mine at $.99 either way because sometimes you can start a bidding war where two people will drive up the price above where it might have sold for originally if you just set the bid at say $5.00 for a $5 dollar card.
Next, select a shipping method. First weigh the items you are going to sell and get the dimensions of the box you are going to ship them in, then enter that data in the fields provided. My advice would be to pay the shipping cost for the buyer, there are a lot of buyers out there that won't even look twice if they have to pay the shipping costs as well.
How do we actually get paid?
I would recommend that all your transactions go through pay-pal because it is the most secure. Once the buyer has paid for the card you will be notified that the money has arrived. Once that happens it is yours and you are obligated to send the card out to the buyer. At that point you can leave the money in your pay-pal account or transfer it to someplace of your choosing.
How do we ship the card?
Once you receive payment it is time to ship the merchandise.
Make sure you use a plastic sleeve, and a hard plastic cover to keep the card safe. You don't want the card to get damaged now that it is no longer your own! Use an envelope and make sure to take extra care with the packaging so it doesn't get damaged during the shipping process.
This is our money card... we don't want to damage it before it gets to the buyer!
There is no need to purchase stamps as you can get those right off of eBay. There is a tab called Print Postage that will allow you to pay for and print out the shipping labels right from your home.
In closing...
Use eBay to sell your old Pokemon cards and make some money. The better your listing is, the better your chances are of getting the most money possible for your cards. Sell them individually and not as a group. Take a good quality picture of what you are selling. Finally, make sure to package it nicely and securely.
I hope I was able to help some of you out there get some ideas on how to make some money from your old Pokemon cards!
Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions or advice in the comments section below.
Live well my friends!
All images are my own, feel free to use them
Follow: @jrcornel