How to Sell & Trade Pokemon Cards

Selling Pokemon Cards

• 1

  Organize your Pokemon card collection into the sets they come from, then organize cards in each set by their rarity. The rarity of the card is easily found in the lower right-hand corner of the card--a circle is common, a diamond is uncommon and a star is rare. If you are uncertain which set your card is in, you can look up the card's name on a trading card game website. Such a site also will estimate the market value of the card based on demand.

• 2

  Put each card into a protective sleeve. Research the market price of each card. Keep track of the prices, sets and rarity of each Pokemon card on a spreadsheet.

• 3

  Consult your local yellow pages for hobby, card and comic shops. These businesses typically buy, sell and trade cards. Call each business and ask whether they buy Pokemon cards, or have swap nights or trading events.

• 4

  Bring your collection to the shops that sell the cards along with the spreadsheet of the prices of your collection. This may lead to haggling. If haggling over prices is not comfortable for you, consider selling the cards on eBay.

• 5

  Take pictures of each card if you are selling your Pokemon cards on eBay. Make the title of your auction attractive to buyers by including the card's condition, name, number in the set, rarity and edition, and whether the card is holographic. Include all the details again in the object description on the auction page, adding the HP of the card (important to those who play the game). Start the bid at 1 cent and set the shipping at $2.49.

• 6

  Include the quantity of your cards and their names in the titles for energy, common and uncommon cards sold in lots. Start bidding at 1 cent like you did with the rare cards.

• 7

  Attend swap nights or trading events if you wish to trade your Pokemon cards face to face. Otherwise, try trading online but use caution. Because you are unable to physically confront and know your potential trader, you run the risk of being duped. The trading forums have very strict rules, however, helping protect the trading exchange and leading to very few instances of unfair trading. Read the trading forum rules and adopt the techniques of some of the forum's respected traders.

• 8

  Wrap the cards in a piece of paper and mail to the buyer or trader in an envelope or, if necessary, in a case or a large padded envelope. If the buyer wants insurance, ship the cards in a padded envelope.