How to find out what your Pokémon cards are worth (before Christmas trading)
Wicklight Labs · 5 November 2026
Christmas is when collections grow fastest: packs under the tree, trades with cousins, a binder found in the attic. Before you trade or sell, here is how to work out what a card is really worth.
1. Find the exact card
Two cards with the same name can be worth very different amounts. Look at the bottom of the card for the set symbol and the collector number (for example 4/102). The name, set and number together identify the card.
2. Check the variant
- Holo, reverse holo or plain: the same card can come in several finishes, each with its own price.
- First editions, promos and special art versions are priced separately.
- Language matters: Japanese and English printings have separate markets.
3. Be honest about condition
Look at the corners, edges, surface and centering under a bright light. Near Mint cards sell for the most; a crease or whitening on the edges lowers the price a lot. Professionally graded cards in slabs are a market of their own and are priced by their grade.
4. Use market prices, not asking prices
An asking price is what someone hopes to get. A market price comes from what cards actually sold for recently. Use market prices, and look at the trend over a few months: a card that spiked last week may not hold that price.
5. Trade fairly
When you trade, compare both sides at market price and in the same condition. Writing it down (or showing a screen with both totals) keeps trades friendly, especially with kids and family at Christmas.
Do it in seconds with HoloVault
HoloVault is an iPhone card scanner for Pokémon, One Piece, Disney Lorcana and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Point the camera at a card and it finds the exact card, set and number, with today's market price, prices by condition and a year of price history. Pack Rip mode prices every card as you open a pack, Trade check compares both sides of a trade, and the Christmas list turns your wishlist into a list family can buy from. It's free to try with 25 scans.
