Pokemon Selling Guide

Our Pokemon selling guide is meant to give users general information about their Pokemon cards. To sell your Pokemon cards, visit our Pokemon Buylist!

Table of Contents

1. How do I know what set my cards are from?
2. What is a 1st Edition Card?
3. What is a Shadowless card and how can I identify them?
4. How do I know which rarity my card is?
5. What is a Reverse Holo card?

How do I know what set my cards are from?

Pokémon cards generally have a symbol that you can use to identify specifically that. With the exception of Base Set, and maybe some promos or a handful energy cards, almost every release has a symbol to identify it by.

Pokémon sets printed by Wizards of the Coast before the set Expedition will have the set symbols located as follows:
Pokémon - Under the right bottom corner of the picture.
Trainer & Energy - Bottom right of the card.

Otherwise, the set symbol should always be at the bottom right corner of the card.

Wizards of The Coast Sets (Does not Include Promos)

Nintendo Sets (Does not Include Promos)

Promotional (From both Wizards and Nintendo)

Pre-Release

These had a Pre-Release stamp in the picture until Heart Gold / Soul Silver in which they switched to having the set logo in the picture.

Stamped

Usually has a gold Wizards stamp, though there are some that have different stamps such as the PokeTour 1999 Pikachu.

Winner

Has a foil "Winner" stamp in the picture.

Staff

Has "STAFF" in foil letters, usually in the picture, but sometimes located elsewhere on the card.

Championship

Given out at championship events and has a championship stamp in the picture, usually with the type of event, i.e. National Championship, state championship. In the newer promos, these were given an appearance similar to that of a league promo.

What is a 1st Edition Card?

For the most part, the early Pokémon sets that were printed by Wizards of the Coast had a 1st Edition print run, not all of them, but most did.

These can be identified by a small 1st Edition Symbol located as follows:
Pokémon - Near the bottom left corner of the picture.
Trainer - Bottom left corner of the card.
Energy - At the top next to “Energy”.

Aside from Base Set 2, Legendary Collection, Expedition, and Skyridge and promos (there was actually a Promo 1st Edition Pikachu misprint) the rest should have 1st Edition Prints. Additionally several promos were only printed with the 1st Edition symbol.

Wizards of the Coast Pokémon Sets

What is a Shadowless card and how can I identify them?

The early unlimited edition print runs of Base Set that still adhered to the original card design. Shadowless only applies to non-1st Edition, Base Set Cards.

In Base Set, initially the card design was different in that there was no shadow around the picture of the Pokémon, the date format and font size used were different. So initially the unlimited print runs looked different, then were changed.

Early Shadowless Print

Newer Revised Print

On a shadowless card it will appear as:
©1995, 96, 98, 99 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK © 1999 Wizards.

Whereas otherwise it will appear as:
©1995, 96, 98 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK © 1999 Wizards

How do I know which rarity my card is?

Common - Represented by a small circle at the bottom of the card.
Uncommon - Represented by small diamond at the bottom of the card.
Rare - Represented by a star, and the picture is not foil.
Holo Rare - Represented by a star symbol, and the picture is foil.
Ultra Rare - Technically, we use this as a broader term that encompasses what is officially several rarities. It is a way more diverse area than the other rarities made up of various types, with various traits, from various sets. Heres are some things to look for in an ultra rare, they do not necessarily mean that a card is an ultra rare, but they are indications it probably is.

Examples of pretty much every kind of rare:

Has a card number that is higher than the listed number of cards in a set.
Pokemon Catcher - 111/108 - Ultra Rare

Prime Pokemon
Has foil borders, but does not have anything in it's name identifying it as a prime

Full Art.
Has extended art and is typically foil.

Gold Bordered.
Has a textured gold border, card number is higher than listed set number, and is foil.

Unique Numbering
Instead of numbers like 50/100, it has something like SH7, or in the case of the Alph Lithographs, the numbers are spelled out in Unown characters.

EX Pokemon
Usually has foil borders and picture, and always has ex or EX in the name. There are exceptions such as World Championship Decks and POP Series promos, where an EX Card will not be foil.

Older

Newer

World Championship Deck (Non-Holo)

LV.X Pokemon
Always has LV.X in the name. As with EX cards there are exceptions in which a card will not be foil, but they usually are.

Normal (from set)

World Championship Deck (Non-Holo)

Neo Revelations
Has “Shining” in the name and has the appearance of a holo rare, however the pokemon are shiny (alternate color), and the card number is higher than the listed number.

Neo Destiny (Triple Star)
Aside from having “Shining” in their name, these have three stars for the rarity symbol, and a textured foil picture, and the card number is higher than the listed number.

SH Cards
Appeared throughout the Diamond and Pearl and Platinum series of the Pokemon TCG. They have the appearance of a reverse foil, but are only printed in the one version. They can be identified by the alternate color and are numbered with an “SH” prefix.

Other
There are occasions where shiny cards are printed but do not have special numbers or identifying.

Pokemon
These are also shiny versions of pokemon, they can easily be identified by the in the name, and usually have the appearance of a holo rare. Except for the POP series Umbreon* and Espeon*, and some world championship reprints.

Normal (from set)

World Championship Deck (Non-Holo)

Promotional
Usually a promo ultra rare will be an EX, LV.X, or Prime. Not always, but the better portion of them are. The ones that are not will be things like the several versions of Victory Medal, or Ancient Mew. You pretty much have to know that they are ultra rares as they bear no standard unique traits to identify them by.

LEGEND Cards
LEGEND cards that come as either a top or bottom piece, when put together they make one large card.

Top

Bottom

GX Pokemon
Similar to EX Pokemon, these will always have GX in their name. Includes new mechanic known as GX attacks.

Ultra Rare

Full Art Ultra Rare

Secret Rare

What is a Reverse Holo card?

With Legendary Collection, we started getting reverse foil versions Pokémon cards. These are cards in which can be identified by a multitude of criteria depending on the set. There are also ultra rare cards which may be easily confused with reverse holos, but is explained in another question.

Types of Reverse Holos

Legendary Collection Style Reverse Holo

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  Legendary Collection - Entire card except for the picture is foil, with a firework-like pattern.

Expedition through EX Sandstorm Style Reverse Holo

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  Expedition - Entire card, except for the picture and outer border, is foil.
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  Aquapolis - Entire card, except for the picture and outer border, is foil.
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  Skyridge - Entire card, except for the picture and outer border, is foil.
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  EX Ruby & Sapphire - Entire card, except for the picture and outer border, is foil.
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  Legendary Collection - Entire card, except for the picture and outer border, is foil.

EX Dragon & EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua Style Reverse Holo

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  EX Dragon - Entire card, except for the picture, is foil.
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  EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua - Entire card, except for the picture, is foil.

EX Hidden Legends Style Reverse Holo

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  EX Hidden Legends - Picture is foil with energy symbols in the background.

EX FireRed & LeafGreen Style Reverse Holo

• 
  EX FireRed & Leaf Green - Picture is foil with energy symbols in the background. Also has a foil pokeball in the text box.

EX Team Rocket Returns Style Reverse Holo

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  EX Team Rocket Returns - Picture is foil with energy symbols in the background with set logo.

EX Deoxys Style Reverse Holo

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  EX Deoxys - Kaleidoscope-like foil pattern and the set logo in the picture.

EX Emerald Style Reverse Holo

• 
  EX Emerald - Pokeball foil, and set logo in the picture.

EX Unseen Forces Style Reverse Holo

• 
  EX Unseen Forces - More 3D-ish pokeball foil, and set logo in the picture.

More 3D-ish pokeball foil, and set logo in the picture.

• 
  EX Delta Species - Foil picture with set logo.
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  EX Legend Maker - Foil picture with set logo.
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  EX Holon Phantoms - Foil picture with set logo.
• 
  EX Crystal Guardians - Foil picture with set logo.
• 
  EX Dragon Frontiers - Foil picture with set logo.
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  EX Power Keepers - Foil picture with set logo.

Diamond & Pearl Base Set through Black & White Base Set Style Reverse Holo

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  Diamond & Pearl - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Mysterious Treasures - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Secret Wonders - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Great Encounters - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Majestic Dawn - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Legends Awakened - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Stormfront - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Platinum - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Rising Rivals - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Supreme Victors - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Arceus - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  HeartGold & SoulSilver - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Unleashed - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Undaunted - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Triumphant - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Call of Legends - Entire card except for the picture is foil.
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  Black & White - Entire card except for the picture is foil.

EX Team Rocket Returns Style Reverse Holo

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  Emerging Powers - Entire card is foil except for the picture, with energy or pokeball symbols.
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  Noble Victories - Entire card is foil except for the picture, with energy or pokeball symbols.
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  Next Destinies - Entire card is foil except for the picture, with energy or pokeball symbols.
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  Dark Explorers - Entire card is foil except for the picture, with energy or pokeball symbols.
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  Dragons Exalted - Entire card is foil except for the picture, with energy or pokeball symbols.
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  Boundaries Crossed - Entire card is foil except for the picture, with energy or pokeball symbols.

Plasma Storm
A) Entire card is foil except for the picture, with energy or pokéball symbols.
B) Plasma cards do not have energy symbols or pokéballs in the foil. Instead they have foils similar to the Diamond & Pearl - Black and White sets.

Plasma Freeze
A) Entire card is foil except for the picture, with energy or pokéball symbols.
B) Plasma cards do not have energy symbols or pokéballs in the foil. Instead they have foils similar to the Diamond & Pearl - Black and White sets.