The Pokemon trading card community is an ever-expanding community where collectors buy, grade, and auction off cards for a shocking amount of cash. So are you thinking about investing in Pokemon trading cards, but you don’t want what factors to consider? Then let us guide you.

It’s impressive how you can get tens of interested buyers offering thousands of dollars when you list these items for sale. These pieces were first sold in 1999, and people didn’t consider them an effective investment plan then. 

But if you bought the sixteen-set pack of Pokemon trading cards in 1999, then for about 150 dollars. You have a shot at selling these pieces for 290,000 dollars in value presently. However, you have to do proper research before investing in them.

Like stocks, these items appreciate with time and at different rates, and you will need to develop some trading skills to make significant returns from them. In this guide, we have highlighted four top factors you should know before buying Pokemon trading cards in Adelaide.

  • Its Condition

The condition of these pieces is used to classify them into grades. Pokemon trading cards are placed at higher rates if they are not damaged and in perfect shape. While others are placed in lower grades if they are in poor conditions like the presence of scratches, creases, and chipped edges.

After purchasing, you send your piece to an authenticator who will access your item conditions. The authenticator will grade them from 1 to 10, with the items in perfect shape receiving a 10. After grading, your piece is given a serial number and encased in a plastic cover to preserve its state.

  • Popularity

This point is very vital when you are buying your piece. Based on our observations, Pokemon trading cards’ popularity depends on three key factors. These factors are character, language, and artwork.  

The most popular Pokemon characters are Pikachu and Charizard. And the pieces in English and Japanese are also trendy. The market demand for these collectibles with unique artwork like the scream collection/munch set is very high.

  • Age

The older your collectible, the more value, and popularity it will have. Many people out there are ready to pay so much to relive childhood nostalgia. These people, especially those from the 90s who couldn’t afford the older sets, are willing to pay more to have them.

Older Pokemon trading cards in good conditions are scarce in the market, and their demands are very high. These sets are over 20 years old and have been played extensively. So finding one and checking the condition won’t be a piece of cake.

  • Rarity.

It’s good to consider this factor before investing. The rarity of Pokemon trading cards is based on the authenticator’s population report for each piece. And this report shows the number of that pieces sent in for grading.

The sets with a low population report are usually tagged as rare and are more popular than the others. Many factors can reduce the rarity of a group. One of these is substitutability. It will reduce its rarity if your item has the same artwork as another in a different language.

Don’t get distracted by collectors trying to sell these items to you based on only popularity. Study the market correctly and do your research before buying any piece. We hope we can guide you with these factors as you invest in Pokemon trading cards. We wish you the best.