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Selling Pokémon Cards - An Introduction

 GOTTA SELL THEM ALL

Selling Pokémon Cards

Being locked inside for the better part of a year had the benefit of bringing many hobbies to the front of our minds, one of which was Pokémon TCG (The Card Game). 

I got my start in Pokémon back in middle school, where I was a fairly dedicated collector, even pulling a Shadowless Charizard out of a booster pack, but years and life got in the way and the hobby was all but lost. Fast forward to late 2020 when I stumbled upon an interesting opportunity; 100 3 pack blister packages of Pokémon Cards at Goodwill. At $4.98 it was worthwhile to purchase the entire lot of them, bringing me immediately back into the world of Pokémon at a very profitable time. 

I'll be the first to say that this is a unique time in trading cards, with demand far exceeding supply and scalpers rampant. A year ago the shelves at Walmart overflowed with cards, whereas a trip to those same shelves today is likely to leave one empty handed. As sad as this is for collectors, and kids (we'll get to that in a minute), it also creates opportunity. 

Essentially there are only three ways in which trading cards, specifically Pokémon in this article, are re-sold: Singles, Sealed, and Lot. 

Singles

Singles are exactly what they sound like, single cards, sold individually, with known conditions.  There are thousands of Pokémon cards on the market today, ranging from virtually worthless to the price of a large family home. The Pokémon Company doesn't sell individual cards, so they have to be found in packs or assortments from the factory. The practice of doing this is called "Pack Breaking", which is the Pokémon equivalent of gambling. While singles all come from packs, they are only pulled once, after that they are sold on the open market in some non-sealed format (See Retail Singles and Bulk).

Sealed

Sealed products come in two main flavors, Booster Packs (packs of assorted cards, usually assembled by the manufacturer) and specialty boxes (collections surrounding a particular character or theme). Sealed products are bought and sold in factory sealed condition.

Lot

Lot products are an excellent way to get into this world, essentially allowing you to purchase opened cards in bulk, separate out the valuable cards, and allow you to sell them; all without the cost of purchasing sealed retail products. 

Stay tuned for a deeper dive into sourcing and sales channels!


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