How would a novice organize Pokemon cards to sell?

Question

Hello, I am a 71 year old senior who has inherited approximately 2000 Pokemon cards all in alphabetical order in binders.I would like to find out what order and information I need from each card to hopefully sell these cards.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
George Morris

Comments

I'm pretty sure questions whose answers are not specific to Pokemon are not allowed.

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This is fine. The information the asker is requesting (perhaps the value of the cards, how they should be arranged, things to know about them before selling) is specific to the Pokemon TCG.
This really isn't your call to make anyway.

Answer 1

I imagine you're asking whether there is a classification system for Pokemon cards. Assuming this is what you're asking, a card can be sufficiently classified with the card's set and it's ranking in the set.

A card's set can be identified by a unique symbol. In earlier Pokemon cards, this symbol is present below the bottom right corner of the picture of the Pokemon (see left). In later printings, the symbol became located in the bottom right corner of the card itself (see right). When you identify a card's set, you can locate it on this list to see what set it represents. For example, the left card has a staircase-like symbol which represents the 'Neo Discovery' set. Similarly, the right card's symbol is two wings, which is meant to represent the 'EX Unseen Forces' set. Cards without a unique symbol are part of the Base Set.

A card's ranking in the set is always located in the bottom right corner of the card. A card's ranking doesn't necessarily mean much; really, it's just a classification mechanism. What may also be of note is the little circle present in the bottom right corner. This represents the rarity of the card. The circle, present on both cards, represents that the card is common. A diamond would indicate that the card is uncommon, and a star would indicate that it is rare.

If you have intentions to catalogue these cards for public viewing by Pokemon card fanatics, it would be in your best interest to do it by the above classification system. You should catalogue the sets by order of release (the same order presented in the above link) and organise all the cards in each set by ascension in rank. Of course, if you've already got them sorted in alphabetical order, that's fine.

If you are having trouble classifying a card, there is a convenient card searcher linked here. You can search for cards by name and if you are on a desktop computer, you can click on the name of a card to see a photo of the card it is referring to. It provides a card's set and ranking, as well as other info.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. Good luck selling the cards!

Hope I helped. :)

Comments

Ahh, ninja'd. I was writing my answer before this one showed up lol

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If yours took as long to write as mine did then I feel really bad omg. Sorry. :'D

Answer 2

What most people do to organize and sell their cards is the following:

Find out what set the card is from. In older cards, the set symbol is located just below the bottom right corner of the illustration of the card. For example, a card from the Jungle set will have a symbol similar to a Vileplume's flower in said spot. In newer cards, the set symbol is located in the bottom right corner of the card itself, right beside its rarity symbol. To match up symbols with sets, go to this link: http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_Pokémon_Trading_Card_Game_expansions

Check its rarity. Every card has a set rarity and a symbol to represent that, from common (a circle), uncommon (diamond), and rare (star). In the Gold/Silver sets, Shining Pokemon had three small stars in the rarity place, symbolizing it's extreme rarity. In newer sets, ultra rares and certain holos tend to have a holofoil star. The rarity symbol is located in the very bottom right corner of the card.

Is it First Edition? In the older sets, cards that were printed early got a stamp that read "1st edition" outside the bottom left corner of the illustration box. First edition cards are a lot more valuable than the unlimited versions, which are lacking the stamp. Keep an eye out for those!

Know its condition. Most people will want a card that's in very good shape, or in mint condition. If the card is bent, has edge wear, or if holofoil cards have the holo sheet peeling off, then the card will not go for much at all. Always protect your cards from further damage, if any. The condition of a card says a lot about its value. You could have a secret rare Crystal Charizard from Aquapolis, which goes for a whole lot in mint condition. But if it's bent, has edge wear and has peeling foil, it's not gonna go for more than $20-$30 or so. (I could be wrong about this estimate, don't take my word for it!)

Have them graded. If you have very good conditioned rare cards, you should mail them to companies that thoroughly examine cards, give them a grading from 1-10 (10 being gem mint, the best possible grading) for a pretty reasonable price. They then put them in a hard plastic case to protect them and prevent any damage to the card whatsoever, then mail them back to you. Graded cards actually tend to go for more than cards in a sleeve, as cards that are graded are pretty much guaranteed to stay in the best condition possible forever. Please note though, graded cards aren't usually worth much unless the grading is 7 and up!

Look for average prices online. If you want to sell a card, you should look up the average price the card you're selling goes for. For example, a first edition Base Set Charizard holo typically sells for a couple hundred dollars if in mint condition, and even $1,000+ if it's graded at a 10!)

This is the most information I can think of off the top of my head. I really hope I've helped!