Do you remember Pokémon cards?
Of course you do. Even if you didn’t like Pokémon ( ahem , like me), you still somehow found yourself wrapped up in the cultural phenomenon that was playing with those collectible and inexplicably desirable cards.
Personally, I never learned how to actually play with the cards. I just collected the pretty ones with the cutest animals on them, or whichever ones my brothers decided were of no use to them and they could forfeit to me.
Pokémon hasn’t gone anywhere, it’s definitely still a pretty big part of our society.
Although it seems like it was once just a thing for kids while we were growing up in the 2000s, Pokémon has managed to stay super relevant to the new generation and has even stuck with its OG fans too.
With new cards still being printed, new Pokémon being created, and things like Pokémon GO and the new Detective Pikachu movie settling comfortably into the list of things we love, Pokémon definitely seems like it’s here to stay.
If you’re like me, you probably stopped collecting Pokémon cards at some point and left them somewhere at your parents’ house to collect dust.
Well, if that’s the case, I’d highly suggest you go digging in the attic, store room, basement, garage, or anywhere else you think you may have stowed away those cards because according to The Sun , they could be worth some serious coin now.
Of course, not all the cards are as sought-after as others, and not all will make you a small fortune.
But if you have a few special cards, you could very well be sitting on a goldmine, my friend. Collectors on eBay are dolling out thousands of dollars just to get their hands on some. And lucky you, yours came in a foil packet you got from the convenience store for pocket change.
So which ones should you be on the lookout for in your collection?
According to 21st century collectables expert, Tracy Martin, the most valuable cards are the ones that were printed and sold from 1999 to 2000, known as “Shadowless” Pokémon cards.
For instance, a ‘Shadowless’ Charizard holographic Pokémon card is currently poised to fetch £3,600 on eBay.
That comes out to about $4,500 USD, which isn’t too bad considering you probably got a hold of it through a recess-time trade back in the third grade.
The most expensive card going right now though is the 1998 Pokémon Kamex Mega Battle Trophy Card.
This one is worth $24, 995 USD, but I wouldn’t go searching in your collection just yet. Only a handful were printed and they were only distributed to participants of the Kamex Mega Battle competition in Japan that ran from July to August in 1998.
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So unless you have a faint memory of one time taking part in a Pokémon battle in Japan in 1998, I wouldn’t hold your breath.
h/t: The Sun
