We wanted to find out just how much money your old Pokémon cards – the ones that might be forgotten about, left under the bed, or in a box in your attic collecting dust – might be worth. We also found out just how we should be looking after them to keep them in top condition, to ensure you aren’t losing any potential fortune. To help us compile the list we partnered with vintage collectible expert, Marc Airey, to find out the 15 most valuable ‘common’ cards that the average Pokémon enthusiast might have at home. You can check out if any card in your collection makes the list:

  1. Base Set Charizard (Shadowless Holo), 1999 – worth $2,736 2. Dragon Frontiers Charizard Star (Delta Species), 2006 – worth $2,000 3. EX Deoxys Rayquaza Star, 2005 – worth $1,280 4. Holo EX Team Rocket Returns Torchic, 2004 – worth $1,130 5. Base Set Shadowless Blastoise (Holo), 1999 – worth $1,067 6. Base Set Shadowless Venusaur, 1999 – worth $800 7. Base Set Shadowless Mewtwo, 1999 – worth $787 8. Base Set Shadowless Chansey, 1999 – worth $773 9. Plasma Storm Charizard, 2013 – worth $767 10. Base Set Charizard (Holo), 1999 – worth $747 11. Krabby Error card fossil expansion, 1999 – worth $733 12. Shining Fates Charizard VMAX, 2021 – worth $680 13. FireRed & LeafGreen Charizard Ex, 2004 – worth $667 14. Aquapolis Lugia, 2003 – worth $634 15. Stormfront Charizard, 2008 – worth $600 The total potential value of this list of Pokémon cards comes to almost an impressive $15,500! And if you do (or don’t) have any of these cards on the list, to ensure you can preserve any cards that might be of value in the future, our expert Marc reveals his top tips on card care. It’s extremely important for a new Pokémon card collector to know that there are factors that can impact your cards’ worth. For example, some cards when they are originally manufactured will have an array of damage from off-center artwork or design marks, all of which can decrease the value. And there’s just no helping that, unfortunately. However, what is in your control is the way that you handle your cards once they’re in your hands, out of their original packaging, and stored by you. Some tips for storing cards are:

1. Penny sleeves

These simple sleeves are an absolute must-have. As soon as you tear open your pack and pull out a valuable card, you need to quickly put it into a sleeve. It’s going to be tough not to want to wave it around excitedly and look at it, but try and make sure it gets put in a sleeve before you examine it.

2. Top loaders

Once your card is in a penny sleeve, we recommend then placing it in a top loader, which are small plastic cases used to store and transport trading cards. They’re certainly not as cheap to buy as penny sleeves, but are well worth the investment and will protect cards from hard knocks.

3. Evaluation

Once your cards are individually protected, you can think about sending them off for evaluation. Getting your cards evaluated is the best way to guarantee their worth. We suggest card authentication and grading organizations such as Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) or Beckett BGS.

4. Stockpiling

After all that, you’ll want to find a place to store them for the long term. If you have the time and the resources, the most ideal method for storing your cards is to get them sent for evaluation, as they are usually returned in a protected hard case. Alternatively, check out one of the following methods: Metal tins – loads of Pokémon items are sold in metal tins. Placing top-loaded cards back into tins is a great way to store and reuse your trading card game packaging. Display books – display books are a great option to keep everything together in a way that is easy to access and browse. Try and make sure that your display book’s pockets are separate and that no stored cards are touching. Box – top loaded cards may also be placed in a box, just so long as there isn’t too much room for the cards to move and rattle around.

5. Some storage don’ts

Do not use cotton gloves while handling trading cards, I repeat do not use cotton gloves! While TV shows and films may show white-gloved hands handling important and expensive goods, cotton gloves can actually scratch trading cards and devalue them, potentially costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It’s also good practice to get into the habit of keeping your Pokémon cards in a dark, cool place. Anywhere too damp or too warm could potentially cause damage to the cardboard. If you are new to or hoping to get into collecting trading cards, the biggest piece of advice is to ensure you have plenty of penny sleeves and top loaders on hand to keep your cards safe and in great condition. ~ We’ve loved working with our expert to compile this list, and hope that it helps arm some avid Pokémon fans with the knowledge that their collection may be worth more than they thought. It’s wild to think that with a quick flick through an old collection, you could be sitting on a few thousand bucks. So if you’ve ever collected Pokémon cards please check your attics now!