How to Check Pokémon Card Value (Scan or Search)

What decides a card’s price

«How much is my Charizard worth?» has no single answer — there are many Charizard cards. A price only makes sense for one exact version of a card, and these are the things that set it:

What to check	Where to look	Why it matters
Name & set	Set symbol	Reprints of the same Pokémon differ a lot
Collector number	Bottom corner	e.g. 025/165 — the exact card
Finish	Holo, reverse holo…	Each finish has its own price
Rarity	Symbol by the number	Secret and special rares cost more
Condition	NM · LP · MP · HP · DMG	Whitening and creases lower it
Language	Card text	English, German, Japanese… sell differently

Graded cards — sealed in a plastic slab with a grade — are a separate market and usually sell for more than the same card raw.

Method 1 — Free: look it up by hand

This takes a few minutes per card, but it works for any card and costs nothing.

1. 1

   Step 1: Write down the exact card

   Name, collector number (e.g. 025/165), set, finish and language. Look at the corners, edges and surface under a light, and be honest about the condition.

2. 2

   Step 2: Search recent sold listings

   On a marketplace, search the name plus the collector number, then use the filter that shows only sold (completed) listings. Asking prices tell you what sellers hope for; sold prices tell you what buyers paid.

3. 3

   Step 3: Compare like with like

   Ignore graded slabs, lots and different finishes. Take the middle of 5–10 recent sales in a similar condition — not the highest one.

4. 4

   Step 4: Check the date

   Prices move, especially after a new set comes out. A sale from last week means more than one from last year.

Method 2 — PikPik: scan or search

PikPik recognises a card with your iPhone’s camera and shows its market price for the US market (USD) or the EU market (EUR), with the time it was last updated.

1. 1

   Step 1: Scan the card

   Tap the scan button and point the camera at the card. In about a second its name and price appear right under it. Keep going — each card joins the row at the bottom and the total grows.

   Fig. 1 — Name and price under the card

   

   Fig. 1 — Name and price under the card

2. 2

   Step 2: Check every match

   Tap Done to review the stack: each scan sits next to the card it matched. Set the finish and quantity; if a match is off, tap «Not this card?» and pick from similar cards, or search by hand.

   Fig. 2 — Review: scan next to match

   

   Fig. 2 — Review: scan next to match

3. 3

   Step 3: Open the price history

   Tap a card to see its price chart and the change over 30 days, for the US or EU market. Prices follow your price region (US or EU) — both markets are free since version 2.0.1. Free history covers 7 days to 6 months; 1 year, all time and the full price range are Premium.

   Fig. 3 — Price history, US or EU market

   

   Fig. 3 — Price history, US or EU market

4. 4

   Step 4: Add them to your collection

   Add the cards to My cards and see what the whole collection is worth on a chart, with a dashed line for what you paid.

   Fig. 4 — Collection value over time

   

   Fig. 4 — Collection value over time

No camera nearby, or a damaged card? Use Search: type the name or the collector number and pick the card from the results.

Typical numbers

These are typical values, not a timed test on one binder. The by-hand numbers come from the method above; PikPik’s come from the app’s own recognition benchmark and its published limits.

Method	Per card	What you get
By hand · sold listings	5–10 sales	The middle of recent sales for your exact version
PikPik scan · recognition	≈ 1 s	Name and market price under the card (median ≈ 1.1 s in our benchmark)
PikPik free plan	10 scans	Then 3 a day; Search has no limit

Sources: PikPik 2.0 recognition benchmark (median ≈ 1.1 s per card), the PikPik App Store description («recognises it in about a second») and the app’s free-plan limits. Market prices are a typical recent price for the card, not an offer for your copy.

Troubleshooting

• Card not recognised?

  Lay it flat on a plain, darker surface, avoid glare on holo cards and move a little closer. Or search by the collector number.

• Wrong version matched?

  Same Pokémon, different set? Compare the collector number, then tap «Not this card?» and pick the right one from similar matches.

• Non-English card?

  Set the card language with the chip in the scanner. The scanner also tries the other supported languages on its own. Japanese cards aren't supported yet.

• Old prices showing?

  Prices need the internet. Offline, PikPik shows the last prices with their age — reconnect to refresh them.

FAQ