Common, Uncommon, and Rare
Each Pokémon card has a rarity that determines how likely you are to open it in a booster pack. While this isn't the only thing that determines a card's a value, it's probably the biggest. Look in the bottom right corner of the card to find the rarity symbol, next to the card number.
First, we need to show you how to find out a card’s rarity just by looking at it. This is represented by a symbol located in the bottom right corner of every card. There should be a shape that indicates what rarity the card is:
A circle means the card is common, while a diamond marks uncommon cards. These are easy to find, and not usually worth much unless the card was printed in 1999 or 2000.
A star means the card is rare, while a star H or three stars are special, extra-rare cards. These rarities have the highest potential to be valuable, so separate them from the rest of your collection.
Other symbols typically mean the card was sold as part of a special product, not a booster pack. Try looking up the card as a "Promo", "Deck Kit", or "Box topper" version to check the price. These can range in price from a few cents to over $100, depending on the product.
Check the collector number
Look at the collector number at the bottom right corner. This is another way to identify a card, and can also clue you in to some special, often valuable cards:
Secret rares have a collector number higher than the total # of cards (supposedly) printed in that set, for instance "65/64" or "110/105."
If the collector number begins with "SH," the card is one type of "Shining Pokémon," with different art than the regular version. These are all also reverse holographic cards.
If there is no collector number, the card is probably an early printing, although Japanese cards continued to not display the number for a while longer. Not all of these are worth anything, but it's worth checking.
Find the set the card belongs to
On cards printed before the Expedition Base Set (2002), the expansion symbol is located in the center-right of the card, just below the illustration.
Since Expedition Base Set, most cards have an expansion symbol in the bottom right corner. The following types of cards have a symbol in the bottom left corner instead:
Trainer Cards
Energy Cards
GX/EX Cards
Promotional Cards
FULL ART CARDS
Most Pokémon cards appear as either a holographic rare, or a “non-holo” of any of the three rarities. Modern Pokémon cards have also added the nuance of making the main card image fill up the entire card. This earns it the name “full art.” The flavor text is simply laid over the artwork.
RAINBOW RARE AND GOLDEN RARE
In addition to full art cards, some modern cards have even rarer variants with a rainbow holographic foil, or, a full gold holographic foil.
AMAZING RARE
Some modern Pokémon cards have a holographic foil that does not cover the entire card like a full art card, but does go beyond the traditional borders of the main card image.
SECRET RARE
Modern sets have a total card count and really rare secret cards that surpass the official set count. These cards are indicated with a set count number that surpasses the official set count. Such as “163/145,” for example. Each number beyond the official set count indicates the number of secret rares in the set.
