How to Make Money Flipping Pokemon Cards in 2023

Reselling 101

By RC Staff

05 June 2023

Were you there for the card boom of 2020? It seemed like every day new records being set for card sales. With prices increasing across every brand and even major celebrities buying in, it was a special time. Things have definitely changed since then, but it is still profitable to resell Pokemon cards. The market around them remains strong and there are plenty of buyers out there eager to find the right cards and packs. Today, we’re going to dive into the world of Pokemon card collecting, trading, and reselling.

Is selling Pokemon cards online profitable?

If you know nothing about Pokemon or card collecting in general, you might be confused by the hype. After all, can’t you just drive to the store and pick out some cards? While that’s true (to a degree) nowadays, things were very different just a few short years ago.

Right before the pandemic, all kinds of trading cards including Pokemon were gaining in value. We were beginning to see prices set new records at a regular pace. When the pandemic struck in 2020, nobody knew what was about to happen.

Instead of slowing down, everything hit a new level. Lockdowns led to a resurgence of the Pokemon GO video game, and Pokemon was back on everyone’s minds. As stores gradually reopened and the realities of post-pandemic life set in, Pokemon cards suddenly became a massive commodity.

It was common to walk through the card aisles at major retailers and find everything Pokemon related completely stripped from shelves. Sealed boxes and booster packs were regularly reselling for three to four times their value on eBay. Graded cards hit record prices, with some selling for tens of thousands. Even Jake Paul got in on it, paying $3.5 million for a first edition base set that was later confirmed to be a fake.

Now flash forward to 2023. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Pokemon cards are still a valuable item to resell in 2023, but there are a few considerations to make before buying

What makes a Pokemon card valuable?

We’ll talk about boosters and packs in a moment, for now let’s just focus on individual cards. There are a few primary characteristics to consider when evaluating a card:

• Rarity. The primary factor that drives a Pokemon card’s value. Just like everything else in life, people want rare stuff, and Pokemon cards are no exception. Most booster packs, new and old, will have a rare card or two in the mix that collectors are rabid for. There are also additional features like holographic accents, collector numbers, and promotional features that compound with a card’s rarity and further increase value.
• Condition. The quality and condition of a Pokemon card is a critical aspect of its value. Rare cards can have their sale price cut in half due to damage, discoloration, or printing issues. Conversely, a perfectly centered card in pristine condition that has been graded highly will command a high price.
• Grading. Serious card collectors will want their cards evaluated by a grading house, and most valuable Pokemon cards will be graded somewhere between an 8, 9, and 10. Grading is closely correlated with condition, and whether or not a card is graded or raw (ungraded) can affect how it sells. We’ll cover grading in greater depth later.

How to flip Pokemon cards for profit

While the individual cards are what the market revolves around, many buyers and sellers trade in booster packs. These are the sealed sets of 10-40 cards you can buy in stores.

Many card resellers exclusively trade in booster packs, and these are the simplest way to make money reselling Pokemon cards. Popular packs with rare cards can sell out in stores, and it creates an aftermarket where resellers can profit by flipping Pokemon booster packs.

Collectors or other resellers who buy these packs will generally hold onto them, or open them, a practice referred to as “ripping”. It’s at this point that the hobby sort of crosses over into gambling. Opening a booster pack is a somewhat addicting activity, as there is a potential to find a rare card. Whether they choose to list that card for sale is up to them.

In the past, most Pokemon card resellers would mainly sell unopened booster packs. While ripping is tempting, the packs would resell for well over their retail price, and generally represented the most return on investment.

Grading Pokemon cards to flip

If a reseller or collector did choose to rip their pack, and obtained a few cards worth selling, they’re faced with a choice: to grade, or not to grade.

Grading means sending the card off to an appraisal house like PSA or Beckett. When a card is graded, it’s thoroughly examined by experts on its condition, centering, and examined for any defects. Cards are graded 1 – 10, with a perfect 10 being quite rare, and very desirable.

Obviously, a highly graded card is valuable. If a reseller believes they have a potential 9 or 10 on their hands, it makes sense to have it graded. Buyers will not be willing to pay much money for a raw card, or a card that has received a low grade.

Some resellers will buy raw or graded cards in the hopes of having them graded well. For example, a card may have been graded an 8, but has very few defects and could be regraded as a 9. In this case, another reseller will choose to buy the card and take a gamble by sending it back to PSA. If the card comes back as a 9, they’ve just massively increased the value of their Pokemon card.

The best Pokemon booster packs to resell

In the past few years, we’ve seen a variety of booster packs become popular, sell out, and resell. Here are a few examples of Pokemon booster packs that resell:

• Hidden Fates. Perhaps the definitive pack of the card boom, Hidden fates was extremely popular with collectors and resellers. People would hunt for these in stores and buy up every box possible. Finding one essentially came down to luck, but they would resell for around $50 per pack.
• Shining Legends. Another popular pack during the pandemic. Like Hidden Fates, a variety of popular cards were in this pack, and they frequently were sold out. A major breakthrough for resellers came in late 2020, when RC members were tipped off that Shining Legends was going to be discontinued soon. After buying up the remaining stock, Shining Legends packs were reselling for around $100.
• Champion’s Path. Released in the latter half of 2020, Champion’s Path got out to a strong start. Early prices were high, but additional stock caused it’s aftermarket value to deflate. Still, it was a very profitable Pokemon booster pack to resell, often netting $50-$75.

During the pandemic, supply chain issues and heightened demand created an extremely strong aftermarket for Pokemon cards and booster packs. The reality is that there were simply not enough cards to go around, so collectors were forced to buy from collectors. This made it very lucrative to buy and sell Pokemon booster packs through 2020 and early 2021.

Nothing lasts forever though. In response to the new demand, production of Pokemon cards and booster packs ramped up. Recent packs tend to be produced in quite significant numbers, and it’s rare to find the empty shelves and aisles that were a common sight of the pandemic. As such, it’s quite a bit harder to profit by simply buying Pokemon booster packs in stores and reselling them.

How to flip Pokemon cards in 2023

Currently, there are essentially three strategies when it comes to flipping Pokemon cards in 2023.

The first is to try and find booster packs at below retail prices. Sometimes, retailers like Costco or Sam’s Club mark down large quantities of Pokemon booster packs. Resellers can pick these up in bulk, and resell them online for more than they paid. Additionally, if you have connections with a distributor or retailer, you may be able to get a discount on cards to resell.

Some resellers have resorted to simply ripping packs in hopes of getting rare cards. This is not much different from gambling, and is essentially what other collectors are doing. They will buy packs, either from retailers or other resellers, and open them en masse. Some streamers operate popular channels based around pack opening.

Finally, it’s still possible to find discontinued Pokemon booster packs for sale. Older packs still resell for a decent amount, typically $50 to $100. If you can find one or two at a garage sale, or a stash in someone’s attic, it can amount to major profit. Like many other forms of reselling, this comes down to luck, attention to detail, and good negotiation.

Did you know that Resell Calendar offered an opportunity to purchase discontinued Pokemon booster packs at their original retail price? Check out our article on the first Resell Calendar Raffle for Retail. Twenty booster packs were put up for sale for $16, and winners of the raffle would have the opportunity to turn back the clock and purchase one.

Of course, these methods are all focused on short term flipping. While making money quickly is also ideal, there are also opportunities for a reseller to make some serious profits if they’re willing to take some risks and put their money in a longer term investment.

We mentioned previously that a major factor behind Shining Legend’s value was its discontinuation. RC Members received early warning that the set was about to sell out, and they bought up remaining stock. There are several Pokemon booster packs being sold at retail right now which have been available for months. Once they are discontinued, stock will quickly disappear, and prices may rise.

The keyword there is may. There’s never any guarantee that a Pokemon booster set will shoot up in value. The popularity of a set while its in circulation and its aftermarket value after being discontinued are intertwined, so don’t go buying up stocks because you think they’ll automatically triple in value when the set is binned.

As you can see, the methods behind flipping Pokemon cards have changed significantly over the years. It’s no longer as simple as just walking into Target and scooping stock into your cart. While there are still opportunities to profit on Pokemon cards, it takes a degree of caution and luck to come out ahead. It can be tempting to buy packs on eBay in the hopes of pulling a rare card, but it’s also an easy way to waste your money.

Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter for updates on trading cards to resell. We cover more than just Pokemon, including TCGs like Magic: The Gathering, as well as sports cards. Did you read our article on the Ben Johns Pickleball Rookie Card yet? These may be the next big thing for card collectors.

As always, stay safe, have fun, and make money!