The Pokémon Trading Card Game has always been big, but there was a time when the game was regularly making headlines as kids fought over Charizard cards and schools banned them from playgrounds. After a few relatively quiet decades, Pokémon cards are back in the news again — this time, it’s because appraisal companies and auction houses are listing Pokémon cards for sale at record values, and one of YouTube’s biggest influencers is showing off the rarest Pikachu card in existence during his Wrestlemania debut.
If you’re new to the hobby and want to see what Poké-fever is all about, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re looking to start seriously collecting, or you just want to play a few rounds of the card game with your friends (turns out it’s pretty fun!), we’ll show you the best places to find Pokémon cards for sale in your city or online.
Retail stores like Target, Walmart, and GameStop are great for fans just starting out
If you’re new to the hobby, a casual collector, or you’re looking to roll the dice on blind packs of the latest cards, the easiest way to find Pokémon cards for sale is to stop by your local big-box retail store’s collectible card section and snag a pack (or box) or two. Or, if you’d prefer to purchase online, many of these same retailers — along with Amazon — sell cards on their respective websites.
Here are a few major retailers that keep a regular stock of currently in print Pokémon card sets.
For the United States:
● Walmart
● Target
● GameStop
● Best Buy
● Amazon
For Canada:
● GameStop
● Walmart
● Amazon
Now, there was a brief time when US retailers like Target and Walmart halted in-store sales of Pokémon cards out of safety concerns, relegating them strictly to their online storefronts. Those restrictions appear to have been lifted, but it’s possible your local store may no longer keep Pokémon cards in stock as a result — try calling before making the trip to be sure.
Retail prices on packs and boxes vary a bit depending on what you’re getting. Pokémon cards tend to go for around $4-5 USD for single booster packs, while starter and battle decks (which usually contain pre-set cards along with rulebooks and other goodies) vary between $15-$30 USD. Elite Trainer Boxes usually contain a mix of pre-selected cards and randomized booster packs, along with other collectible items, and run between $40-50 USD.
For the most up-to-date list of retailers, the official Pokémon Trading Card Game site displays who is currently selling trading cards in the United States and Canada.
Get them right from the source at the Pokémon Center
The Pokémon Center isn’t just a place to heal up your Pokémon after a particularly tense gym battle. It’s also a full chain of official Japanese retail stores that have opened up shop online for customers in the US and Canada, allowing direct purchasing, right from the source.
While The Pokémon Center sells a wide array of Pokémon merchandise, it also offers a collection of Pokémon trading cards, similar to what you’d find in a typical retail store. Pick up expansion sets, tins, playmats, card sleeves, and anything else you need to collect, store, and play. Prices are comparable to retail as well, with free shipping on purchases over $20 USD.
eBay and Mercari offer tons of listings with money-back guarantees
Ok, so retail locations have you covered if you’re looking for packs of new cards. What if you’re looking for out-of-print cards from the first generation or want to snag one of those rare promo cards you keep hearing about? You’re going to need to start looking into third-party sellers.
An easy way to do this is through online marketplaces like eBay or Mercari, which offer a massive amount of cards — from new and unopened packs and boxes to single cards — available from hundreds of thousands of sellers. While browsing, make sure to check out sites like pokemonprices.com and pricecharting.com, which vendors often use to determine their Pokémon card prices to sell them online. That way, you can make sure you’re getting the best deal.
eBay has a few different options when it comes to purchasing cards. There are auctions, which allow for bidding on cards with the highest bidder receiving the item at the close of the auction. There are also listings made with a Buy It Now option, which allows you to pay a listed price to instantly purchase the card. Some listings with Buy It Now enabled also allow you to make offers that the seller can either accept, reject, or make a counteroffer on.
Mercari, on the other hand, offers more of a yard sale vibe to buying items online. Often, you’ll see individuals listing cards that they found around the house and are looking to clear out, but more established sellers and businesses also offer cards — these sellers tend to know what they have and will price them accordingly. Mercari listings feel more informal compared to eBay, where buyers can purchase cards outright or make offers, often communicating directly with sellers via the in-app messaging system to haggle prices or combine item purchases for discounts.
Either way you go, you may see some inflated prices as sellers need to recoup fees incurred from doing business on their platforms. And if a card has been officially graded by an appraisal company, expect to pay a premium. Check out our guide on how to determine what Pokémon cards are worth to learn more about where these prices are coming from.
Both marketplaces offer buyer protections and money-back guarantees against fraudulent items or damaged shipments, so if you run into any issues, your purchases are covered. eBay now offers an Authenticity Guarantee on high-value Pokémon cards, working with sellers and third-party verification centers to ensure you’re getting exactly what is described in the listing.
Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist offer local ways to pick up Pokémon cards for sale
Online classifieds like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Kijiji provide ways for your neighbors to list their Pokémon cards online for local pickup. Each platform has ways to reach out to sellers, where you can work out the details on price and location to make the exchange.
One thing to note is that these platforms are merely allowing sellers a place to list Pokémon cards for sale — they do not offer any mediation, fraud protection, or other buyer protections in case of robbery or other nefarious dealings. Exercise caution and use your best judgment. Ask lots of questions before meeting up, meet in a well-traveled, well-lit public place, and if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Local card and game shops will have a good mix of old and new cards
Cities all over the world have independent hobby shops that deal in board and card games, many of them running their own weekly tournaments in addition to providing a bounty of unopened packs of cards or rare collectibles behind locked glass displays.
Prices on new or collectible cards may be a bit inflated here compared to listed values (running an indie shop isn’t cheap), but it’s also a good place to get connected with other players and collectors, make trades, and maybe try your hand at a game or two.
Finding a partnered shop is easy, too. Just head over to the official Pokémon events site, enter your city or postal code, and you’re off.
Conventions let sellers from all over set up shop to sell Pokémon cards
With conventions ramping back up again, you’ll find that they’re a great place to buy unopened packs or loose collectible Pokémon cards. You won’t just find them at collectible card conventions — because the audience for Pokémon cards is so broad, you’ll easily find them at comic book, video game, anime, board game, and other hobbyist conventions as well.
San Diego Comic-Con, PAX, and Gen Con are some of the larger conventions in the US, but there are smaller conventions happening all the time, all over the world. Board Game Geek keeps a running list of upcoming board game conventions, and is a great first place to start to see what’s coming up near you.
You might be able to find a hot deal at your local flea market
While the days of heading to your local flea market or swap meet and stumbling across shoeboxes full of Pokémon cards for next to nothing are probably in the past, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find a deal. Local sellers love to bring collectibles like Pokémon cards for sale, and there’s always a chance you’ll find something missing from your collection. Swap Meet Directory and Flea Market Zone are great resources for finding nearby spots to check out.
