Guides
Japanese Pokémon cards: the guides
Playing the Pokémon TCG
How to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: the basic rules made simpleThe Pokémon TCG rules for beginners: play area, setup, turn order, Energy, evolution, attacks, Weakness and how to win.
How to build a Pokémon deck: rules, ratios and tipsHow many cards, how many copies, how many Pokémon, Trainers and Energy: how to build a 60-card Pokémon deck that works, step by step.
Pokémon ex and Mega ex cards: what they are and how they work (plus V, VMAX, GX)What Pokémon ex, Mega ex, Tera, V, VMAX, VSTAR and GX cards are: how many Prize cards they're worth, how to recognise them and why collectors chase them. With photos.
Pokémon Standard format and the 2026 rotation: which cards are legalWhat the Pokémon TCG Standard format is, how to read the regulation mark on a card, which cards are legal after the 2026 rotation and the mark of every Japanese set.👁 5 readers
Pokémon types in the card game: Weakness and ResistanceThe Pokémon TCG types with example cards, how Weakness (damage ×2) and Resistance (−30) work and how to use them when building your deck.👁 1 reader
Rare Pokémon Trainer cards: the most wanted character SARsWhy Trainer cards featuring characters (Iono, Lillie, Carmine, Miriam, Erika and others) are among the most sought after: kinds of Trainer cards, SR and SAR versions, what makes them valuable and prices from our catalogue.
Pokémon Energy cards: basic, special and gold (and how many to put in your deck)Energy cards in the Pokémon card game: the Basic Energy types, Special Energy, how many to run in your deck and the gold and full-art versions for collectors. With photos.
Pokémon card rarity symbols: circle, diamond, stars and Japanese codesWhat the rarity symbols on Pokémon cards mean (circle, diamond, black star, white and gold stars), how they match the Japanese codes AR, SR, SAR, UR, and the other symbols: 1st Edition, promo, regulation mark.👁 1 reader
Collecting
How to start a Pokémon card collection: what to buy and where to beginWhere to start a Pokémon card collection: choosing a goal, packs or singles, how much to spend, Japanese or English, how to protect them. With examples from real collections.👁 1 reader
Fake Japanese Pokémon cards: how to spot them (with photos)How to spot a fake Japanese Pokémon card: text, colours, surface, number font, back and edge, with photos of genuine cards next to simulated fakes.👁 3 readers
How much is a Pokémon card worth? How to work out its value (Japanese too)Rarity, Pokémon, artwork, condition, language and grading: what decides the value of a Pokémon card and how to check its real price, with the most expensive cards in our catalogue.
The most expensive and rarest Pokémon cards ever (many are Japanese)The most expensive Pokémon cards ever sold, from the $16.5 million Pikachu Illustrator to the Japanese trophy cards, why they're worth so much and the priciest Japanese cards in our catalogue today.👁 7 readers
Pokémon card condition: Mint, Near Mint, Excellent… the scale with examplesThe Pokémon card condition scale (Mint, Near Mint, Excellent, Good, Played, Poor) explained with photos and simulations: what to check on corners, edges, surface and centring.
Charizard Pokémon cards: the rarest, the most beautiful and what they're worthThe most wanted Charizard cards, from the 1996 Base Set to modern SARs: Charizard ex from 151, the Darkness Tera Charizard, Mega Charizard X ex, the V and VSTAR versions. What they're worth and which Japanese cards to collect.
Pikachu Pokémon cards: the rarest, the most beautiful and what they're worthThe most wanted Pikachu cards: Pikachu Illustrator, Pikachu ex SAR, the VMAX Climax VMAX cards, the 30th anniversary Pikachu and the Van Gogh promo. What they're worth and how to collect them.
Eevee and Eeveelution Pokémon cards: Umbreon, Sylveon, Espeon and the othersThe cards of Eevee and its eight evolutions (Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Sylveon): the dedicated Japanese sets like Terastal Festival ex, the most wanted cards and what they're worth.
Beautiful cheap Pokémon cards: the best artwork under €10Beautiful Pokémon cards that cost little: why so many Japanese ARs are under €10, how to choose the best artwork, and the up-to-date list of rare cards in stock under €10.👁 3 readers
PSA, BGS or CGC: which to choose for grading Pokémon cardsThe differences between PSA, BGS (Beckett) and CGC for grading Pokémon cards: grade scales, subgrades, Black Label and Pristine 10, which sells best and which to choose for Japanese cards.
1st Edition Pokémon cards: how to recognise them and what they're worthWhat 1st Edition Pokémon cards are, how to recognise the Edition 1 stamp, the difference from shadowless and unlimited, which sets had it and what they're worth. And why Japanese cards don't have it.
Pokémon promo cards: what they are, how to recognise them and what they're worthPokémon promo cards: where they come from (events, magazines, special products, Pokémon Center), how to recognise them from the PROMO symbol and numbering, Japanese promos and when they're worth a lot.
Shiny Pokémon cards: what they are, the Japanese sets and how to spot themShiny Pokémon cards: what they are, the dedicated sets (Shiny Treasure ex, Shiny Star V, GX Ultra Shiny) and their English counterparts, the S and SSR rarities and how to recognise them. With photos.
Pokémon cards with print errors: which ones exist and what they're worthPrint and production errors on Pokémon cards: miscuts, crimps, ink errors, text errors. How to recognise them, when they're worth more and how not to be fooled.👁 1 reader
The Pokémon cards with the most beautiful artwork: styles and illustrators to knowThe most beautiful Pokémon cards to collect for their artwork: watercolour, clay, crochet, documentary style, scenes that continue from one card to the next. The illustrators to know and their cards.
How to sell Pokémon cards: value them, photograph them and ship them safelyHow to sell Pokémon cards (Japanese ones too): how to work out their value, assess condition, take photos that sell, where to sell, how to ship them protected and avoid scams.
Holo, reverse holo and full art Pokémon cards: what they are and how to spot themHolo, reverse holo, full art, texture and special illustrations: what they mean, where the card shines, how to recognise them on Japanese cards too and which are worth more. With photos and diagrams.
How to store Pokémon cards: sleeves, toploaders and bindersHow to protect Pokémon cards: sleeves, double sleeving, toploaders, binders, humidity and light. Tips to keep their value, with diagrams.
Grading Pokémon cards: what it is and how it works (PSA, BGS, CGC)What grading a Pokémon card means, the 1-to-10 grade scale, what PSA, BGS and CGC look at, when it's worth it and how to prepare the card.
Japanese cards
Hadou Seeker (M7): the new Japanese set with Mega Lucario Z exHadou Seeker (Aura Seeker), the Japanese M7 set out on 27 November 2026: release date, price, the new Z Mega Evolutions of Lucario, Garchomp and Absol, the cards revealed so far and when it comes to English.👁 1 reader
Special Deck Set MEGA: the Mega Feraligatr, Mega Dragonite and Mega Gengar decksThe Japanese Special Deck Set MEGA out on 13 November 2026: three 60-card decks with Mega Feraligatr ex, Mega Dragonite ex and Mega Gengar ex, what's in the box, price and who it is for.
Pokémon 30th anniversary cards: the Japanese 30th Celebration set, cards and pricesThe Japanese 30th Celebration set for Pokémon's 30th birthday: what's inside, the most wanted cards (Mew ex, Pikachu ex, the classic reprints), how to recognise them and prices from our catalogue.👁 2 readers
Where to buy genuine Japanese Pokémon cards: shops, online and from JapanWhere to buy genuine Japanese Pokémon cards in Europe: shops, online stores, marketplaces and buying from Japan compared on price, fake risk, customs, delivery time and returns.
How to read Japanese Pokémon cards: the words you need, translatedHow to read and translate a Japanese Pokémon card: Stage, HP, Weakness, Resistance, Retreat, Supporter, Item, Stadium and the game's key terms explained with photos and a Japanese–English glossary.
Mega Evolution Pokémon cards: every Japanese set and the rarest cardsThe Mega Evolution series of the Pokémon TCG set by set: Mega Brave, Mega Symphonia, Inferno X, MEGA Dream ex, Nihil Zero, Ninja Spinner, Abyss Eye and more, with their English names (Ascended Heroes, Chaos Rising, Pitch Black) and the most wanted cards.
Japanese Pokémon Card 151: list of the rare cards, ARs, SARs and pricesThe Japanese Pokemon Card 151 set (SV2a): the 18 ARs with the starters' stories, the SARs of Charizard ex, Mew ex, Blastoise ex and Venusaur ex, the gold cards and prices from our catalogue.👁 3 readers
The best Japanese Pokémon sets to collect (and which to open)The most beautiful Japanese Pokémon sets to collect: Pokemon Card 151, Terastal Festival ex, Shiny Treasure ex, VSTAR Universe, MEGA Dream ex, 30th Celebration and more, with why, the chase cards and what it costs to complete them.👁 3 readers
Japanese Pokémon card rarities: AR, SAR, SR, UR and MUR explainedWhat AR, SAR, SR, UR, MUR, CHR and CSR mean on Japanese Pokémon cards, where to find them, how to recognise them from the number and which are the most sought after. With photos.
Japanese or English Pokémon cards: differences and which to collectRelease dates, sets, print quality, prices and tournaments: the differences between Japanese and English Pokémon cards explained with examples, to help you choose what to collect.
Buying Pokémon cards from Japan: customs, VAT and hidden costsWhat you really pay when you buy Pokémon cards shipped from Japan to Europe: import VAT, duties, courier fees, delivery times. With a worked example.
Japanese Pokémon booster box: what's inside and is it worth opening?How many packs and cards are in a Japanese Pokémon booster box, the difference between main sets and high class sets, and when buying singles makes more sense.
Every Japanese Pokémon set: list of expansions with codes and release datesThe list of Japanese Pokémon sets from the latest: cover, code, release date, number of ARs and the matching international expansion.👁 5 readers