Anyone who has Pokémon cards has either come across or accidently damaged Pokémon cards themselves. It can be a real bummer depending on the card and the situation. Hopefully you’re not this person who accidentally ran their card through the washing machine.
Regardless of how it happened, it may make you question what to do and if the card still has any value. Well that is exactly what this article is here to cover.
So rather than stewing on damaged cards, let’s talk about what that means and what you can do with them.
What is a Damaged Pokémon Card?
A damaged Pokémon card refers to a card that has an imperfection outside of normal wear and tear. Scratching and whitening are part of normal wear. Below are some examples that would classify as damage to a card.
- Creases
- Dents
- Folds
- Peeling
- Tears
Any of these, no matter how small, can classify a card as “damaged” rather than just “played”.
Does Anyone Buy Damaged Pokémon Cards?
Most collectors want the nicest cards they can get. NM+, high grade, you name it. But that is only a chunk of collectors. It certainly misses one of many niche buyers in the market.
You may be surprised to know that there are collectors who love and collect damaged Pokémon cards! At first it may seem odd. After a bit of thinking though, you may realize that damaged cards allow buyers to get cards that are rare or tough to get for a heavily discounted price!
So to answer the question, yes! There are definitely people who will buy damaged Pokémon cards! If you’d like to find some discounted damaged Pokemon cards, head to TCGPlayer to see what kind of deals you can find!
Are Damaged Pokémon Cards Still Valuable?
Let’s clarify a few things before we get too ahead of ourselves.
- A damaged Pokémon card does lose a lot of value to one that is not damaged.
- A damaged Pokémon card under about $10 will not get sold as easily as more expensive ones would.
Now that we’ve clarified, let me give a few examples of expensive (but very damaged) cards I have sold myself!
The Legendary Collection Reverse Holo Zapdos on the right had creases, dents, and bends in the card. In regular condition, the card would be sold for around $102. The one above sold for $61.
The Japanese Blaine’s Charizard on the right was missing a chunk on the back of the card, so about 1/5th of the back was white from tearing. In normal condition, the card is worth about $70. This one sold for $12.
The Reverse Holo Ho-Oh was incredibly rough… The card was horribly wrinkled as if it had been soaked and was nearly falling apart. It sells for $140 in normal condition. I sold this one for $68 in less than 20 minutes!
So the short answer is yes, there is definitely a market for damaged Pokémon cards. They do lose a lot of value in damaged condition but if they are valuable enough, you will easily be able to find buyers for them.
Summary
There are a lot of interesting markets within the Pokémon card community, and damaged cards happens to be one of them. So don’t be so quick to throw away or further damage any Pokémon cards because of damage. You may just be able to help someone complete their collection!
Thanks for reading!
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