Dad learns Pokémon, part 2: my son’s card worth 1,000 Swiss francs
13-8-2026
Translation: Natalie McKay
Pictures: Christian Walker
My son collects Pokémon. I’ve no clue what it’s all about. Like me, do you just shrug your shoulders at the mention of this topic? Then join me as I chat to the experts. This time, I’m learning how to protect cards and assess their condition.
I’m slowly becoming hooked. I’ve been sitting with my son for a good hour at TwoMoons, a trading card and board game bar in Stettbach. There, Jonas Rudin, co-founder of the store and a former colleague of mine at Galaxus, along with Pokémon expert Patrick Landis, explains the basics of the Pokémon world to me. I’ve since learned that there are booster packs, completely different reasons for collecting and a problem called scalping, where profiteers buy up the cards in bulk.
I can also tell that my son’s really into this hobby and it’s becoming more and more important to him. He wants to complete the Phantasmal Flames set because it isn’t very big and he already has a few really good cards from it. I want to be able to join in when he’s talking about Holo, EX and grading, and I’m learning more about:
- Holo, Reverse Holo and Full Art cards
- The meaning of terms like EX and VMAX
- Special Illustration Rares and how to protect trading cards
- How to use Cardmarket and eBay to value a card
- How to assess the condition of a card
- The question of when a professional grading’s worth it
We also noticed that my son wasn’t exaggerating – he pulled a real gem from a booster pack, so he’s even more «on fire».
Identifying, protecting and valuing rare cards
Taking Phantasmal Flames as an example, a set’s considered «not that big» if it contains 94 regular cards and 36 secret cards. Most look normal, some are sparkly and a few are noticeably different. Patrick launches into a brief explanation of a few basic terms for me: «There’s usually a standard version of a card that doesn’t have any foiling on it,» he tells me.
The specially coated holographic cards, which immediately catch the eye, are also different: «With a Holo card, only the image has a special effect; with a Reverse Holo card, the image is normal and everything else is holographic.» And then there are various Full Art Holo cards, where the image covers the entire surface and sparkles from top to bottom.
The next thing that means absolutely nothing to me are the abbreviations on some cards. «EX, GX, V or VMAX refers to the type of game mechanic,» Patrick continues. «New Pokémon come out every few years. In the card game, they usually introduce a new game mechanic and give it a new name. They’re played differently and are given their own names accordingly.»
Of course, people don’t just collect the cards – they play them too. New cards bring new variations. And anyone who, like Patrick, knows their stuff can immediately recognise the special cards just by looking at the abbreviations: «GX cards, for example, are from the Sun & Moon era. EX has appeared several times already, and the VMAX option was introduced in the eighth generation. That’s how you can tell which era the cards are from.» «Era» sounds grand, but the trading card game has actually been around since back in the 1990s.
My son gets to open a booster pack. Each one also contains Holo cards and the chance to win something like a grand prize: «There’s always a set number of cards of each rarity included,» says Patrick. «But even rarer cards can sometimes turn up,» he explains to me in simple terms. So you’re always guaranteed a pleasant surprise. And maybe something really special.
But that’s not the case this time – we don’t hit the jackpot. Unlike that day when my son came home absolutely thrilled with a Mega Charizard X ex. That’s one of those unusual cards, known as Special Illustration Rares, that feature small works of art covering the entire surface. His best cards are lying in front of us, neatly wrapped. Using them as an example, we’ll discuss how these cards should be looked after.
«Booster to sleeve is always best,» I hear Jonas say, and he nods with satisfaction: «Very good – you’ve got them in a perfect-fit sleeve, then in a penny sleeve – those are the looser ones – and also inside a top loader.» So the card is in several sleeves at once. This seems excessive to me, but I’m sure there’s a reason for it. They are true collector’s items. «This is crucial for more valuable cards, because the condition of the card is really what determines how valuable it is for collectors.»
Trading card accessories
Quantity discount
EUR8,63 per piece for 2 units
Ultra Pro Toploader - Regular Thick
«How do I figure out what a card’s really worth?» I ask. «There are lots of different apps, and to start with, there are two important websites you can check out,» explains Patrick. «First, you’ve got Cardmarket. Think of it as a stock exchange for the European online market. There, individuals and retailers list cards online and set a price. They enter the card’s language, version and condition. All of these factors affect the price.» Most cards are worth very little, but even those are carefully listed and traded there. Even a Special Illustration Rare doesn’t necessarily have a hefty price tag. Only very sought-after specimens change hands for a lot of money.
«Another site that’s a useful source of data is eBay,» says Patrick. «It’s a little simpler to use, especially when it comes to the more expensive cards. You can see the global trade and analyse it very easily. The site has a relatively good record of sales prices.» You can ignore the listings with astronomical prices and simply filter by sales to get a realistic picture.
For now, we’ll stick with Cardmarket. «I just entered the name and number. That took me to the card, where I saw its price history,» says Jonas. The price for the Mega Charizard X ex hovers around 1,000 euros. Then he applies another filter: «The cheapest Swiss supplier offering this card charges 1,111 Swiss francs. I would never sell it for less than that.» That’s because, at these prices, cheaper offers from abroad would result in high customs duties.
The sharp price fluctuations can be explained, in part, by supply and demand. «If this card is already the rarest in the set and players need it for good decks, then a lot of people will be looking for it,» Jonas explains. An expensive card isn’t a way to buy success in the game – this can also be achieved for very little money. There are cheaper versions of the card that have the same effect in the game.
Playing card, collectable and investment
«Some people play the cheapest version of a card, while others always want the best, nicest-looking version. It’s a way to show off a little, and it’s part of the hobby,» says Jonas. «If I feel like it might still go up in value, then it’s an investment, after all. In the best-case scenario, I’ll make a profit, and in the worst-case scenario, I’ll just take a loss.»
So it brings together players, passionate collectors and profiteers – all willing to pay high prices. If everything’s right. At the end of the day, it’s the condition of the card that determines its value. Jonas and Patrick grade the Mega Charizard X ex we’re examining as Near Mint – which, as I’ve learned, means it’s in great condition.
It looks like my son spent his allowance wisely in this case and took good care of the card, too. But what exactly matters when it comes to the condition of a card?
Barely noticeable flaws make a big difference
Patrick and Jonas are now examining the card as if we were at a diamond dealer’s. «You should put the card on a black background, then you’ll be able to see it a little better,» says Patrick. To me, the card looks perfect – it sparkles and isn’t creased. «It’s super important that there are no white spots along the edges,» Jonas explains. «For example, here we can see a small area of damage on the card. And here you’ve got a very small white spot that you can see in the light. Those are two little DINGS.»
Wait a minute – DINGS? This acronym stands for Defects Identified of Notable Grade Significance, as I find out. But it’s very straightforward:
I’ve learned that this kind of «damage» often occurs during the printing process. Then the two of them look at the back. They’re examining the centring – that is, whether the print’s perfectly centred, creating exactly identical margins. Next, the two of them check the corners. «Certain imperfections are tolerated – for example, if the corners are slightly bent,» Jonas explains. «That’s just how the card was made. But sometimes they’re cut completely wrong, too.»
I’m slowly beginning to understand why a sleeve isn’t enough to protect them. «The last thing you check is whether there are any scratches on the surface. There are virtually none here.» The verdict, which made my son happy: «Basically, you’ve got an almost perfect Charizard there,» says Jonas. In other words, Near Mint.
What do you do with a collector’s item like that? My son’s thinking about having the card graded. Just as credit rating agencies evaluate companies in the business world, there are suppliers that independently evaluate trading cards. «It’s got a little more difficult lately,» says Patrick. PSA, CGC and BGS are the companies who offer this service and they’re in high demand. «In the past, you could have a lot of cards graded relatively cheaply using bulk submissions. It now costs between 90 and 110 Swiss francs to have just one card graded, and at the moment, you can only submit it through a partner.»
Grading is an expensive game of poker
Whether this type of investment’s worthwhile depends on the value of the card – and on what grade you expect it to receive. «A card rated as a 10 is significantly more valuable than if it were just a 9,» Patrick explains. «If a card’s only an 8, and I send it in to be rated, which costs me 100 Swiss francs, and I don’t have it for six months, it might end up being worth less than if I’d kept it raw – that is, without grading.» His opinion: «At prices of 1,000 Swiss francs and above, it can be worth it if the card’s a 9 or 10.»
Of course, the customer bears the risk. «PSA, for example, also charges a fee based on the card’s value after its provided its rating,» says Jonas. «It’s easy to fall into a sunk cost trap there.» I listen with interest as he talks about the various grading companies. A 10 here is worth less than a 10 there, and then there’s that super-rare Black Label… you could easily spend an entire evening delving into this topic alone.
My fascination grows as I learn more
With each of my surface-level questions, a whole new world opens up. I still can’t quite keep up. It’s as if I were sitting at a table with native speakers after my first French class. But I’m starting to understand why so many people like my son, Patrick and Jonas are fascinated by it. The cards are a hobby and a game, art and a casino, an investment and a cultural asset. Everyone does their own thing with it, yet they still seek to connect with others.
At TwoMoons, people who share a common interest get together instead of sitting alone in front of their screens. «Before we opened the store, we all started out doing this as a hobby at some point,» says Jonas. «The first craze swept school playgrounds around 2000. I was there, and I had my cards. I ended up selling them at a flea market for 20 Swiss francs at some point,» he says, recounting his early days.
Dramatic pause.
«Today, the cards I had back then would be worth 16 million Swiss francs if they were in perfect condition.» My son and I look at Jonas with wide eyes. He brushes it off with a smile – a side note in the life of a collector. Times are changing, and the community now has to deal with the downsides of the hobby’s popularity. «You can really tell that there are more people out there who are just trying to make money,» says Jonas. «We take a critical view of that.» It doesn’t just attract scammers who don’t care about the hobby; counterfeits are also an issue – we’ll look at that in the next article.
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
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