More content is coming out soon (hopefully tomorrow), I have some thoughts I want to get on paper about gaming as a social phenomenon. In the meantime, though, it seems I am in need of assistance from a Pokémon expert.
Our house is getting painted this week, so a lot of things are being moved out of their normal locations, and a lot of things are being gotten rid of. In the process, we’ve found a few things that we’re trying to identify.
Apparently when she worked for Hasbro, she found the occasion to work with the team who created Pokémon cards. At their meeting, she was given a pack of Pokémon cards as a gift. Now that we’re cleaning out the closets, we’re starting to wonder what this might be worth.
Trick is, of course, I have no idea how much Pokémon cards are worth. Do you—or do you know someone who does? Here are the best pictures I could take of the folder:
Please leave a comment if you recognize them, or link the blog to someone who might know.
MANAGING.COMMUNITY 
Well.. Malgayne? Casey? I’m not sure what I am allowed to call you on this blog. Anyways, all I know is those are EXTREMELY rare cards. It has been quite a number of years since I played around with anything pokemon and even I know of their rarity. The bottom three are the “god” birds… Lugia, Ho-oh and something else. The middle three are the extremely rare wolf-beast things… I’m working off a 10 year old memory here so excuse the gaps in knowledge. The little tree at the top left was a pokemon I remember from one of the hand held games, and I don’t even know if his card was ever released! Same goes for the little blue one in the top right corner.
I am, by far, not an expert, but I do know they are quite valuable relative to your average rare pokemon card.
I forgot to mention, when sold as a set it should be worth a ton more, so don’t break them up.
Call me either, it’s fine with me. :)
In any case, I actually do know a LITTLE about pokémon—most of my experience comes from Smash Bros. Melee, which came out about the same time as this series of pokémon cards. I know that Lugia and Ho-oh and the other bird were ultra-rare pokémon, as well as the ones in the middle (I remember Entei and Raikou), and Sudowoodo up on the top left was one of the pokémon they were using as kind of the “face” of pokémon for a while, just like pikachu and the others in the first generation. So I’m definitely aware that these are rare as pokémon cards go.
The problem is that “rare” cards is a very broad statement. Like, in Magic: The Gathering, buying a full set of rare creature cards from the “Tempest” expansion would be a matter of, say, $150-$200 (as a guess). Buying a full set of Mox gems and a Black Lotus, in unopened condition, would be thirty times as much. I don’t really know which ones these are, you knkow? I don’t know how many of them were made, whether they’re still being made, whether they’re prized by collectors or just by players, etc.
Fayne here, known as worldcupfury over at Wowhead.
The cards you have are all second generation (2000-2003).
I can’t ever remember them using Sudowoodo for the face of Pokemon, but then again, I only played the games, I didn’t watch the anime.
Your cards are also the Japanese versions (obviously :P), so they should sell for more than their English counterparts.
I’m just reiterating the dates on these cards, really ;)
Well, I can’t give you prices, but I CAN give you names. From left to right for each Row:
Row 1: Sudowoodo, Sneasel
Row 2: Raikou, Entei, Suicune
Row 3: Ho-Oh, Lugia, Skarmory