All guides
Card, pack and box images © Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK (and Wizards of the Coast for 1999-2003), shown for identification only.
Start here
The erasEvery series from 1999 to today, on one page.How to read a cardThe stamps, symbols and numbers on a card, labelled.GlossaryEvery word a beginner trips over, in plain English.
Sets
English setsEvery English set, with a full guide for each vintage set.Japanese setsThe vintage Japanese sets, explained in English.
Editions and rare cards
1st EditionsThe stamp everyone looks for, and which sets have it.Base Set printsA real 1st Edition Charizard, labelled.Gold Stars, Shining and CrystalThe special rare cards, all listed.Super rare cardsPrize and trophy cards where only a handful exist, in English and Japanese.Most collected charactersWho collectors chase, and why.
Errors
Error cards, labelledRed Cheeks Pikachu, No Damage Ninetales and more.Every error and misprintRed dots, back errors, test sheets: what is real.
Before you buy
Spot a fakeSimple checks you can do at home.Card backsWhat the back tells you, and back errors.Packs and boxesSpot a resealed pack or box.Packs or single cards?Why opening packs is a gamble.GradingWhat PSA 10 means, and how to check a slab.What makes a card valuableRarity, condition and demand, explained.
Meet other collectors
Checking facts
Do your own researchThe sites experts use to check facts.Spotted a mistake?How to send us a correction.
The three golden rules
- Buy the card, not the hype. Know which set, which edition and which condition you are buying.
- Check before you pay. Fakes are common on popular cards. Use the checks in Spot a fake, or buy graded.
- Opening packs is entertainment. If you want one specific card, it is almost always cheaper to buy that card on its own. See Packs vs singles.