Pokemon: Trading Card Game has seen a burst in popularity over the last year. This has some collectors taking a close look at the value of their catalog. For example, many want to know how much their Squirtle Pokemon cards are worth. Of all the cards produced, those of the original 151 Pokemon usually command some of the highest prices.
What is the current value of a Squirtle Pokemon card?
Before a collector can determine the worth of their Squirtle Pokemon card, they need to narrow down some information. There are over 20 variations of Squirtle that have been released over the years. The first Squirtle card debuted with the 1999 Base Set, and the most recent was part of the 25th Anniversary McDonald’s promo.
After determining what variation of Squirtle they have, a collector needs to grade the card. Obviously, a card that’s bent, stained, or damaged will be worth less than one that’s never been in a protector since it was pulled from a pack. There are dedicated agencies that grade cards, like Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), and cards that have been professionally-graded command higher prices.
Once it’s been identified and graded, a collector can determine what their Squirtle Pokemon card is worth. First and foremost, Pokemon cards have no intrinsic value. They’re not indexed to gold or silver, and they’re not used as fiat currency by any nation. So, anyone selling Pokemon cards is entirely at the mercy of the market. At the end of the day, a Squirtle card is worth whatever someone looking to buy one is willing to pay.
However, like all collectible goods, the value of Pokemon cards can be found by averaging recently sold items’ prices. The easiest way to get a quick estimate of a card’s value is by going on eBay, searching for the item in question, and using the sold items filter to see what people have recently paid for them.
Pokemon cards can come in three variations. From lowest value to highest, these are:
- Regular (Non-Holo)
- Reverse Holo (Everything but the image of the Pokemon is holographic.)
- Holo (Just the image of the Pokemon is holographic.)
However, the Squirtle card worth the most right now is the one from the 1st Edition Base Set, and it only came in a regular version. Professionally graded examples of this card have sold for $150-200 recently. However, non-graded ones go for half that price or less.
Outside of the coveted base set 1st edition Squirtle, prices vary wildly—however, very few command more than $100. Squirtle is a common rarity card, and as such, even the holos aren’t highly sought after. However, since it’s a Pokemon from the original 151, it will command higher prices than later Pokemon, even in more recent card sets.
