What To Do With Damaged Pokemon Cards

The Pokemon TCG has been getting a new wave of popularity the past couple years. With this hype there are a lot of people getting back into the hobby and digging up their old collection to see how much it’s worth. When we were kids we didn’t think much about keeping our cards safe so a lot of our old cards are damaged. This is why good condition, PSA 10 vintage cards are worth so much, they’re even more rare now. Here are some things you can do with your damaged cards.

Damaged Pokemon Cards

A lot of people ask how to fix damaged Pokemon cards. For the most part, damage to trading cards can’t be “fixed” but there are steps you can take to make it more appealing and prevent further damage. Tears, scratches, and discoloration cannot be reversed. However, there are remedies for smudges, dirt, and bending. You always want to make sure to use the safest methods for cleaning your Pokemon cards as you don’t want to cause more damage. This includes using a q-tip or soft cloth that won’t cause scratches. Gently clean the surface and avoid rubbing any holographic parts. The Holo part of Pokemon cards scratch the easiest.

A major step you want to take is getting the right materials to keep your card safe. This means sleeves and top loaders. Card sleeves prevent them from getting scratched while top loaders provide support so the card doesn’t bend both of which can be found online or at your local card shop for cheap. After you have the proper protection for your cards and you’ve cleaned them up, you should decide what to do with them.

Keep or Sell?

This is a tricky question. The decision to keep or sell your damaged cards is based on how attached you are to the card. One thing you should keep in mind is that damaged cards are worth significantly less than the mint value. For this reason alone, if you have any sentimental attachment to the card, it’s probably best that you keep it for yourself instead of searching for a quick buck. You should not try to hide damage when selling cards because you’ll only disappoint the buyer and face possible repercussions from the platform you’re using. Another option is trading. Trade your rare card for other rare cards and eventually you might trade up to something worth a lot more than you originally had.