Pokemon TCG prices are still at an all-time high, which has a lot of lapsed collectors digging out their old collections. Everyone knows that the big money is in 1st edition cards, but what about reprints? Is Pokemon cards’ 2nd edition value anything to write home about? Here’s the lowdown on whether or not the second edition Pokemon Trading Card Game cards are worth any money.
Are second edition Pokemon Cards valuable?
2nd edition Pokemon cards can be very valuable, though they aren’t worth as much as their 1st edition counterparts.
It’s possible to identify a second edition Pokemon card by the absence of both the “Edition 1” logo and a drop shadow on the artwork’s bottom right borders. Collectors call second edition Pokemon cards “shadowless,” due to the lack of this drop shadow effect. For more information, check out this explainer on how to identify a shadowless (2nd edition) card.
Pokemon cards with the “2” logo, which features an overlapping Pokeball, are not second edition prints. Cards displaying the stylized image simply belong to Base Set 2 — typically, their value is comparable to unlimited reprint versions of the originals. Rare cards in excellent condition can potentially fetch hundreds of dollars, so they’re still worth keeping around.
A lot of people confuse Base Set 2 cards for 2nd edition Pokemon cards, though, in reality, they’re much less rare. As a result, there is also a dropoff in value. Any cards kept in good condition can still sell for good money, just don’t expect them to reach into the thousands of dollars anytime soon. Anyone interested in selling should consider grading cards for a chance to instantly increase their value.
Want to learn more about Pokemon cards? Find out which is worth more: Japanese or US versions. Finally, will Pokemon cards keep going up in value?
