Cards
Buy cards at a card show: list, limit, inspect, record
A card show goes better with a written want list, a personal spending limit set before arriving and references saved on your phone. At the table, ask before handling, compare the card against a known print and decide between raw and graded copies. Afterwards, record what you bought while the details are fresh.
Buying single cards in person at a show. Drafted 8 Nov 2026.
Before the show, write the list and the limit
Write a want list with the exact identity of each card: name, set, collector number, language, finish and the lowest condition you will accept. A list keeps a crowded hall from turning into impulse buying. Set a spending limit before you arrive, as a personal number from your own budget, and bring payment in the form you will use: cash in small notes, a bank card, or a payment app already set up and tested. Save references on your phone: the set lists on this site, the official card records for promos and recent sold listings for each card on the list. Signal in large halls is often poor, so save pages for offline reading before you go. Pokémon Support reports that most counterfeit sales reported to it come from flea markets and recommends a bright-light check, so pack a small torch with the loupe.
At the table, ask first and inspect in good light
Ask the seller before handling anything, and ask again before taking a card out of its sleeve or toploader. Most sellers agree to a careful look; some allow handling only in the sleeve. Check the card against the condition checklist: centering, corners, edges, surface. Hold it beside a genuine card of the same set if you carry one, and tilt it under the hall lights to see the foil and the surface. Confirm the printing details against your list: number, language, edition, finish and stamp. Ask about anything you cannot see clearly, such as the back, or a corner under a price sticker.
Raw and graded copies need different checks
A raw card is ungraded, so you are the grader: you judge the condition yourself and decide what that condition is to you. A graded card comes with a grade from a grading company, so the check moves to the case. Look the certification number up in the company's online lookup and confirm that the card, set and grade match the label. Check the case for cracks, a lifted seal or signs of opening. Asking prices at a table are a starting point for a conversation, and recent sold listings for the same card in the same condition are your reference. Inspection at a table catches visible wear and careless fakes, and it misses trimmed edges and skilled fakes often enough that a return policy, asked for before paying, matters.
After the show, record each purchase the same day
Record each card the same day: name, set, collector number, language, finish, condition as you judged it, the price you paid, the payment method and the seller's table name or number. Keep receipts with the record, or photograph the card and the receipt together. The collection list on this site keeps entries in this browser, marked owned or wanted, and exports them as a file for your own backup. Moving a card from wanted to owned is the last step of the purchase. Check each card again at home in better light, and contact the seller quickly if something was missed at the table.
12 checks before you act
- Want list with name, set, number, language, finish and lowest acceptable condition
- Personal spending limit set before arriving
- Payment ready: cash in small notes, a bank card or a tested payment app
- Set lists, official card records and sold listings saved for offline reading
- A genuine reference card, a loupe and a small torch in your bag
- Ask before handling; ask again before unsleeving
- Centering, corners, edges and surface checked
- Number, language, edition, finish and stamp match the list
- Graded card: certification number checked in the company lookup, case checked for cracks
- Return policy asked for before paying
- Receipt kept, or a photo of the card with the receipt
- Purchase recorded the same day on the collection list
Read next
Sources read for this page
- ReadOfficial Japanese card record, 227/S-Pread 7 Nov 2026
- ReadPokémon Support: Did I purchase fake or counterfeit cards?read 8 Nov 2026