Pricing Your Pokemon Products

Price too high? Cards don't sell. Price too low? Leave money on table. After 10+ years of pricing thousands of cards, let me show you the strategies that actually work.

Pricing Strategies Made Simple

Four core strategies:

Strategy 1: Cost-Plus Pricing

Formula: Cost + Desired Profit = Price

Example:

• Card cost: $20
• Desired profit: $10
• Price: $30

Pros:

• Simple to calculate
• Guarantees minimum profit
• Works well for unique items

Cons:

• Ignores market demand
• Might overprice or underprice
• Doesn't consider competition

Best for: Rare cards with few comparables

Strategy 2: Market Pricing

Formula: Price = Average of What Others Charge

Example:

• Competitor 1: $48
• Competitor 2: $52
• Competitor 3: $50
• Your price: $49-51

Pros:

• Competitive
• Reflects current demand
• Safe strategy

Cons:

• Race to bottom possible
• Ignores your costs
• Doesn't differentiate you

Best for: Common modern cards

Strategy 3: Value Pricing

Formula: Price = What Customers Will Pay Based on Perceived Value

Example:

• Same card, but yours is better condition
• Competitors: $50 for LP
• Yours: $65 for NM (30% premium for better condition)

Pros:

• Maximizes profit
• Rewards quality
• Builds premium brand

Cons:

• Requires strong value proposition
• May sell slower
• Need excellent reputation

Best for: Premium inventory, Near Mint vintage

This is my primary strategy.

Strategy 4: Competitive Pricing

Formula: Price Slightly Below Competition

Example:

• Competitors: $50
• Your price: $47

Pros:

• Sells quickly
• Attracts price shoppers
• Gains market share

Cons:

• Lower margins
• Hard to sustain
• Commoditizes your cards

Best for: Moving inventory quickly, gaining initial reviews

When to Price High vs When to Price Low

Price High When:

1. Rare or unique items Few others selling same card = you control price

2. Superior condition Your NM vs their LP = premium justified

3. Holiday/peak season November-December = people pay premium

4. Low inventory costs Bought cheap, can price high and still profit

5. Building premium brand Establishing reputation for quality

Price Low When:

1. Need quick cash flow Fast money more valuable than maximum profit

2. Clearing old inventory Cards sitting for 90+ days = reduce price

3. Abundant competition 20 sellers with same card = competitive pricing necessary

4. Building seller reputation Early days, need reviews and sales history

5. Approaching rotation Competitive card leaving format = sell before value crashes

Pokemon-Specific Pricing Tips

Pricing Single Cards vs Sealed Product

Single Cards:

• Higher margins possible (30-50%)
• Condition dramatically affects price
• Competition intense
• Individual research required

Sealed Product:

• Lower margins (5-20% on modern)
• Condition standardized
• Easier to price (fewer variables)
• Higher margins on vintage sealed (30-60%)

My approach: Singles for profit, sealed for volume and credibility

Condition-Based Pricing for Pokemon Cards

Near Mint (NM): 100% of market price Lightly Played (LP): 70-80% of NM Moderately Played (MP): 50-60% of NM Heavily Played (HP): 30-40% of NM Damaged: 20-30% of NM

Example:

• NM Base Set Charizard: $400
• LP: $280-320
• MP: $200-240
• HP: $120-160

Why this matters: Condition grading directly impacts pricing

Seasonal Pricing Strategies

November-December (Holiday):

• Add 10-20% premium
• Popular Pokemon get biggest boost
• Sealed products premium pricing

January-March (Slow Season):

• Competitive pricing
• Move inventory
• Focus on deals

June-August (Tournament Season):

• Competitive cards premium pricing
• Meta staples spike
• Sell before rotation

Set Release Times:

• Week 0-2: Don't buy, hype prices
• Week 4-8: Buy low, sell normal
• Month 3+: Normal pricing

Bundle Pricing for Multiple Items

Bundle Strategy: Discount per-item price, increase total transaction value

Example:

Individual:

• 3 cards at $10 each = $30 total

Bundle:

• 3 cards for $25 = $5 discount
• Customer saves $5
• You make one sale vs three (less fees/shipping)
• Win-win

When to bundle:

• Cards same set/theme
• Lower value cards ($1-5)
• Moving slow inventory
• Holiday gift packages

My bundle strategy: "Complete evolution lines" (Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard together)

How to Handle Price Negotiations

My negotiation framework:

For cards under $20:

• Firm pricing (not worth negotiating)
• "Price is firm, but I offer bundle discounts"

For cards $20-100:

• 5-10% negotiation room
• "I can do $90 on the $100 card"

For cards $100+:

• 10-15% negotiation possible
• Build relationship
• Close bigger sale

Golden rule: Never negotiate via lowering quality standards. If they want lower price, offer lower grade card, not same card for less.

Platform-Specific Pricing Strategies

eBay Pricing

Auction vs Buy It Now:

Auction:

• Used for rare/unique items
• Set reserve at minimum acceptable price
• 7-day auction for maximum exposure

Buy It Now:

• Standard inventory
• Price competitively vs other BIN listings
• Offer "Make Offer" for negotiation

My split: 80% Buy It Now, 20% Auctions (rare items only)

Mercari Pricing

Strategy:

• Price 10-15% higher than target
• Expect offers (Mercari culture is negotiation)
• Accept 85-90% of asking price

Example:

• Want $50
• List at $58
• Accept offer at $52
• Everyone happy

TCGPlayer Pricing

Strategy:

• Match or beat lowest listing in same condition
• Use "Market Price" as reality check
• Direct buy listings sell faster

Race to bottom warning: Don't engage in price wars below profitability

Pricing Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Pricing Purely on What You Paid

Your cost doesn't determine value. Market does.

Example: Overpaid at $50, card worth $30. Pricing at $60 to recoup loss = card never sells.

Fix: Price at market, accept loss, learn from mistake

Mistake 2: Never Adjusting Prices

Listed 90 days ago at $50, market is now $40, card sits forever

Fix: Review pricing every 30 days, adjust to market

Mistake 3: Emotional Pricing

"This card is special to me, worth $100" (Market says $50)

Fix: Separate personal collection from business inventory. Business = market pricing only

Mistake 4: Ignoring Total Cost

Priced at $30, cost was $25, "I made $5!"

Reality: Fees + shipping = $7, you lost $2

Fix: Price to cover ALL costs + profit

Mistake 5: Following Outlier Prices

One card sold for $100, twenty sold for $50, you price at $100

Fix: Use average/median, not outliers

Dynamic Pricing: When to Adjust

Increase price when:

• Getting frequent views but no sales = priced too low
• Card value trending up (check market)
• Competition decreased (fewer sellers)
• Seasonal demand increasing

Decrease price when:

• No views for 30 days = overpriced
• Card value trending down
• Competition increased
• Need to move inventory

My rule: Adjust every 30 days based on market + views/sales data

Quick Pricing Decision Tree

Question 1: Is this a commodity card (many sellers)?

• Yes → Market pricing (match competition)
• No → Value pricing (price for perceived value)

Question 2: Do I need quick sale?

• Yes → Competitive pricing (undercut slightly)
• No → Value pricing (premium for quality)

Question 3: What's my cost?

• High cost → Ensure price covers cost + minimum profit
• Low cost → Flexibility to price competitively

Question 4: What's market trend?

• Rising → Price higher, be patient
• Falling → Price lower, move quickly

The Bottom Line

Pricing is both art and science:

• Science: Calculate costs, research market, check competition
• Art: Understand customer psychology, timing, positioning

Optimal pricing:

• Covers all costs
• Includes desired profit
• Competitive with market
• Reflects value provided

Master pricing = Master profit.

Ready to Perfect Your Pricing Strategy?

This is Module 2.4 of Week 2 in the Pokemon Business Startup Course.

Complete course includes:

• Pricing calculator spreadsheet
• Platform fee calculators
• Seasonal pricing calendar
• Negotiation scripts

Enroll in the Pokemon Business Startup Course →

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Module 2.4 of Week 2 - Pokemon Business Startup Course