Pokemon TCG API

The world's largest trading card game — fully indexed

20,000+ cards 180+ sets Updated continuously

Pokemon TCG is the largest trading card game by market cap, with estimated global sales exceeding $15 billion since its 1998 English debut. The market runs on three distinct buyer segments: nostalgia collectors chasing vintage Base Set cards, competitive players purchasing staples for tournament play, and investors treating high-grade copies as alternative assets. Each segment creates different price dynamics, and all three are active simultaneously.

Vintage cards from the 1999 Base Set — Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur — remain the prestige anchors. A PSA 10 Base Set Charizard regularly clears $400 raw and can exceed $10,000 graded. The Scarlet & Violet era introduced Illustration Rares and Special Art Rares that sell for $80–$400 at release, creating a modern equivalent of the vintage chase. Japanese-exclusive promos and sets like Eevee Heroes arrive months before English equivalents, making JP prices a leading indicator for EN card values.

Price volatility in Pokemon is high. New set announcements move existing card values within hours. When a card gets a reprint, older versions drop; when a card gets new competitive use, it spikes before supply can respond. Real-time price data is essential for anyone buying, selling, or managing a collection at scale.

What the API Provides for Pokemon

TCGPlayer + eBay Market Prices

Prices aggregated from active TCGPlayer listings and recent eBay sold data. Both sources update continuously so you get a true market picture, not a stale snapshot.

Per-Condition Pricing

Separate prices for Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played, and Damaged. Critical for grading submissions and bulk buylist decisions.

PSA / BGS / CGC Graded Values

Track what a PSA 10 Charizard or BGS 9.5 Umbreon VMAX is actually selling for right now. Graded data requires the Trader plan ($14.99/mo).

90-Day Price History

Time-series pricing lets you spot trends before they peak. Ideal for identifying reprint suppression windows or post-hype corrections. Requires Trader plan.

Rarity & Variant Coverage

Illustration Rares, Special Art Rares, Rainbow Rares, Gold cards, and regional variants are tracked as distinct cards with individual pricing.

Set-Level Browsing

List all 180+ Pokemon sets and pull a complete card manifest for any set. Build set-completion trackers, want list tools, or sealed product ROI calculators.

High-Value Pokemon Cards

Cards with consistent demand across collector, competitive, and investment markets:

Charizard — Base Set (Shadowless)
The most iconic Pokemon card. Raw NM copies start around $400; PSA 10 examples sell for $6,000–$15,000. Perennial top search on the API.
Umbreon VMAX — Alternate Art ("Moonbreon")
From Evolving Skies. The alt art Moonbreon is one of the most liquid modern Pokemon cards, hovering around $150–$250 NM and with consistent volume.
Lugia V — Alternate Art (Silver Tempest)
Lugia V alt art is a top-tier modern collectible with strong grading potential. Popular with both collectors and PSA submission services.
Giratina V — Alternate Art (Lost Origin)
Competitive play + striking alt art = dual demand. Giratina V remains in active decks and commands a persistent price premium over other alt arts from its era.
Mewtwo ex — Special Art Rare (151)
The 151 set's nostalgia premium makes every SAR in it highly sought. Mewtwo ex SAR is the chase card of a set that already sold out multiple times at retail.
Pikachu VMAX — Rainbow Rare (Vivid Voltage)
Rainbow Pikachu VMAX is the crossover collectible — Pokemon's most recognizable character in its most visually distinct card treatment.
Eevee Heroes — Full Set (Japanese)
The Japanese Eevee Heroes set is one of the most sought-after modern JP sets. Umbreon VMAX alt art from this set trades for 3–5x its EN equivalent.
Mew — Gold Secret Rare (Fusion Strike)
Gold rares are the premium treatment for competitive staples. The Mew gold card sits at the intersection of playability and collectibility.

Notable Pokemon Sets

Base Set (1999) The original

The foundation of all Pokemon value. Shadowless and 1st Edition prints command 2–5x premium over Unlimited copies of the same card. Every serious collector tracks Base Set prices.

Evolving Skies (2021) Eeveelution alt arts

Home to eight Eeveelution alternate arts, each with distinct demand. Umbreon VMAX alt art alone drove sustained secondary market interest for 18+ months post-release.

151 (2023) Nostalgia premium

A set built entirely around the original 151 Pokemon with high-end SAR treatments. Sold out at retail repeatedly; sealed boxes appreciated 40%+ within months of release.

Obsidian Flames (2023) Tera Charizard ex

Tera Charizard ex SAR is among the most-priced modern cards. The Charizard premium in Obsidian Flames drove box prices well above MSRP for months.

Crown Zenith (2023) Premium Galarian Gallery

A special set with a dedicated Galarian Gallery subset of premium art cards. The set's Radiant Charizard and Pokemon V rares see high search volume year-round.

Paradox Rift (2023) Roaring Moon & Iron Valiant

Paradox Rift introduced competitive staples that also doubled as collector targets. Roaring Moon ex and Iron Valiant ex alt arts are among the most-searched S&V era cards.

Code Examples

Search Pokemon Cards

import { TcgLookupClient } from '@tcgpricelookup/sdk';
const tcg = new TcgLookupClient({ apiKey: 'YOUR_KEY' });

// Search for Charizard cards
const results = await tcg.cards.search({
  name: 'Charizard',
  game: 'pokemon',
});

// Filter to specific set
const obsidian = await tcg.cards.search({
  name: 'Charizard',
  game: 'pokemon',
  set: 'Obsidian Flames',
});

console.log(results.data[0].name);      // "Charizard ex"
console.log(results.data[0].rarity);    // "Special Illustration Rare"
console.log(results.data[0].prices.nearMint.market); // e.g. 285.00

Get Card Prices by Condition

// Fetch a specific Pokemon card with full price breakdown
const card = await tcg.cards.get('swsh12pt5-160', { game: 'pokemon' });

console.log(card.name);                          // "Radiant Charizard"
console.log(card.set.name);                      // "Crown Zenith"
console.log(card.prices.nearMint.market);        // NM market price
console.log(card.prices.nearMint.tcgplayer);     // TCGPlayer NM
console.log(card.prices.nearMint.ebay);          // eBay sold avg NM
console.log(card.prices.lightlyPlayed.market);   // LP market price
console.log(card.prices.damaged.market);         // Damaged market price

PSA Graded Price Lookup

// Get graded Pokemon card values (Trader plan required)
const graded = await tcg.cards.graded('base1-4', { game: 'pokemon' });

// PSA grades 1–10
console.log(graded.data.psa[10].market);   // PSA 10 market value
console.log(graded.data.psa[9].market);    // PSA 9 market value
console.log(graded.data.bgs['9.5'].market); // BGS 9.5 market value
console.log(graded.data.cgc[10].market);   // CGC 10 market value

90-Day Price History

// Price history for Moonbreon (Trader plan required)
const history = await tcg.cards.history('swsh7-215', {
  game: 'pokemon',
  days: 90,
});

// Spot the trend before it peaks
history.data.forEach(entry => {
  console.log(entry.date, entry.prices.nearMint.market);
});

// Find the 90-day high and low
const prices = history.data.map(e => e.prices.nearMint.market);
const high = Math.max(...prices);
const low  = Math.min(...prices);
console.log(`90-day range: $${low} – $${high}`);

What People Build with Pokemon Price Data

Collection Valuation Tools

Input a list of cards and quantities; get current total value in real time. Popular for collectors who want a dashboard view of their portfolio.

Price Drop / Spike Alerts

Watch cards and trigger notifications when a card crosses a target price. Useful for buyers waiting for the right moment and sellers timing exits.

TCG Store Buylist Pricing

Automate buylist generation using real market data. Many stores are running dynamic buylists updated hourly using the API to stay competitive.

Sealed Product ROI Calculators

Calculate the expected value of a booster box by averaging market prices across the set's pull rates. Compare to sealed product cost to identify arbitrage.

Grading Submission Decision Tools

Compare raw vs. PSA/BGS prices to determine if a card is worth submitting for grading. The break-even grading threshold varies significantly by card and current market.

Set-Completion Trackers

Show which cards a user still needs to complete a set and the current cost to complete it. Combines set browse endpoints with real-time pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the API cover Japanese Pokemon cards?
Yes. Japanese Pokemon cards are available under the game slug pokemonjp — a separate game in the API. The JP catalog includes Japan-exclusive sets like Eevee Heroes, VSTAR Universe, and all standard JP expansions. Because JP cards often precede EN releases by months, tracking JP prices is valuable as a leading indicator for English card values.
Can I get PSA graded Pokemon card prices via API?
Yes, PSA (grades 1–10), BGS, and CGC graded values are available for eligible Pokemon cards. Graded data is sourced from actual eBay sold listings for each grade. This feature requires the Trader plan at $14.99/month.
How quickly do new Pokemon sets get added?
New English Pokemon sets are indexed within days of release — typically before or on the official release date. Japanese sets are added when they release in Japan. Pre-release card prices are tracked from sealed case breaks and pre-order markets where data is available.
Are Illustration Rares and Special Art Rares tracked separately?
Yes. Each print of a card — including Illustration Rare (IR), Special Art Rare (SAR), Rainbow Rare, and Gold Secret Rare variants — is tracked as a distinct card with its own ID and pricing. You can search by name and filter by rarity to isolate specific variants.

Get Started with the Pokemon TCG API

  1. 1

    Get a free API key

    Sign up at tcgpricelookup.com/dashboard. The free plan includes 200 requests/day with no credit card required. Search any Pokemon card and get live prices immediately.

  2. 2

    Choose your integration method

    Use the JavaScript, Python, or PHP SDK, or call the REST API directly. All examples above copy-paste into your project. Full endpoint reference in the docs.

  3. 3

    Search your first Pokemon card

    Try game: 'pokemon' with any card name. Response includes NM market price, per-condition values, rarity, set info, and both TCGPlayer and eBay price sources.

  4. 4

    Upgrade for graded data and history

    Trader plan ($14.99/mo) adds PSA/BGS/CGC graded values and 90-day price history. Business plan ($89.99/mo) increases rate limits for production apps and store tools.

Build with Pokemon card price data

Get your free API key and start querying Pokemon card prices today. 200 requests/day free, no credit card required.