Pokémon TCG Players Share The Best Cheap Cards That Won't Break The Bank (2024)

While many cards in the Pokémon TCG universe are very expensive due to their rarity, impressive artwork, gameplay effects, or a combination of all three, some cards are extremely cheap. This category of cards is usually reserved for the standard prints of the most common cards in every collection, such as some of the new cards for Pokémon TCG’s Night Wanderer expansion. Nevertheless, there are rare cards with special types of artwork that are actually very cheap and worth grabbing while their values are still on the lower end of average for Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rares.

In fact, some players started a conversation about some of their favorite cheapest rare cards available in the Trading Card Game. A discussion initiated by Reddit user Trevor-On-Redditprompts the question of which are players’ favorite “cheap” cards. As an example, the user mentions the regular print of the Lugia V card from the Silver Tempest expansion saying they “couldn’t believe this Lugia is like $3.” The user Lord-Nagafen then cites the Charizard VStar card from the Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield Black Star Promos, whose artwork features Charizard battling Mewtwo.

Other Beloved Cheap Pokémon TCG Cards, According To Redditors

Cards Range From Promos To Rare Prints

Other noteworthy mentions include the Lucario VStar promo card for the Crown Zenith expansion. As cited by user CinnaToastKrunch on Reddit, they “own +30 of them,” showcasing just how much they admire the card featuring the Fighting-type Pokémon. Outside the realm of V cards, user Ilovebagels88 mentions the Illustration Rare version of Gloom from the Obsidian Flames expansion for Pokémon TCG, to which another user replies, acknowledging the card’s “great artwork.”

According to the user nocash168 on Reddit, the Keldeo print for the Crown Zenith expansion is an “absolute stunner and super cheap.” The card features an exquisite piece of colorful artwork that extends throughout the entire card’s body. A more recent example cited by the user TheSilentPhotog is the Illustration Rare print of the Palafin card for Pokémon TCG’s Paldean Fates expansion. As mentioned by a user in response to TheSilentPhotoG, this card was abundantly present in the set. Nevertheless, it does feature a beautiful illustration of a Shiny Palafin in its Hero Form.

As much as some cards have a smaller drop rate with certain sets, it is very common for cards that are considered rare to be worth very little money. Of course, promo cards that are a guaranteed acquisition from certain bundles usually have a lower cost, but even Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rares occasionally have low prices due to how commonly they are found in booster packs.

The market of rare and cheap cards in the Trading Card Game is just as important as the highly notable search for expensive cards. While they do move less money, some of these cards are sought after simply due to their aesthetic value, even if that isn’t translated into high costs. The Reddit discussion simply comes to prove that players do not have to invest hundreds of dollars to get nice-looking cards in Pokémon TCG, they just need to know which cheap cards to go after.

Source: Reddit (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), TCGPlayer