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rarity guide beginners collecting

Pokemon Card Rarity Symbols Explained: From Common to Hyper Rare

By Julian • December 27, 2025

Every Pokemon card has a small symbol in the bottom corner that tells you how rare it is. Understanding these symbols is the first step to knowing which cards in your collection actually matter.

Here’s the complete breakdown of Pokemon card rarity — from worthless commons to chase cards worth thousands.

The Basic Rarity Symbols

These three symbols have been on Pokemon cards since the beginning:

Circle — Common

The most frequently printed cards in any set. You’ll pull dozens of these from a booster box.

What it means: Basic Pokemon, simple trainers, energy cards. Usually worth a few cents at most.

Exception: Some old commons from Base Set or promos can have collector value, but it’s rare.

Diamond — Uncommon

Slightly harder to pull than commons, but still very plentiful.

What it means: Stage 1 Pokemon, useful trainer cards. Typically worth 10-50 cents unless it’s a playable card in the competitive meta.

Star — Rare

The baseline for cards that might actually be worth something.

What it means: Fully evolved Pokemon, powerful trainers. This is where value starts — but a regular rare is usually still under $1-2.

Holo Rares and Above

Once you get past the basic star, things get more interesting.

Holo Rare

A rare card with a holographic (shiny, reflective) pattern on the artwork. In vintage sets, holos were the chase cards. In modern sets, they’re common but still look cool.

Pull rate: Roughly 1 in 3 packs Value: $1-10 for most, but vintage holos can be worth hundreds or thousands

Reverse Holo

The card has holographic foil on everything except the artwork. Every pack contains one reverse holo slot.

Value: Usually similar to or slightly above the non-holo version. Some collectors prefer them for binder aesthetics.

Modern Ultra Rares

Pokemon has added many rarity tiers over the years. Here’s the current hierarchy:

Pokemon ex (lowercase)

Cards featuring powerful Pokemon with the “ex” designation. When knocked out, the opponent takes two prize cards.

Visual: Usually standard art with a burst or glow effect Pull rate: A few per booster box Value: $2-20 depending on the Pokemon

Full Art

The artwork extends to the edges of the card with no standard border. Features textured holofoil.

Visual: Artwork fills the entire card Pull rate: 1-3 per booster box Value: $5-50+ depending on popularity

Special Art Rare / Illustration Rare

The most sought-after cards in modern sets. Features unique artwork that tells a story or shows Pokemon in scenic settings.

Visual: Stunning illustrated artwork, often showing Pokemon in their natural habitat Pull rate: 1-2 per booster box Value: $20-200+ for popular Pokemon like Charizard, Pikachu, Umbreon

Prismatic Evolutions

Scarlet & Violet•Jan 17, 2025•180 cards

Ultra Rare

Powerful cards featuring special mechanics (VMAX, VSTAR in previous eras).

Visual: Dynamic artwork with special patterns Pull rate: Several per booster box Value: Varies wildly, from $3 to $100+

Hyper Rare / Gold Card

Cards printed on gold-colored foil. Usually reprints of trainer items or Pokemon as “gold” versions.

Visual: Distinctive gold color scheme Pull rate: 0-2 per booster box Value: $15-80+ for most, some exceed $200

Vintage Rarity Symbols

Older sets had their own special rarities:

Shining Pokemon (Neo Series)

Cards with “Shining” in the name featuring fully holographic Pokemon.

Sets: Neo Revelation, Neo Destiny Value: $50-500+ depending on Pokemon and condition

Neo Revelation

Neo•Sep 21, 2001•66 cards

Gold Star Pokemon

Extremely rare cards with a gold star next to the name. The Pokemon is shown in an alternate shiny coloration.

Sets: EX era (2004-2007) Value: $100-2,000+ even in played condition

Crystal Type Pokemon

Cards with a crystalline holographic pattern.

Sets: Aquapolis, Skyridge Value: $100-1,000+

Skyridge

E-Card•May 12, 2003•182 cards

Secret Rares

Cards numbered beyond the set’s official count (e.g., 65/64). In vintage sets, these were exceptionally rare.

The “Worth Checking” Quick Reference

When sorting through cards, prioritize based on rarity:

Definitely check prices:

Gold cards
Special Art Rares / Illustration Rares
Full Arts
Any Charizard
Vintage holos (1999-2003)
Gold Star cards
Shining Pokemon

Might be worth something:

Regular holos from popular sets
Playable trainer cards
Pokemon ex cards
Reverse holos of rare cards

Probably not valuable:

Commons and uncommons (circle/diamond)
Regular non-holo rares
Energy cards
Damaged cards of any rarity

How Rarity Affects Value

Here’s the thing: rarity alone doesn’t determine value. A Gold Rare trainer card might be worth $15 while a Special Art Rare Charizard could be $300.

What actually matters:

Rarity tier — Higher rarity = higher baseline
Pokemon popularity — Charizard, Pikachu, Eeveelutions command premiums
Playability — Cards used in competitive decks spike in price
Art quality — Beautiful illustration rares outsell generic full arts
Set desirability — Some sets are more collected than others

Card detail with rarity info

Identifying Rarity Quickly

When you’re going through a stack of cards:

Look at the bottom right corner for the rarity symbol
Check for texture — run your finger across the card. Textured = usually better
Look for gold coloring — gold cards are always worth checking
Note the card number — if it’s higher than the set count (e.g., 198/193), it’s a secret rare
Check the art style — scenic, illustrated art usually indicates Special Art Rare

For large collections, manually checking each card takes forever. Eyevo identifies cards in under a second and shows you the rarity, set info, and current market price instantly.