How to Buy Pokémon Singles in the UK Safely

Where can you buy Pokémon singles in the UK?

UK collectors mainly buy singles from four places: online and local card shops, eBay UK, Cardmarket (a European marketplace that UK buyers can use) and private sales in Facebook groups or in person. They differ less in the cards they offer than in who you are buying from, what you can see before you pay and what happens if the card is not as described.

There is no single "best" place. A shop suits a buyer who wants one tracked parcel, a clear returns policy and pounds with no customs. eBay has the widest choice. Cardmarket can have deep stock of singles from European sellers. Our Cardmarket vs eBay vs a shop comparison sets out the fees and rules side by side.

What should a good singles listing show?

A good listing shows the exact card you will receive, front and back, in sharp photos, and states its condition on a named scale. It also gives the set, collector number, language and any edition or stamp, says how it will be posted and links to a returns policy. If any of that is missing, ask before you buy.

• Photos of the actual card, not a stock image. Corners, edges and the back are where wear shows, so the back photo matters as much as the front.
• The set and collector number (for example 120/165), so you know it is the right print. Our rarities guide explains the symbols.
• The language. Japanese and English printings are different products. See Japanese vs English cards.
• Holo, reverse holo or non-holo, and any edition stamp, promo stamp or special finish.
• A condition grade on a stated scale (see below), with any flaw called out in words.
• The postage service, whether it is tracked and when the seller dispatches.
• A returns policy you can read before you pay.

What do condition terms like Near Mint mean?

Condition terms describe wear on the corners, edges and surface, but each platform uses its own scale, and the same words can mean different things. Always check which scale a seller is using, then judge the photos yourself rather than trusting the label alone.

We grade every raw card on five steps: Mint, Near Mint, Lightly Played, Played and Damaged. Cardmarket uses seven: Mint, Near Mint, Excellent, Good, Light Played, Played and Poor. Its rules are strict: it says surface scratches make a card "GOOD at best" and that cards with whitened borders "have to be offered on Cardmarket as Poor". So Cardmarket's Light Played is well down its scale, while Lightly Played on many UK listings sits just below Near Mint. Our condition guide compares the scales and shows how to check a card yourself.

How should Pokémon singles be posted?

A single should arrive in a sleeve, inside a rigid toploader, protected by stiff card so it cannot bend, and anything you would mind losing should travel by a tracked service. Ask the seller how they pack before you buy a card that matters to you, and keep the packaging until you have checked the card.

Untracked post is fine for cheap cards, but if an untracked letter goes missing it is hard to prove anything either way. Cardmarket, for example, only lets a buyer mark an untracked shipment as lost 30 days after it was sent, and then the seller "has the option" to refund. Tracked post gives both sides evidence. Our postage guide explains Royal Mail services and compensation limits.

What protection do you have when you buy?

Your protection depends on two things: who you bought from (a business or a private person) and how you paid. Buying from a business online gives you statutory rights; buying from a private person gives you fewer, so the platform's guarantee and your payment method matter more.

Which payment methods protect you?

• Credit card: Citizens Advice says a section 75 claim applies to a single item costing more than £100 and no more than £30,000. It usually does not apply if you paid through a third party such as a marketplace or PayPal.
• Debit card: ask your bank about chargeback. It is not a legal right, and the bank or seller can dispute it.
• PayPal Goods and Services: PayPal says these payments receive PayPal Buyer Protection. Citizens Advice says you have 180 days from paying to open a dispute.
• PayPal Friends and Family: not covered. PayPal's own help says to refuse if a seller asks for it, because "your payment won't be covered by our Buyer Protection".
• Bank transfer: the least protection for a purchase. Avoid it with anyone you do not know.

How do you avoid fake cards when buying singles?

Most fakes are caught by checking the photos before you buy and the card when it arrives. Be wary of lots made up entirely of ultra rares, listings that say proxy, replica or custom, and prices far below what similar cards normally sell for. When the card arrives, check its edge, back colour, text and size against a card you know is real.

Our fake card guide walks through each check, and how to avoid Pokémon card scams covers fake shops, payment tricks and how to report a seller. On eBay, single cards listed at £250 or more (excluding postage) can go through eBay's Authenticity Guarantee, where PSA checks the card before it is sent on to you, at no cost to the buyer.

Should you buy a raw card or a graded slab?

Buy raw if you want to play, fill a binder or judge condition yourself; buy graded if you want an independent condition grade and a sealed, numbered case. A slab is only as good as its authenticity, so check the certificate and the holder before you pay. Neither choice is right for everyone.

Our guide is my graded Pokémon card real? shows how to check a slab against the grader's records. If you buy raw cards to grade later, pre-grade them at home first and read our grading guide for UK costs. Graded cards we have in stock are on our graded page.

A checklist before you pay

1. 1.

   Check who the seller is

   A business or a private seller? A shop should show a business name, a street address and terms. That decides which rights you have.

2. 2.

   Check the photos

   Front and back of the actual card, sharp enough to see corners and edges. Ask for more if you need them.

3. 3.

   Check the details

   Set, collector number, language, finish and condition on a named scale. Compare with the photos.

4. 4.

   Check delivery

   How it is packed, whether it is tracked and when it will be posted.

5. 5.

   Check returns

   Read the returns policy and note the time limits.

6. 6.

   Pay the protected way

   Card, PayPal Goods and Services or the platform's own checkout. Never Friends and Family or bank transfer to a stranger.

7. 7.

   Check it on arrival

   Open it on the day, compare it with the listing photos and keep the packaging until you are happy.

How we sell singles

We are a UK shop, so our singles come with the rights described above. Every card is photographed as sold: the card in the photos is the card you receive. We grade raw cards on our five-step scale (Mint, Near Mint, Lightly Played, Played, Damaged) and pack each one in a penny sleeve and top loader with rigid card, in a plain envelope.

• Dispatch within 2 working days, to Great Britain only.
• Postage: Royal Mail 2nd Class (untracked) from £1.35 for untracked items on orders under £20; Tracked 48 from £2.70, required for cards from £5 and orders of £20 or more; Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm for orders over £100. One postage charge per order. Details on our delivery page.
• Returns: 14 days to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations; you pay return postage unless the item is faulty. See returns.

If you are clearing out cards rather than buying, we also buy collections through sell your cards.