Pokémon & Trading Card Magazines: What's Still Published
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If you remember buying a Beckett at the card shop to look up what your Charizard was worth, here's the bad news first: that magazine is gone. This guide covers what Pokémon and trading card magazines actually still exist, what replaced the old price guides, and which ones are worth your money.
Quick picks
Pokémon magazine (UK monthly)
Kids' magazine with puzzles, stories and stickers.
Check price on Amazon →Beckett price guide books
Annual card price guide books.
Check price on Amazon →The Unofficial Pokémon Card Book
Card identification guide (book).
Check price on Amazon →Is there a Pokémon magazine still in print?
Pokémon magazine (UK)
Yes, for kids. A monthly Pokémon magazine is published in the UK. Each issue has puzzles, comics, facts, stickers and usually a small cover gift. It's aimed at younger fans, not collectors, and it's mainly sold through UK newsstands and subscription sites. In the US you'll usually find it as an import, at a markup, if you find it at all.
Who it's for: Pokémon-mad kids around 5–10. Not useful for card values.
What happened to Beckett Pokémon?
Beckett Pokémon Collector (later Beckett Pokémon Unofficial Collector) ran in the US from 1999 to 2010, 127 issues in total. It was the go-to card price guide for a generation of collectors. In 2010 it was folded into Beckett Game Strategyst, which was itself cancelled and merged into another title in 2011.
Beckett now runs an online Pokémon price guide on its website rather than a printed Pokémon magazine.
Old issues are now collectibles in their own right. Copies with Base Set-era covers and the original price lists turn up on Amazon and eBay. Don't use their prices for anything today, but they're a fun nostalgia buy.
Who it's for: collectors who grew up in the '99–'02 era and want a piece of it on the shelf.
Trading card magazines in general
Beckett's monthly Sports Card Monthly magazine also stopped publishing new issues; digital back issues end in December 2022. The trading card magazine as a monthly price bible is basically over, because prices now change daily.
What's still around:
- Beckett annual price guide books. Beckett still sells annual price guide books, mostly for sports cards. Check the year and the categories on the cover before buying. If you only collect Pokémon, these won't help much. [VERIFY]
- Card-collecting books. For Pokémon specifically, a reference book that teaches identification and condition will age much better than a printed price list. See our Pokémon books guide.
Where collectors get prices now
If you want to know what a card is worth today, a magazine isn't the answer. Use these instead:
- TCGplayer market price. This is based on recent sales and is the standard for US Pokémon singles.
- eBay sold listings. Filter to "Sold items" to see what people actually paid, not what sellers are asking.
- Grading population reports from PSA, CGC or Beckett, for graded cards.
Who should buy what
- Buying for a young kid: the Pokémon kids' magazine is a fun treat if you can find it.
- Nostalgic adult collector: a vintage Beckett Pokémon issue makes a cheap, great display piece next to a binder.
- Serious about values: skip magazines and use live sales data. Put the money toward sleeves and top loaders instead.
Magazine availability on Amazon changes constantly, and imported issues are often priced well above cover price. Check the listing and the seller before you buy.