How To Value a Trading Card

Whether you're a serious collector, investor, or just curious about the worth of a card you found in your closet, knowing how to accurately value a trading card is essential. Two of the best tools for this are CardLadder (www.cardladder.com)and Alt (alt.xyz) — both are robust platforms that track real-time market data for sports cards, trading card games like Pokémon, and even high-end collectibles. Below, we break down how to use each platform step-by-step.

📊 Using CardLadder to Value a Card

CardLadder is one of the most trusted tools in the card-collecting hobby. It aggregates data from major marketplaces like eBay, Goldin, PWCC, MySlabs, and more, offering users deep insights into price trends, sales history, and card performance over time.

✅ Step-by-Step:

1. Create a Account

   • A paid account is $19.99 a month and gives you access to many features.

   • A paid membership unlocks advanced features like price forecasting, collection tracking, and custom indexes.

2. Use the Search Bar

   • Type in as much detail as possible:
     Example: 2020 Panini Prizm Justin Herbert Silver PSA 10

   • CardLadder supports graded cards from major companies like PSA, BGS, SGC, and CSG.

   • CardLadder allows you to value raw cards as ALT only gives you values on graded slabs.

3. Analyze the Card Profile

   • You’ll see:

     • Ladder Value: CardLadder’s estimated market value based on weighted recent sales.

     • Sales History: Date, source, and price of past transactions.

     • Trend Graph: A visual graph showing how the value has changed over time.

     • High/Low Sales: Track the card's performance peaks and valleys.

4. Compare Similar Cards

   • CardLadder offers a "related cards" feature so you can compare base versions, parallels, or other grades of the same card.

💡 Using Alt (alt.xyz) to Value a Card

Alt is another high-powered platform designed for collectors and investors. It pulls data from various marketplaces and gives a single “Alt Value” — an estimated fair market price based on condition, comps, and grading.

✅ Step-by-Step:

1. Create a Free Account

   • Sign up at alt.xyz for access to the Alt Marketplace and Portfolio tools.

2. Search for the Card

   • Enter the card's full name, brand, and grade.
     Example: Charizard Base Set 1999 Holo PSA 8

3. View the Alt Value Page

   • Alt shows:

     • Current Estimated Value ("Alt Value")

     • Recent Sale Prices from eBay, Alt’s own marketplace, and other sources.

     • Price History Graphs

     • Liquidity Metrics: How frequently the card sells.

     • Volatility: How much the value fluctuates.

4. Add to Portfolio (Optional)

   • You can track cards over time by adding them to your personal Alt portfolio.

   • Get automatic updates when the card’s value changes or when new sales occur.

5. Use Price Alerts

   • Set alerts to notify you when a card hits a specific price — great for buyers waiting for market dips.