Expertise

We are first and foremost a team of collectors and players. Our staff members are extremely passionate about collecting and protecting cards, and our teams have decades of experience in the complex and storied history of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Cost

Price-beating gives customers a reason to give us their business. Our goal is to beat the cheapest store that has an item or card in stock so that we are the best price.

Additionally, we strive to sell every new item that we purchase from The Pokémon Company for regular retail price. Compare these pricing policies to other stores and let us know if you think another business can beat our prices!

Availability

Player 1 has one of the largest collections of Pokémon cards in the world. There are millions of sorted individual cards and rare items available in just the Maryland library alone, including cards from every printed language, every year, and every set expansion.

Accessibility

Collecting should not be unnecessarily complicated or difficult to navigate, and you as the collector should be able to focus on the fun parts of collecting and playing.

Deck building, master set completion, and specific collecting goals should all be efficient and fast, and our team of sorters and card librarians work every day to refine this.

Communication

We noticed that one major problem we all encounter when trying to achieve collecting goals or playing goals is the difficulty with connecting with an expert.

Whether on Discord, or by phone or email, our team makes a concerted effort to respond with a non-automated message to all communications in less than 24 hours, every day of the year.

Specialization

Player 1 exclusively specializes in Pokémon. There is no split focus on other games and franchises.

You can always request our assistance with other games and ordering non-Pokémon items, but our core focus will always be on the Pokémon universe. This allows our staff to be among the most knowledgeable in this field in the world.

Foreign Languages

Pokémon cards have now been printed in over a dozen languages!

Player 1 has fluent foreign language speakers, including those fluent in high-demand trading card languages such as English, Japanese 日本語, Chinese 中文, Korean 한국어, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Thai ภาษาไทย!

"Do you sell individual Pokémon cards or sealed Pokémon items?”

Yes! Player 1 has one of the largest collections of single cards and sealed items worldwide!

"Do you buy individual Pokémon cards or sealed Pokémon items?”

Yes! Player 1 is also one of the largest buyers of Pokémon cards and sealed items worldwide!

Do you want to trade in or sell Pokémon? Visit our Sell To Us page or contact us directly at PlayerOneServices@gmail.com or on the official Player 1 Services Discord!

“Do you have the world record for the largest collection of different Pokémon cards?”

Yes! This world record was first achieved on December 31st, 2023, then recertified on December 31st, 2025!

The record is for collecting as many different Pokémon cards as possible, and we strive to collect at least one of every card in every language!

“Can you appraise the value of my Pokémon cards and tell me if they are real?”

Yes, and it is completely free!

“Do you buy entire collections?”

Yes! You can bring in or mail us your collection for a free quote for cash or store credit. Feel free to compare our quote to other competitors to see who can offer you the most for your collection!

“How do I submit my cards for grading or authentication?”

You can submit your cards directly by clicking here!

“Do I need a membership for grading?”

Player 1 does not require a membership or subscription of any kind.

We hold every submission and purchase to the same high standard of care and speed, and they are completed in the order they are received. No one is able to pay extra to jump to the front of the line.

“Do you offer subgrades?”

The official subgrades of Surfacing, Edges, Corners, and Centering are used to calculate the overall grade of every card. Subgrades are not printed on each certificate so that they are all the same standardized, easily legible format.

However, if you would like to have a grader personally assess the approximate subgrades of any official Pokémon card, you can bring them to our in-person grading center!

“Can you grade my sealed card?”

Sealed cards must be removed from packaging to grade them accurately, and to fit in a graded card case properly. We can remove them for you if desired, at no additional cost!

“What are some types of items that cannot currently be graded?”

These items listed below are not currently available due to a combination of low demand, high cost of custom graded case sizes, and the time required to train our team members on new item lines:

-Cards from other franchises

-Sealed Booster Packs

-Coins

-Topps cards

-Old Maid cards

-Jumbo cards

-Card series with sizes different from standard TCG cards

-Oreos

-Bandai Carddass cards

-Postcards

-Magazines and Comic Books

-Video Games

“Can I drop off or pick up my grading submission in person?”

Yes, and no appointment is required! If you already placed your order online, you can email us PlayerOneServices@gmail.com to notify us of your preferred drop off and pick up times.

“How are cards professionally graded?”

Grading each card is done by assessing the Edges, Surfaces, Corners, and Centering. Each subgrade is assigned a score out of 10, and is used to determine the overall grade.

A second professional grader assigns what they determine the four subgrade scores are separately, then the overall scores from both graders are compared. If the two graders independently issued the same overall grade, then that is its final score. A third professional grader is used if the two graders issued a different overall grade.

Much like other leading grading companies, a card can still receive a Gem Mint grade even if one of the subgrades is slightly off. The other three subgrades would need to be very strong to make up for the fourth subgrade’s score.

“What can you tell me about your graded card cases and certificates?”

This link below will take you to the page detailing the Anatomy of Our Graded Card Cases.

“Can I have a fake replica card graded?”

You can have it Certified in a case that verifies it is a replica card for your collection. Proxy and Orica custom cards are popular choices for collectors to have Certified.

“Is it true that Ben and Rose also have a world record vintage Pokémon card collection?”

The co-founders of Player 1 Services began their Pokémon TCG journey in 1999, and have always been passionate collectors. They began a collection together to hunt down four copies of every 1st Edition vintage card for all 15 sets printed by Wizards of the Coast.

One copy of every card in a set is called a Master Set, and four copies of a card is called a Playset. This collection of four copies of every 1st Edition card for every vintage set has been dubbed the Grandmaster Set Collection.

It was completed within about one year with extreme dedication and persistence, and they became the first in the world to do so.

This collection includes four full sets of every 1st Edition card (where possible) for these sets:

Shadowless Base Set
Jungle
Fossil
Base Set 2
Team Rocket
Gym Heroes
Gym Challenge
Neo Genesis
Neo Discovery
Neo Revelation
Neo Destiny
Legendary Collection
Expedition
Aquapolis
Skyridge

“What is the difference between grading, authentication, and certification?”

While Grading assigned a numerical condition value out of 10 points, Authentication only verifies that a card is genuine, and Certification can be used to intentionally encapsulate a card that is not genuine, such as a replica card you care about!

“What supplies do you use to ship cards, sealed items, and graded cards?”

This link below will take you to the page detailing our packaging.

“How can I safely ship my cards to you?”

There are many excellent shipping methods, but some tried-and-true techniques include using a protective soft-sleeve, then a hard plastic toploader, encased in a team bag. We strongly support the materials and quality of UltraPro brand versions of these items.

“I run a store or business. Can I partner with you to get discounts on grading?”

Yes! Player 1 Services is partnered with stores across the globe, and to inquire about partnering with us, you can contact our Support Team directly at PlayerOneServices@gmail.com

“Does Player 1 Services sell on any other platforms?”

The best way to buy specific cards and items from our collection is to contact us! You can email us at PlayerOneServices@gmail.com, visit our store, call us at 202-599-5351, or message us on the official Player 1 Discord! Ask for any item and we will do our best to help!

Various cards, sealed items, and more can be found on our TCGPlayer, our TikTok, or our eBay, which are some of the highest-rated Pokémon selling accounts worldwide.

These only have a small fraction of our available inventory posted on them. The items listed on each of those platforms sell out quickly, and are replaced with new listings regularly!