E-reader sample cards with Japanese back.
Set is 10 cards
I would like to find out if that set is really not printed much and what it would be worth.
I only know the price about 7 years ago was 50 each.
Not sure about the printing numbers. I’ve also heard the number 50, but I had the feeling more are out there (just a hunch, not sure).
I personally bought my Pikachu ungraded for 150 USD 3.5 years ago when I wasn’t collecting Pikachus that long yet. I also know a PSA-10 Pikachu sold in September 2017 for 1k USD and two more PSA-10 sold for 2-2.5k each or so (not sure about their exact prices anymore) halve a year ago. (I think Rusty @thecharizardauthorty sold a few PSA-10 Sample cards earlier this year, so maybe he could give the exact sold prices of the Pikachu and the other cards in the set).
I do that almost all the ones I’ve seen are PSA-10 quality. I’m 90% sure the Pikachu I bought 3.5 years ago would also grade a 10 (if PSA still grades them and I would send it in - which I won’t).
I’m not sure about the prices of the other cards in the set, since I haven’t really followed them.
Greetz,
Quuador
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This is what I was told:
"I wanted to give you some of the details of the sample set – and let me know if this is what you were looking for.
Back in 2002 (need to check date) when the Nintendo e-Reader was coming out, Pokémon cards were the big eReader push for the interactive aspect of cards and Game Boy games (Game Boy Advanced?).
The Pokémon Center NY was the place used to demo the new item before the actual device came out. 10 cards were picked for a selection of the games that could be played when scanning the cards. I believe they used a mixture of 1, 2 or 3 cards needed for each game. For example, you needed to have the 3 evolutions of Machop, Machoke and Machamp to play one of the games, but I think just Chansey to play another.
100 of each of the cards were printed. Japanese gold backs were used since I believe these were done in the Japanese printing location – and they didn’t print US blue backs there. (The same was done one other time for the E3 packs of cards). All of the cards had “sample” printed on them.
The cards were swiped through the e-reader to demonstrate to people who came into the Pokémon Center. The cards could handle many swipes but definitely got damaged over time. Pokémon senior management was concerned that all the cards would get damaged or given away almost immediately, so the Pokémon Center employees were given a small amount to use, and as they got battered and torn, they were given a few more.
Therefore, although there were 100 of each printed, a much smaller amount (probably much less than 50) remained in unused, mint condition. Some were probably taken by employees for their collections, given to customers, etc. and some remained in a box for years in one managers office. There were sample cards with incorrect backs, so management did not want them given away to customers.
Rusty, I think this is what you are looking for. Let me know if you have any other questions…and at some point soon, I’ll find and send some of the other unique items I may have."
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The last price I paid was for $3500 on 8 PSA 10’s through a private sale. That did not include Pikachu or Pichu.
The last time I publicly auctioned a full set individually it went for over $11k (all 10 in PSA 10). That same day a full set sold for $7999.95(I think) to one buyer. This was back in July of 2018
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Oh, has it been that long already… I thought it was somewhere at the start of this year. Time flies by faster every passing year… 
Thanks for providing the information, though!
Greetz,
Quuador
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Any pics about the mentioned set?
Here is the video I made a little while back: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfQ5esEHLGM
I apologize if posting my own link is against the rules, it just seems very relevant to the thread and this particular question.
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You’re totally fine. 100% topical and there aren’t alternatives.
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I have an ungraded set. Only took out 1 card to check the back and it looked unused.
what do you mean “took it out”?
I have them in a binder like all my cards. I simply don’t like the PSA cases, but I’m also aware grading adds value.
For these cards Im not sure to keep them ungraded.
After 20 years of collecting I try to figure out what to keep and what to let go.
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Does anyone know why the e-Reader serial number for the Sample cards are prefixed with an M instead of a B? There are several text differences between the Sample card, E3 card and the main set cards, but the Sample set card has a different ID prefix.
For reference:
From left to right we have Sample set, E3, English Expedition and Japanese Expedition.
Here’s a close-up on the serials:
From the text and spacing I think it’s already known that the Sample set card is just a direct translation of the Japanese card, but even the Japanese card uses B-83-# and not M-83-#. Does something different happen when you swipe a Sample card?
As for the original question: I picked up my PSA 10 Sample Pichu in a private sale for $1,000 CAD back in April.
It kinda bugs me that they grade these and not the glossy hole-punched cards which were used for in-store demonstrations after the e-Reader device launch, but hey, PSA works in mysterious ways. On that note, PSA only takes its sales data from eBay US and the seller I bought my Pichu for had sold the other cards from the set using BIN on the Canadian eBay site. I believe their PSA 10 Pikachu sold for $3,750 CAD, but there’s no mention of this on PSA’s APR page.
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Sorry just on a side note I think you just solved something for me! I have been trying to do price checks on my collection and couldn’t work out why some stuff which was showing sold on eBay wasn’t on he PSA auction prices website. Now I know!! So annoying they don’t include eBay worldwide sales!
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Wow PSA is missing out on so many data points that could’ve been referenced…
On another note does PokemonPrice.com include sales data outside eBay US?
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It should, a lot of my fellow aussies show up on the site as data points along with the Japanese sellers, EU sellers etc. If the seller doesn’t offer worldwide shipping it might not, I haven’t looked into that.
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