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The Nice Way to Unlock Your Collection

We're collectors too. Get a fast, fair loan backed by your graded Pokémon cards — transparent pricing, insured vault storage, and funds in 24 hours.

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Charizard Base Set Holo
🏦
Insured Vault Storage
Climate-controlled, 24/7 monitored
✅
PSA & Beckett Certified
Industry standard grading
📊
Transparent Pricing
Real-time market valuations
⚡
24hr Funding
Fast, reliable disbursement
$2.1M+
Total funded to collectors
500+
Loans completed
4.9★
Average borrower rating
24hr
Average time to funding

How It Works

Three steps from your binder to your bank account

1
Check Your Card's Value

Enter your card details and get an instant market valuation based on real recent sales. No login required.

Free & instant
2
Get Your Loan Offer

Submit your graded card info. Our underwriting engine runs a conservative analysis and returns a same-day offer — with full fee transparency before you commit.

Same-day decision
3
Ship, Sign & Get Funded

Ship your card to our insured vault. Once received and verified, funds hit your account within 24 hours. Your card is returned the moment the loan is repaid.

24-hour funding
Check My Card First Get a Loan Offer

Collectors Trust Us

Real borrowers, real experiences

★★★★★

I had a PSA 9 Charizard sitting in a binder doing nothing. Got a loan offer in minutes, funds in my account the next day. The whole process felt surprisingly trustworthy for a niche product.

MR
Marcus R.
PSA 9 Charizard — $4,200 loan
★★★★★

I was skeptical but the fee breakdown was completely upfront — no surprises at closing. Got my card back two days after payoff. Would use again without hesitation.

JK
Jess K.
BGS 9 Mewtwo — $1,800 loan
★★★★★

Needed short-term cash fast and didn't want to sell. This was the perfect bridge. Valuation matched what I saw on eBay, the rate was fair, and the team was genuinely helpful.

DT
Daniel T.
PSA 8 Venusaur — $900 loan

Market Prices

Real-time valuations for Base Set holo Pokémon cards

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Prices updated from recent eBay sold comps

Performance: Cards vs. Bitcoin vs. S&P 500

6-month relative performance, indexed to 100 at September 2025

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Sources: eBay sold comps (cards), CoinGecko (BTC), Yahoo Finance (S&P 500). Indexed to 100 = Sep 2025 baseline. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Base Set Holo Collection

Browse all 16 Base Set holo rares — tap any card for current estimated values

UNGRADED? Own one of these cards but no PSA or Beckett slab?
Get It Graded →

Check Your Card's Value

Get an instant market valuation based on recent sales data

This is a market estimate only -- not a loan offer

Apply for a Loan

Submit your graded card details for an instant underwriting decision

Valuation Formula

The base value is the minimum of three signals: median of the last 10 sold comps, the 60-day time-weighted average (linear decay, more recent sales weighted higher), and 95% of the lowest active listing. This conservative approach anchors to the weakest market signal.

From base value, we apply a stress cascade:

  • Forced-sale discount: -20% for liquidation under pressure
  • Liquidation fees: -8% covering eBay/auction fees, shipping, insurance
  • Operational buffer: -5% margin for handling costs and timing risk

Final formula: FCV = BaseValue * 0.80 * 0.92 * 0.95

Liquidity Tiers

  • Tier 1A -- Charizard PSA 10 Unlimited or 1st Edition PSA 9-10. Max LTV 65%, APR 36%. Requires 60%+ clearance rate, momentum above -10%.
  • Tier 1B -- Charizard PSA 8-9 Unlimited, or Big Three (Charizard/Blastoise/Venusaur) PSA 9+. Max LTV 60%, APR 48%. Requires 55%+ clearance rate.
  • Tier 2 -- Other Base Set holos PSA 8+. Max LTV 50%, APR 60%. Requires 50%+ clearance rate.

LTV Adjustments

LTV is reduced from tier maximums based on market conditions:

  • Clearance rate below tier threshold: -5%
  • 30-day momentum drop > 10%: -5%; drop > 20%: -10%
  • Volatility (CV) > 0.15: -5%

LTV floor is 20% to keep the loan viable.

Stress Test

Final safety gate: the stress value (base * 0.80 * 0.92) must cover total_due (principal + interest + origination fee). If liquidation proceeds under stress cannot cover all obligations, the loan is rejected.

Eligible Collateral

Currently limited to Base Set holo cards (numbers 4/102 through 16/102). Minimum grades: PSA 8, BGS 8.5, CGC 8. Minimum base value: $500. Minimum 5 sold comps required.

Card Grading Services

Don't have a graded card? We'll handle the grading process for you.

  1. 1

    Contact Us

    Fill out our submission form with your card details and preferred grading service.

  2. 2

    Ship Your Cards

    Send cards to our insured facility using our prepaid shipping label. All shipments are fully insured.

  3. 3

    We Handle Grading

    We submit your cards to PSA or Beckett on your behalf. Typical turnaround: 30-60 business days.

  4. 4

    Receive Your Grade

    Once graded, we notify you of results. Your card is now eligible for collateral valuation.

  5. 5

    Get Your Loan

    Apply for a loan using your newly graded card as collateral. Same-day offers available.

Shipping Instructions

Ship to: The Pokémon Nice Guys Vault, 123 Secure Way, Suite 400, New York, NY 10001

Packaging requirements:

  • Penny sleeve + top loader
  • Bubble mailer or small box
  • Insurance required for all shipments

Grading Options

PSA Standard
$50/card
PSA Express
$150/card
Beckett Standard
$40/card
Beckett Express
$100/card

Prices are estimates and may vary.

What We Accept

  • Pokémon Base Set holo cards
  • Near-mint or better condition recommended
  • No creases, water damage, or major surface issues
Submit Your Card for Grading

Already have a graded card? Apply for a loan →

Market News

Stay informed on the Pokémon card market

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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about lending with The Pokémon Nice Guys

You submit a graded Pokémon card as collateral. We value it using recent market data, run a fair underwriting process, and make you a loan offer. Your card is stored in our insured vault until the loan is repaid.
We currently accept graded Base Set holo cards (numbers 1/102 through 16/102) from PSA, Beckett (BGS), or CGC. Minimum grade: PSA 8 (or equivalent). Minimum estimated value: $500.
We use the most conservative of three signals: median of last 10 sold comps, 60-day time-weighted average, and 95% of the lowest active listing. We then apply a forced-sale discount (20%), liquidation fees (8%), and operational buffer (5%) for safety.
APR ranges from 36% to 60% depending on your card's liquidity tier. Tier 1A cards (like Charizard PSA 10) get the best rates. All fees are transparent and disclosed upfront.
Loan-to-value ranges from 45% to 65% of the stressed collateral value, depending on the card's liquidity tier and market conditions.
All cards are stored in a climate-controlled, fireproof vault with 24/7 security monitoring. Every card is individually insured for its full appraised value. We use tamper-evident holders and maintain a chain-of-custody log.
If a loan defaults, we liquidate the collateral through established auction channels (eBay authenticated, PWCC, or Goldin). Our conservative LTV ensures the liquidation covers the loan. You would forfeit the card but owe nothing additional.
Repay the loan principal, accrued interest, and any fees by the maturity date. We ship your card back within 3 business days via insured priority shipping.
If you have an ungraded card, we can submit it to PSA or Beckett on your behalf. Once graded, the card becomes eligible for a loan. See our Grading Services section for details and pricing.
We use bank-level encryption for all data. Card identity is verified via cert number with the grading company. We never share your information with third parties.
Will and Elliot holding their Pokémon card collection
Will sorting through his Pokémon collection The PSA 9 1st Edition Charizard that started it all

Will & Elliot — founders of The Pokémon Nice Guys

Our Story

Born from a $20,500 Charizard

Growing up in the early 2000s, Will and his brother-in-law Elliot spent weekends hunting through strip malls and game shops for Pokemon cards. Like every kid in their generation, one card stood above all others: the 1st Edition Holographic Charizard. Will managed to get his hands on one and kept it in a glass display case for over a decade.

"I had it graded by PSA and it came back a 9 out of 10 — nearly perfect. I listed it on eBay for $15,000, not expecting much. The offers started rolling in almost immediately."

The card ultimately sold for $20,500 — at the time, the highest recorded sale for a PSA 9 1st Edition Holographic Charizard. That moment changed everything. Will and Elliot dove deep into the market, learning to evaluate cards by edition, set, print run, centering, and surface condition. What started as nostalgia became deep market expertise.

We built The Pokémon Nice Guys because we know what these cards are worth — and we know how hard it is to unlock that value without selling. If you're sitting on a graded collection, we're the team that truly understands the collateral.

$20.5K
Record Charizard sale that started it all
PSA 9
Grade on our founding card — we know condition
20+ yrs
Combined experience collecting & trading Pokemon cards