How To Weigh Pokémon Card Packs

Choosing the Right Pokémon Card Pack

I can remember being a little kid and walking into the Pokémon card aisle at Toys “R” Us, and wishing I knew exactly which one contained the holographic card I was looking for. Well, some people believe that there is a way to do just that. Weighing Pokémon cards has the possibility to take all the guesswork out of which pack will contain rare or special cards.

This is a very gray area for many in the Pokémon world, while avid Pokémon lovers think this is cheating and taking the fun of mystery out of the hobby. So, let’s dig into what exactly you must do to weigh cards.

What is a weighed Pokémon pack and what scale do you use?

A weighed Pokémon pack means the pack has been weighed to determine if it has any rare or special cards in it. The higher the weight the more likely it is to have rare cards. To weigh Pokémon card packs, you need to use a sensitive digital pocket-scale. Because you have such small weights to measure and you need to be very precise, you will need a scale that can weigh in hundredths.

If you are just getting into weighing Pokémon cards a good scale to use is this one that you can find on Amazon.

Which Pokémon card packs are the hardest to weigh?

While the Pokémon Sun and Moon packs were the first to include the green and white code cards, they are not necessarily the hardest to weigh. The hardest packs to weigh are Pokémon Sword and Shield Packs. are considered the most difficult to weigh due to their addition of the green and white code cards. These cards are weighted and can throw off the weights of the card packs.

How do you weigh Pokémon cards?

First, you need to get a very accurate scale that can fit in your pocket so you can take it to the store without having to carry around a big scale. Then you will need to practice weighing cards and recording their weight to get an accurate number. You can keep record of the packs weight and what was exactly in it and develop your own method to Pokémon card weighing.

A heavier pack may yield more rare cards (Holo & Foil), and a lighter pack means it’s just common cards. You can then look up various cheat sheets to estimate the probability of a holographic card.

Are all Pokémon cards weighed?

No, not all Pokémon cards are weighed. If you go to a big box store, they are directly from a licensed Pokémon Trading Card Game distributor, and they do not weigh cards. You cannot guarantee that someone wasn’t just in there prior to you and weighing cards. Most card stores have a very strict “no weighing” policy, and they would be the ones that are 100% unweighted. For online cards that is a different story.

You should assume that almost every card on Amazon, eBay, and from third party sellers on Walmart, are all weighted cards. A lot of times these people are referred to as scalpers, they will buy large sets and weigh all the packs. They will then keep the heavy packs and sell only the low weight packs. Therefore, sometimes in the reviews you will see ratings complaining about how all the packs only contained common cards. If you would like to avoid weighed cards, buy in person at a store. If you are looking for heavy cards, you can specifically look those up online too and save yourself time from weighing cards.

What do the special cards in a Pokémon pack weigh?

How people determine the probability of having a rare card is because holographic cards weigh slightly more. So, if one pack weighs slightly more, you may have something rare. Holographic Pokémon cards weigh about 0.21g more than your standard Pokémon card, which does make a noticeable difference if you are weighing cards. A typical Holographic Pokémon card weighs around 1.91g. Which does make a noticeable difference when you are weighing cards.

What is the average weight of a pack of cards that does not contain any special cards?

If you are ever online buying cards you will very frequently come across packs being listed as light packs. This is a term given to card packs that have a lower weight, meaning that the probability of them having a holographic card is very low. A pack that does not contain special cards is considered a “Light” pack.

The average weight of a pack of cards that does not contain any special cards depends on what set the cards are from. The Pokémon Base Set has a light weight of 20.5g-20.8g average, while the heavy weight for that set is around 21.2g. For Jungle set, light weight is considered 20.9g while heavy is above 21.19g. Generally the light packs tend to be 20.XX grams where the heavy packs are around 21.XX grams. auction.

What is a “heavy pack”?

A “heavy pack” is a pack that has been weighed and weighs more than others, indicating that it may contain rare cards. Holos and Full Arts weigh slightly more than common cards, thus giving the pack a slightly, but noticeably heavier weight. Heavy Packs are also sold online and advertised as a “heavy pack”, meaning the seller is indicating the pack has been weighed and is slightly heavier than the average pack.

When looking at the weight of a heavy pack there can be a lot of variances. Packs from Skyridge and Expedition will range from 17.3g-18.3 g and everything else from Legendary to Base will weigh 20.0g-21.9g. These numbers are not guarantees but telling you the odds are higher due to them weighing more.

 Why do people weigh Pokémon cards?

People weigh Pokémon cards when they are looking for the rarest cards without having to spend too much money doing so. If you don’t weigh Pokémon cards, you may have to spend hundreds of dollars until you get a rare card. But with weighing, you can easily narrow it down to which card packs weigh more.

Although, just because a card pack weighs more, doesn’t mean that it will necessarily contain a rare card. It just means you are more likely to have a rare card in the pack. Also, some people are looking for more rare cards to sell and think that weighing Pokémon cards is the cheapest and fastest way to do so.

Is it illegal to weigh Pokémon cards?

While some people may think it’s illegal to weigh Pokémon cards, it is not illegal at all. It is considered frowned upon by other card collectors, but it is not illegal. The worst that could happen is you can be asked to leave the store, which is why if you are going to card weigh, you should go to a bigger box store where they really don’t care if you weigh an item before you buy it.

What is a good place online to buy non-weighed cards?

To get non-weighed cards you would need to buy from a reputable store. Stores like The Pokémon Center, Walmart and Target would be fine. However, at stores like Amazon and eBay, you can’t guarantee that someone hasn’t already pre-weighed those cards yet and are selling the ones they know are common cards.

Can you recommend any sites that are trustworthy?

The Pokémon Center, GameStop, Walmart and Target are some of the best stores.

Can Japanese Pokémon packs be weighed?

Yes, you can weigh Japanese Pokémon packs. In fact, it is easier to weigh Japanese packs because they come in a smaller number of cards. This makes it easier to tell the difference between common cards that are not worth anything and Holo cards they can be worth a lot.

Can you weigh Pokémon Shining Fates cards?

Yes, they can be weighed. However, there are no boxes for the Pokémon Shining Fates expansion set. These cards are only sold in special collection products like elite trainer boxes, tins, and collection boxes. But these cards can still be weighed the same and the higher the weight of the box or pack, the more likely you are to get a rare card.

How much does a single regular Pokémon card weigh?

A regular Pokémon card weighs between 1.67g and 1.73g.

How much does a holographic Pokémon card weigh?

A holographic card weighs around 1.91g.

How much does 300 Pokémon cards weigh?

There is no exact weight for 300 Pokémon cards. But just for regular cards the weight difference can be between 501-519g.

What does a weighed Pokémon booster pack mean?

A weighed booster pack means that someone has weighed it to determine if the pack contains any rare cards. The higher the weight the more likely it is to contain a holographic card. When buying online, it is very common to buy cards that have already been weighed and increases your odds of not getting a pack that contains rare cards.

What is the ideal weight for a Pokémon card pack with a rare or special card in it?

Every card pack will have different weights for which ones contain rare cards, but generally anything above 21.3g is increasing your odds of getting a rare or special card. There are many cheat sheets online that constantly get updated with what the heavy and light weights are for that Pokémon card pack.

Can you weigh Pokémon cards at stores?

Big box stores like Walmart and Target generally will not care about people weighing Pokémon cards. However, smaller stores or card shops will keep the cards near the register to keep an eye on people to prevent card weighing.