CardzFolio // Reference
Methodology
Where does the data come from?
| Source | What we take from it |
|---|---|
| TCGdex | Sets, series, cards, rarity, illustrators, card numbers, and most images. |
| Pokémon TCG API | Card images missing from the first source (sets such as Shining Legends and Dragon Majesty, and promos). |
| Limitless (Pocket) | Pokémon TCG Pocket card images. |
| PkmnCards | A limited number of images (recent promos and others) after matching. |
How do we verify images?
We never attach an image to a card by guessing. Each image is matched by set, card number, and name, and accepted only when the name matches. Samples from every source are checked visually before publishing.
When no English image exists we may show an image of the same card in another language (mostly French or German); the source of every image is recorded. Some cards still have no image because no reliable source provides one.
Rarity
We show the rarity label as the source provides it. To order cards we use an editorial scale from 1 to 9 (Common to Mega Hyper Rare) that mirrors the printed rarity ladder. It does not express a card's price or market scarcity. Pocket and Promo labels are unranked because they do not sit on the same ladder. Details are in the rarity index.
Illustrators
Illustrator names appear as in the source, and a name may be a studio rather than a person (such as 5ban Graphics), which we mark. The same name may be spelled differently across sources.
Prices and investing
We show reference prices from public market data: Cardmarket prices (Europe, EUR) via TCGdex, and TCGplayer prices (United States, USD) when available, plus TCGplayer prices by card condition via TCG Price Lookup. We refresh them daily and keep one snapshot per day to build our own price history. The headline figure is the Cardmarket trend price; when it strays far from the 30-day average (below one fifth or above five times it) we show the average instead to avoid outlier readings. Currency conversion uses daily rates from ExchangeRate-API. These are approximate prices for ungraded copies; they vary with condition, language and edition, and they are not an offer to buy or sell, nor financial advice or a recommendation.
Updates and corrections
Data is synchronised automatically about once a day, so a new release may take a day or more to appear. Card images are copied to our own server so that pages load quickly and reliably. If you spot an error, tell us through the contact form and we will correct it.
