A few months in the past, I opened a pack of Pokémon playing cards and pulled the super-rare ‘Secret Illustration Uncommon’ (SIR) Charizard card.
There’s even a video somebody gave me of them speeding as much as the commotion. “The $600 Charizard!” you may hear me yelling within the footage. My buddies had been cheering. It was superior.
However there’s a giant drawback with this wonderful reminiscence — and it’s twofold.
First off, and embarrassingly, I in all probability spent a little bit over $600 chasing this card (though I didn’t purchase wherever close to as many packs as $600 sounds prefer it needs to be). Yikes.
However right here’s the worst half: I’m nonetheless up huge.
How is that doable? Historically, buying and selling playing cards are price oodles on their launch day, then drop in worth like a brick in simply days, if not hours, later. However recently, Pokémon playing cards have merely reduce to the chase with regards to their long-term values.
It’s sensible to not learn editorials for up-to-the-minute card costs, however as of this writing, which is just a brief few months after this card’s launch, this Charizard has a market worth of a bit beneath $900 in line with web sites that monitor stuff like that. (That’s in some way already $300 increased than once I pulled it.)
Not solely that, but when I had been to have the cardboard graded by probably the most well-known buying and selling card authentication and grading service, this Charizard in a ‘gem mint’ situation is presently fetching barely beneath $2,500!
So why do I contemplate that “the worst half”?
Effectively, as a result of it’s not wholesome for therefore many model new, non-serialised playing cards like this Charizard to be price hundreds of {dollars}, is why. The ramifications for the product are damning.
Even in comparison with the notorious pandemic years, Pokémon followers can completely overlook about discovering playing cards in shops lately; adults are brawling within the aisles of shops, all whereas bots scrape the web earlier than you should purchase playing cards on-line. In the meantime, total cottage industries have risen round ripping packs, thriller repackages, and well-known (and notorious) card streamers.
Heard of the time period ‘recession indicator’? If ever there was one, the Pokémon TCG is it. Pokémon TCG ought to not be thought of merely a enjoyable pastime individuals like; it’s firmly a essential a part of the world economic system. And it’s appearing prefer it.
By the Numbers
Whereas it feels like Pokémon TCG has been continuous booming for many years now, if you happen to haven’t been paying consideration over the previous 12 months and a half particularly, the general buying and selling card market is now on a brand new stage. It’s an unprecedented financial stage, actually.
This determine has been oft-reported lately however bears repeating: in line with an index by Collectors (the mother or father firm {of professional} grading firm PSA), Pokémon card values collectively rose 282% between the years of 2004-2020, with most of that rise occurring close to the top, across the pandemic.
CNBC experiences that the identical index reveals an out-of-this-galaxy 1,350% improve between 2020’s excessive and at this time.
Right here’s a great way to visualise that improve. Beneath is a screenshot of TCGPlayer.com’s “High 10 costliest Pokémon playing cards” end-of-year recap from 2023, a snapshot in time nicely into Pokémon’s post-COVID renaissance. (Be aware: TCG Participant is the de facto buying and selling card market, whose knowledge is what a lot of the world derives a card’s market worth from.)
In 2023, the highest card pullable from an everyday pack ended the 12 months averaging resales round $115. Virtually each single prime chase of 2023 was reselling for not more than double digits.
Now right here’s their identical checklist recapping the top of 2025:
By 2025, prime chases sat comfortably at a whole lot, not dozens. The most costly card, the Umbreon SIR, ended the 12 months averaging over $1,000 resale (it’s approach increased at this time). And indicative of this being a pattern versus a handful of outliers, many units launched that 12 months featured a number of playing cards price a whole lot, not only one or two.
Roughly one out of ten Pokémon playing cards which have ever existed was printed in 2025.
All of the whereas, numerous chases from years earlier didn’t simply rise, however compounded in worth. In a single high-profile instance, the fan-dubbed ‘Bubble Mew‘ card from 2024 spent a 12 months comfortably at round $80 resale, but at this time is reselling at ~$850.
Additionally, as you may see, that Charizard from the highest of the article has almost doubled in worth already, and playing cards like the favored ‘Eeeveelution’ variants are equally bonkers. And do you even need to know what the highest playing cards launched in 2026 are doing?
Effectively, too unhealthy, as a result of a Pokémon card worth article wouldn’t be full with out mentioning that, as of this writing, the straight-out-of-the-pack resale costs of 2026’s ‘Pikachu EX’ and ‘Mega Gengar EX’ SIRs are each nicely over $1,350. And there are approach too many playing cards to checklist from 2026 which might be price a whole lot apiece, too.
If I’ll converse on to you right here, only for a second: chat, we’re cooked.
What does this imply for The Passion™?
It’s probably not breaking information to sit down right here and report, “Quantity Huge!” I get it. We’re all numb to studying issues like this.
As a substitute, what I want to put out into the universe just isn’t that this fervour needs to be considered some sort of ethical failing, nor merely to say that long-time, empty-handed followers deserve higher than this. (They do, by the best way.)
“Not too long ago I began talking up on-line about how tough it’s turning into for youthful collectors and households to get Pokémon merchandise due to scalping, merchandise promoting out immediately, and launch techniques that many youngsters merely can’t entry,” says Oscar, a 12-year-old fan who wrote to Nintendo Life about his expertise as a younger collector.
“As somebody who’s autistic, this pastime helped me make buddies, construct confidence and really feel accepted…I’ve seen movies of individuals arguing and combating over Pokémon playing cards outdoors toy retailers…I don’t assume that’s the setting youngsters ought to need to be round simply to get pleasure from a pastime.”
Agreed, however sadly I feel it’s time that all of us cease considering of the Pokémon TCG as only a pastime. As a result of no matter how we want to have interaction with it, by definition, it actually isn’t anymore.
There’s hardly something extra imperious than somebody bringing dictionary definitions to a debate, however I fear Pokémon followers have been like frogs on a range for therefore lengthy that we’ve misplaced the plot. Thus, it’s truly price mentioning how Merriam-Webster defines ‘pastime’: “a pursuit outdoors one’s common occupation engaged in, particularly for leisure.” The Cambridge dictionary defines it as: “an exercise that you just do for pleasure if you end up not working”.
Pokémon TCG could be pleasurable and thrilling, however enjoying, shopping for — heck, even absorbing Pokémon TCG from a distance — is hardly passive anymore. It continuously requires job-like dedication in any respect ranges, informal to skilled. (The excessive quantity of youngsters who can rattle off up-to-the-minute market values is at the least a little bit disturbing.)
These circus clips of adults combating could have overwritten our recollections, however keep in mind that whilst lately as simply over a 12 months in the past, the typical particular person might stroll right into a retailer and nonetheless discover one thing associated to the Pokémon TCG, or at the least they could in due time. Playing cards had been costly, however they weren’t costly. Graded playing cards, each trendy and classic alike, had been price a whole lot.
But at this time, no non-distributor can persistently get playing cards, as a result of in mint situation, many model new (not a long time previous) chases are price down-payments on automobiles and homes. ‘Passion’ is now a misnomer.
