The Biggest Pokémon Card Crashers And Climbers This Week - August 21

The caller trends crossed Shrouded Fable and Stellar Crown exemplify a diverging market. Many Stellar Crown Illustration Rares specified arsenic Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Terapagos ex SIR are seeing crisp pullbacks, portion a fewer under-the-radar Shrouded Fable Dark-type ex and Tool cards are appreciating steadily.

The opposition is clear. Flashy artwork loses momentum quickly, portion cards with competitory oregon functional inferior thin to clasp oregon turn successful value.

TL;DR: Crashers and Climbers This Week

One of the astir notable climbers this week is Stellar Crown's Basic Darkness Energy successful Hyper Rare form, which has risen from $34.15 successful February to $39.98. That is simply a astir 17% increase. At the aforesaid time, Shrouded Fable has not delivered immoderate melodramatic terms surges, but subtle request for tools and gully effects is intelligibly supporting humble worth increases.

On the flip side, the Stellar Crown Illustration Rare staples are tumbling fast. Squirtle 148/142 has dropped from $73.63 successful February to astir $50 today, which is adjacent to a 32% decline. Market terms connected TCGPlayer remains successful the mid-50s, and the inclination suggests collector request is cooling quickly.

Pokémon Card Crashers

Credit: Christian Wait / The Pokémon Company

The astir important driblet this week comes from Squirtle 148/142, an Illustration Rare from Stellar Crown that has fallen 32% since February. It opened astatine $73.63 and present sits person to $50. Despite its nostalgic entreaty and adorable art, Squirtle's gameplay relevance is practically zero. Its Withdraw onslaught relies connected a coin flip to forestall harm and Skull Bash lone deals 20 damage, which is acold beneath immoderate competitory threshold. The aboriginal hype was fueled by nostalgia, but that involvement has faded arsenic proviso accrued and superior players ignored it successful favour of existent inferior cards.

Bulbasaur 143/142 is showing astir identical behavior. Its worth has dropped 31%, from $62.96 successful February to $43.50 today. Like Squirtle, its charm is rooted successful nostalgic appeal, not play potential. Leech Seed deals insignificant harm and heals, but this does not marque it applicable successful immoderate existent decks. Oversupply has pushed the terms down and it is present mostly a binder paper for casual collectors.

Another casualty is Earthen Vessel 096/064, a Hyper Rare Trainer paper that was erstwhile priced astatine $58.33 but present goes for $46.80. That is simply a 20% slide. Its effect lets players discard a paper to hunt for up to 2 Basic Energy, which has inferior but lacks explosiveness. With much assertive tools and hunt options present favored successful top-tier lists, this paper is seeing little request from some collectors and competitory players.

The Special Illustration Rare mentation of Fezandipiti ex 092/064 has besides been slipping. Down from $49.81 to $38, it has mislaid 24% of its worth since February. Its Flip the Script quality is situational astatine best, letting players gully 3 cards if 1 of their Pokémon was knocked retired connected the erstwhile turn. Cruel Arrow is simply a targeted snipe onslaught for 100 damage, but the wide bundle has not delivered the consistency oregon unit needed to support a spot successful apical decks. Though its artwork is compelling, it is not capable to support premium pricing.

Terapagos ex 170/142 has taken the astir melodramatic deed among the crashers. Originally priced astatine $77.89, it present sits astatine $36.88, which represents a driblet of implicit 52%. Its Colorless typing and bulky stats looked promising astatine launch, but Unified Beatdown relies connected a afloat seat and cannot beryllium utilized connected crook 1 if going second. Crown Opal is simply a beardown determination but lone blocks attacks from Basic non-Colorless Pokémon. These limitations marque it excessively dilatory and excessively constrictive for the existent metagame.

Pokémon Card Climbers

Credit: Christian Wait / The Pokémon Company

While the flashy cards successful Stellar Crown person stumbled, respective functional and competitively utile cards from Shrouded Fable are seeing dependable gains. At the apical is Basic Darkness Energy 098/064 successful Hyper Rare form, which has climbed from $34.15 successful February to $39.98. That is simply a 17% increase. High rarity vigor cards person agelong been a collector favorite, and this 1 besides happens to service an important relation successful Dark-heavy decks that are seeing renewed interest.

A astonishment riser is Dusclops 069/064, an Illustration Rare that has moved from $17.46 to $20.40 since June. The Cursed Blast quality allows you to spot 5 harm counters connected immoderate of your opponent’s Pokémon astatine the outgo of knocking Dusclops out. It is simply a one-time play, but it tin crook the tide against low-HP attackers oregon decorativeness disconnected cardinal threats. It is uncovering homes successful originative platform builds and whitethorn person semipermanent entreaty arsenic a rogue tool.

Interestingly, portion the Special Illustration Rare of Fezandipiti ex is declining, the Double Rare mentation Fezandipiti ex 038/064 is moving the other direction. It has jumped from $8.66 successful March to $16.75 now, an summation of 93%. Competitive players are intelligibly buying in. Flip the Script is simply a decent comeback mechanic and Cruel Arrow is beardown committee unit successful slower matchups. It is simply a functional paper astatine a little terms point, and it is benefiting from accrued adoption successful mid-tier builds.

The subtle but dependable maturation of Powerglass 097/064 besides deserves mention. This Hyper Rare Pokémon Tool has gone from $17.35 to $18.50, a 7% uptick. Its end-of-turn effect lets you connect a Basic Energy from your discard heap if the equipped Pokémon is successful the Active Spot. That benignant of assets recycling is progressively invaluable successful grindy games, and players are uncovering ways to incorporated it into rotating attacker strategies.

Lastly, Okidogi ex 090/064 has risen from $16.76 successful March to $18.99 today, a 13% gain. This Darkness-type Pokémon has synergy built astir Poison and self-boosting. Its archetypal onslaught accelerates 2 Basic Darkness Energy astatine the outgo of becoming Poisoned, portion Chain-Crazed hits for 130 much harm if the Pokémon is poisoned. That enactment allows it to self-power and self-trigger a monolithic 260 harm attack, which is gaining popularity successful definite fringe decks. Its Special Illustration Rare creation adds collector interest, pushing some play and show worth upward.

Sealed Stellar Crown and Shrouded Fable Products

For collectors and players who similar the thrill of opening packs alternatively than buying singles, some Stellar Crown and Shrouded Fable connection a coagulated lineup of sealed products close now. But if you're chasing circumstantial high-value Illustration Rares similar Squirtle oregon playable staples similar Fezandipiti ex, the numbers marque 1 happening clear: buying singles volition prevention you a fortune.

Take the Stellar Crown Booster Box, presently sitting astatine $219.99 connected TCGPlayer. With 36 packs, you're paying implicit $6 per pack, and the likelihood of pulling a circumstantial Illustration Rare similar Terapagos ex 170/142 are incredibly slim. Given that that paper present sells for astir $36.88, it's acold much businesslike to bargain it straight than to anticipation you onshore 1 by chance.

If you're looking for smaller options, the Stellar Crown Booster Bundle astatine $54.01 oregon the Elite Trainer Box astatine $83.00 connection a fewer packs and themed accessories, but again, the likelihood of pulling a $50+ pursuit paper is precise low. Even the Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box, priced astatine $121.00, carries a precocious outgo per battalion with nary warrant of return.

On the Shrouded Fable side, the Booster Bundle astatine $46.24 and Elite Trainer Box astatine $55.01 connection a much accessible introduction point, and this set's terms level is mostly lower. The Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box astatine $97.94 and Mini Tin Display astatine $164.95 are aimed astatine collectors who privation a premium unboxing experience, but again, pulling circumstantial cards similar Powerglass oregon Okidogi ex is acold from guaranteed.

Even the Kingdra ex Special Illustration Collection astatine $124.99 and Greninja ex Collection astatine $90.00 service much arsenic showcase pieces than accordant worth plays. Unless you're collecting sealed for semipermanent clasp oregon display, the champion strategy close present is surgical: place the singles you privation and bargain them directly.

Sealed merchandise is amusive and occasionally lucky, but the existent marketplace makes 1 happening obvious. If your extremity is to ain a peculiar card, particularly immoderate of the climbers oregon crashers we’ve covered this week, buying singles is the smarter and much economical path.

Christian Wait is simply a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has implicit 7 years of acquisition successful the Gaming and Tech manufacture with bylines astatine Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian besides makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is besides the writer of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian connected X @ChrisReggieWait.