Subsequent yr is to carry us an entire new set of shiny Pokémon, when the Paldean Fates set hits streets January 26. We already knew it will, after all, include a shiny Charizard. However now we’ve seen it, and oh god it’s going to value a lot cash.
Japan is getting its model of this set, Shiny Treasures ex, rather a lot sooner, playing cards occurring launch December 1. So this implies we’re seeing what numerous the playing cards will appear to be rather a lot earlier on than we’ve got with more moderen units (the present Paradox Rift had playing cards seem internationally earlier than a few of their Japanese equivalents appeared), and immediately we’ve seen the Particular Illustration Uncommon of the shiny Charizard. It has each signal of being the most important, most sought-after new Pokémon card in years.
What’s the reasoning for this? It’s the mix of three elements. First, and most clearly, it’s Charizard. Something that includes the not-a-dragon beast will get tagged with a premium, attributable to its overwhelming recognition amongst gamers. Make that Zard shiny, and it’s complete different leagues.
Secondly, it’s the complexity of the cardboard. The extra element current, the extra widespread playing cards are usually, and this terastallized Charizard is a spectacular piece of artwork.
Artist Akira Egawa has been producing essentially the most astonishing string of unimaginable playing cards within the final couple of years, and is chargeable for by far the very best priced on the resale market. She was behind all 4 of Crown Zenith’s blisteringly good gold playing cards, Fusion Strike’s Mew VMAX alt-art, the Mewtwo V-Union four-parter, and most relevantly right here, Obsidian Flames’ Charizard ex. On launch the latter was promoting uncooked at over $100, and nonetheless sits at over $60 pack recent.
And thirdly, sure, it’s that this new card matches that Charizard ex, and can inevitably ship the value up on each of them. This new shiny model is an entirely authentic piece of artwork, however one which matches the fashion and theme of the previous. It reveals a Charizard terastallized right into a Darkish-type, however now in its black-skinned shiny kind, the purple insides of its wings reflecting 100 different colours within the cracked-mirror design.
I couldn’t care much less about Charizard, and I would like this card. (A want not helped by my son’s mad luck at pulling the Obsidian Flames model from a pack.) My guess can be the Japanese model will begin promoting for round $300 pack recent, and the worldwide model subsequent yr will simply hit $200, earlier than coming all the way down to about half that. I additionally assume this might be the primary new card in a really lengthy whereas to see PSA 10 costs hitting $750. (For reference, 2021’s notorious Moonbreon peaked at $1,300 in a ten, and is now round $740.)
The shortage might be elevated by Paldean Fates being a s0-called “particular set,” which means booster packs received’t be bought individually (until your LCS tears down bins). Nonetheless, there’s a small glimmer of hope on condition that this would be the first time there might be six-pack Booster Bundles of a particular set, The Pokémon Firm’s extremely welcome method of promoting simply packs with out huge cardboard bins additionally containing outsized playing cards, pins, stickers and goodness is aware of what else.
Paldean Fates is the third shiny-containing set to hit the Pokémon TCG, following 2019’s Hidden Fates and 2021’s Shining Fates. We’ll carry you a beautiful gallery of the all of the prettiest playing cards revealed up to now within the close to future.
