We’re now a month or so away from the Pokemon Trading Card Game’s bumper 30th-anniversary expansion, a set that is one of the most hyped in years. The Pokemon Company has done its best to whet appetites, drip-feeding card reveals to eager collectors over the past couple of months, but of course, with all things sacred, they have begun to leak early.
Somehow, an assortment of players, collectors, and/or store owners have received packs and live-streamed early openings, showing what is in store.
Inevitably, but perhaps later than anticipated, the first card from the 30th-anniversary set has made its way onto eBay, and just as inevitably, it has sold for a ton of money.
One Pokemon TCG 30th Anniversary Card Just Sold For $1,400 Marking The First Sale From The Expansion
The Pokemon TCG’s 30th Anniversary expansion is primed to include 30 different Pikachus, a stunning collection of Art Rares, a whole range of reprinted favorites from the TCG’s history, and most interestingly, a new rarity type — the Futuristic Rare. These cards will feature either Mew or Mewtwo, with a style that is similar to a negative photograph, and they’re likely to be mighty difficult to pull.
As with all recent TCG sets, maybe apart from my Chaos Rising opening, these cards are going to be two of the big chases, and as such, their appearance rates are going to be low. Incredibly low. And because of this, their price on the secondary market will be high. Incredibly high.
Ahead of the impending release, the first 30th Anniversary Pokemon card, a Futuristic Rare Mew, has appeared on eBay, and it sold for a staggering amount.
Finishing on auction on the resale site late last night, the Mew ex FUR received 24 bids, bringing its final sale all the way up to $1,400. This is likely to be much higher than the card’s value when the expansion releases next month, and this sale has also seemingly opened the floodgates.
Those getting their hands on the cards early likely feared repercussions, so it took a while for the first to appear on eBay. Now that has happened, though, the floodgates are likely to open. Another Mew ex FUR has appeared on the site, starting at $1,500 bids, with a Buy It Now price of $2,500. A Mewtwo ex FUR is also listed, with its auction finishing approximately ten hours from now. That card is currently at $1,223.84 with 28 bids.
I’m a big collector of the Pokemon Trading Card Game, but I’ll never understand paying well over the odds to get a card early. Sure, you might be able to get the earliest grading certification with a (troubled) company like PSA, but if you’re not grading it, you’re destined to lose money as more people open packs and receive the cards. Given that we at TheGamer have been told stock will be plentiful, you’re definitely better off hanging on than paying these early prices.
Original Release Date
October 20, 1996
Player Count
2
Age Recommendation
6+
Length per Game
Variable
Franchise Name
Pokemon
