PokeInvest

Which Pokemon cards are worth holding?

A year of weekly raw Near Mint US prices for 276 cards, checked against the European market on Cardmarket, scored on demand, liquidity, trend and scarcity. Vintage and modern are researched separately because they behave like two different markets.

Vintage market

Vintage had a broad, strong year in the US (median card +87% in US NM, USD), but both markets now say the Base-Fossil core is cooling while Europe's buying has moved to Team Rocket, Neo Genesis and the later sets: the data favours liquid holos where both markets agree, entered gradually, and treats thin-market jumps as noise.

Cards researched134
Median 12-month change+88%
Up over the year106 / 119

US last 4 weeks, median card +0%   EU 7-day vs 30-day sales +15%, set indexes since July +51%

Top pickAccumulateWatchAvoid
All 134 vintage cards →

Modern market

Both markets agree modern cards are cooling: US NM prices are down a median 12% in three months and Cardmarket sales are 4.6% below their 30-day average. Out-of-print Sword & Shield art cards are still the place to accumulate slowly, and Mega Evolution-era cards are still falling on both sides of the Atlantic.

Cards researched142
Median 12-month change+19%
Up over the year103 / 137

US last 4 weeks, median card -4%   EU 7-day vs 30-day sales -5%, set indexes since July -8%

Top pickAccumulateWatchAvoid
All 142 modern cards →

Top vintage picks

See all
Charizard
Charizard87
Base Set 2 · 004/130
$460+51% 1y
Top pick
Dark Charizard
Dark Charizard86
Team Rocket · 21/82
$88.16+56% 1y
Top pick
Ho-oh
Ho-oh85
Neo Revelation · 07/64
$291+54% 1y
Top pick
Alakazam
Alakazam83
Base Set · 001/102
$69.34+27% 1y
Top pick
Rocket's Mewtwo
Rocket's Mewtwo83
Gym Challenge · 014/132
$259+53% 1y
Top pick
Blaine's Charizard
Blaine's Charizard83
Gym Challenge · 002/132
$585+12% 1y
Top pick
Mewtwo
Mewtwo82
Base Set · 010/102
$91.92+136% 1y
Top pick
Dark Gyarados
Dark Gyarados82
Team Rocket · 08/82
$73.58+10% 1y
Top pick
Venusaur
Venusaur82
Base Set 2 · 018/130
$115+56% 1y
Top pick
Dark Blastoise
Dark Blastoise82
Team Rocket · 03/82
$220+72% 1y
Top pick

Top modern picks

See all
Pikachu VMAX
Pikachu VMAX89
SWSH11: Lost Origin Trainer Gallery · TG17/TG30
$106+29% 1y
Top pick
Lugia V
Lugia V85
SWSH12: Silver Tempest · 186/195 · Alternate Full Art
$514+12% 1y
Top pick
Umbreon VMAX
Umbreon VMAX84
SWSH09: Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery · TG23/TG30
$103+24% 1y
Top pick
Pikachu V
Pikachu V84
SWSH11: Lost Origin Trainer Gallery · TG16/TG30
$118+47% 1y
Top pick
Eevee
Eevee83
SV06: Twilight Masquerade · 188/167
$81.45+17% 1y
Top pick
Mew ex
Mew ex83
SV: Paldean Fates · 232/091
$873+38% 1y
Top pick
Rayquaza V
Rayquaza V83
SWSH07: Evolving Skies · 194/203 · Alternate Full Art
$485+65% 1y
Top pick
Gengar VMAX
Gengar VMAX83
SWSH08: Fusion Strike · 271/264 · Alternate Art Secret
$1,024+30% 1y
Top pick
Mimikyu V
Mimikyu V81
SWSH09: Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery · TG16/TG30
$85.11+50% 1y
Top pick
Mimikyu VMAX
Mimikyu VMAX81
SWSH09: Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery · TG17/TG30
$74.38+46% 1y
Top pick

Why prices moved

All case studies
▲ +99%Base Set Charizard doubles in the 30th-anniversary year, with the biggest leg after its reprint was revealed

Raw NM Base Set Charizard sat near $460 from October 2025 to January 2026, climbed about 25% to roughly $580 by May, then jumped from $572 (1 Jun)...

 ▼ -81%Mega Charizard X ex full art loses 81% from presale as an in-print set keeps supplying copies

In the week of 3 November 2025, before Phantasmal Flames released on 14 November, raw NM copies traded near $103. By late November the price was...

 ▲ +81%Rayquaza VMAX alt art up 81%: an out-of-print chase card bid up ahead of new Rayquaza sets

The card drifted from $700 to a low of $655 in mid-February 2026, then rose almost every month: $723 at the end of March, $981 in early June,...

Prices updated 2026-10-05.