Most valuable Pokémon cards: Mew ex and Magikarp top modern chase picks
TCGplayer market prices cited by Mashable show modern Pokémon chase cards running from under $100 to more than $1,000.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
The hunt for the most valuable Pokémon cards in modern sets has a new cheat sheet, and the top end is not shy: Mashable reported that a Mew ex from Paldean Fates carries a TCGplayer market price of $1,065.49.
Mashable said it reviewed TCGplayer market prices across modern Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions to identify the five priciest chase cards in each set. The numbers show a market with wild gaps, where some expansions top out below $100 while others send collectors straight into four-figure territory.
The Pokémon TCG has been around for about 30 years, according to Mashable, and newer expansions have pushed the trading-card economy higher. Mashable also noted that Scarlet & Violet’s Prismatic Evolutions includes an SIR Umbreon ex worth well over $1,000.
What are the most valuable Pokémon cards in modern sets?
Among the prices Mashable cited, Paldean Fates has the flashiest single card: Mew ex, numbered 232/091, at $1,065.49. The same 245-card special expansion is built around Shiny Pokémon and includes more than 100 alternate-color cards, according to Mashable.
- Paldean Fates Mew ex, 232/091: $1,065.49
- Paldean Fates Charizard ex, 234/091: $317.57
- Paldean Fates Gardevoir ex, 233/091: $180.67
- Paldean Fates Pikachu, 131/091: $84.74
- Paldean Fates Snorlax, 202/091: $60.86
Paldea Evolved also brings a big-ticket oddball. Mashable listed Magikarp, numbered 203/193, at $406.04, hundreds of dollars above the next card in that expansion.
- Paldea Evolved Magikarp, 203/193: $406.04
- Paldea Evolved Raichu, 211/193: $111.65
- Paldea Evolved Maushold, 226/193: $99.92
- Paldea Evolved Tyranitar, 222/193: $72.82
- Paldea Evolved Sprigatito, 196/193: $66.06
Scarlet & Violet 151, the special set built around the original 151 Pokémon across 207 cards, keeps the Kanto nostalgia meter pinned. Mashable said demand has stayed high thanks to modern SIR artwork, classic designs and first-generation favorites.
- Scarlet & Violet 151 Charizard ex, 199/165: $383.12
- Scarlet & Violet 151 Blastoise ex, 200/165: $145.86
- Scarlet & Violet 151 Venusaur ex, 198/165: $115.88
- Scarlet & Violet 151 Zapdos ex, 202/165: $102.74
- Scarlet & Violet 151 Pikachu, 173/165: $96.76
Which modern Pokémon sets are cheaper at the top?
The base Scarlet & Violet expansion is gentler on wallets by comparison. Mashable reported that its five highest-priced cards were all below $100, led by Gardevoir ex at $76.19.
- Scarlet & Violet Gardevoir ex, 245/198: $76.19
- Scarlet & Violet Drowzee, 210/198: $60.37
- Scarlet & Violet Ralts, 211/198: $47.02
- Scarlet & Violet Kirlia, 212/198: $46.72
- Scarlet & Violet Slowpoke, 204/198: $41.86
Obsidian Flames, a 230-card set that includes Dark-type Tera Charizard ex cards, also stays relatively contained. Mashable said only its leading Charizard ex currently breaks into triple digits on TCGplayer market price.
- Obsidian Flames Charizard ex, 223/197: $114.13
- Obsidian Flames Ninetales, 199/197: $39.77
- Obsidian Flames Cleffa, 202/197: $39.68
- Obsidian Flames Charizard ex, 228/197: $36.55
- Obsidian Flames Gloom, 198/197: $24.83
Paradox Rift, which Mashable said contains 266 cards and expands the Ancient and Future Pokémon introduced in the Scarlet & Violet era, is led by Groudon at $120.02.
- Paradox Rift Groudon, 199/182: $120.02
- Paradox Rift Altaria ex, 253/182: $58.89
- Paradox Rift Morpeko, 206/182: $50.81
- Paradox Rift Plusle, 193/182: $49.19
- Paradox Rift Minun, 194/182: $46.86
TCGplayer market price is a snapshot, so the collector pecking order can shift as listings and demand change. For now, Mashable’s tally makes one thing plain: modern Pokémon chase cards can swing from lunch-money pulls to rent-check cardboard fast.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.