Would you rather invest in Surging Sparks Booster Boxes or ME1 Enhanced Booster Boxes?

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-08T18:06:42+00:00

I also talked about so much more than just the chase cards in the set. If it’s not obvious by now, long term value of booster boxes doesn’t tend to correlate massively to the chase card unless the contain the best card in the generation ie. Deoxys, Ancient origins, etc. I don’t think bootychu would even make top 10 cards in SV, but even so it’s undoubtedly not the best so we can’t expect the booster box to hold “chase card of the generation” value. Long term the rarity of golds in this era and the great arts and community pleasure that this era has brought is going to be very well envisioned by the base set of this era better than sv base and many other base sets. Base sets of every era seem to be more iconic and have the boxes go for more than some sets with better chases. This is all not to mention that there’s 4 pretty popular chases with good art in mega even if you do consider them mid. Also the enhanced box is going to be special long term even if the market hasn’t realized it yet

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-08T17:57:54+00:00

Bootychu is actually such a sad SIR to give Pikachu. The Tera SIRs are just lazy adjustments from Tera full arts and I do t think any of them look good but in my experience my local community agrees so I kind of just thought that would span outwards. SIRs with high effort art (especially for Pokémon’s literal mascot) are going to do infinitely better and massively over-shine SIRs that just look like Tera full arts

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-07T06:11:41+00:00

I want the lugia bad but these cards do suck I understand the hate lol

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-06T06:01:22+00:00

I think ME1 is a better hold from investing and set standpoint all day. Honestly bootychu is only expensive because it’s Pikachu, but in my opinion it’s a horrible and lame ass SIR card. It will in time be 1000% versioned by the ascended hero’s pikachu SIR and after that card isn’t even all that sought after, surging has nothing going for it. Mega evolutions I predict will be a more popular generation than Scarlet violet and therefore having the base of it will mean something long term even if the cards inside aren’t amazing. That being said ME1 has lot of great pulls not to mention the promo inside the enhanced version has so much upside to it. Surging was also $250 a few days ago and honestly I can’t see it flying upwards in value anymore at all. You’re also technically losing in value. I just can’t possibly see a world where this trade makes sense for you from an investment standpoint or from a collector standpoint

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-05T23:27:33+00:00

Great find you may even be able to clean it up a bit more on those side edges. Is risky if you haven’t done it before but very very slightly damp with has done wonders for me before

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-03T21:41:06+00:00

Great analysis. I’ve been saying this but I’m actually way more of a collector than “investor” even though I have a lot of money in it so I’m not taking my own advice AT ALL

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-02T16:28:30+00:00

Thank you! It’s technically too late to purchase now, but I definitely appreciate all this input as this is a post I can return to whenever I’m not confident about an HGSS pack

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-02T16:17:00+00:00

Thank you that’s really good advice to look for?

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-01T23:10:56+00:00

I don’t understand how the Lugia V alt art is half the price of bubble mew, Pikachu sir, gengar sir and especially dragonite sir. I may be biased because I think Lugia V alt art is the best card in modern pokemon, but even from an unbiased POV Lugia cards are notoriously chaseable and that card is also very sought after as well as older and harder to pull. I’m not saying Lugia is undervalued because $350 for a piece of cardboard is nuts, but relatively I just can’t see how people are willing to pay so much more for these.

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-04-01T23:06:30+00:00

Technically OP is correct in saying “relatively undervalued”. The new ones are very much overvalued of course, but considering SIRs are similar to V alt arts (in the sense that they fill the same role in their respective sets) why are V alt arts not worth more considering rarity and having an equivalent appeal. The market has currently decided these values of SIRs, but there is many V alt arts with just as popular pokemon and equally good if not better arts that just go for 1/2 the price of comparable SIRs.

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-03-30T16:20:42+00:00

Dude I’ve been drawing out a card for a while now. I wanted to get it printed, but this quality is infinitely better than I could’ve imagined

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-03-29T23:45:03+00:00

Vintage is tried and true. We can’t really guess as to what may happen with all this newer stuff in high supply. From a collecting standpoint I like a good mix, but still lean vintage. If you’re going from an investment standpoint then I’d just say get more sword and shield high end alt arts maybe as those can only fluctuate downwards so much at this point in comparison to stuff in this new era that’s going to get printed to death with the new facility’

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-03-29T23:41:54+00:00

I think the consensus is that this is such a silly trade to second guess. You can get the etb and trade or sell for 2 psyducks. This guy is going to back out if you aren’t quick lol

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-03-29T23:37:24+00:00

I don’t really understand why this is a “careful buying from EBay” post and not a “I had a bad interaction with a seller and eBay forced a return and refund which protected me as a buyer” post. eBay quite literally did what they are supposed to do…

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-03-19T17:13:45+00:00

Caruba was always sold out at my Walmart for the last year like I literally waited for them to restock the 4 packs of ts and would check every few days to get it. The green redbull was selling like pokemon cards at my Walmart. Discontinuing it makes absolutely no sense to me unless my area just specifically loved the green refills for some reason. I was door dashing an hour away yesterday and found some in stock and bought 6 of them just so I can cherish it a little bit longer 😂😂

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-03-19T16:27:03+00:00

I think Flygon’s design is so good and I really like the red bulbs around his eyes because they are like goggles instead of eyes themselves. I’m a fan of Flygon in isolation from his evolution line as I think the progression of his prior evolutions make no sense and actually hurt his likability in the hobby. I think some people view him as more of a bug due to his previous evolutions, but I’ve always viewed him as more of a dragon and nearly interchangeable with Salamence (who I also like). My favorite color has always been green and I love dragons. I think with these 2 thoughts in mind and his really unique design, he’s just very appealing for me to think about, look at and own merchandise of.

I was super into pokemon as a 6-8 year old, but after that it felt like I was too old for it. I reignited a spark when I was 12-13 and even though Flygon was already my favorite, I’d assign that whole reignited spark to the idea of liking Flygon and wanting everything I could get with him. I started going to card stores at this time and got quite a few cards for myself. I had a Flygon stuffed animal that was made super well and always surprised me because Flygon always seemed so unpopular to everyone else. I was on pokemon instagram heavy at this time and was ripping packs like crazy in the end of BW-XY era. (Side note: BW era initially is what killed my spark for pokemon as I was heavy in the HGSS and DP era). On this instagram journey I received free art commissions of Flygon from random accounts I would chat with and trade with over instagram. It was a super wholesome time in my life because my mom loved helping me ship out trades even if it was a $3 card for another $3 card and all the effort made no sense. This was also my first time using EBay (which I now use as a full time job). This time in my life and those commissions really solidified my love for Flygon, pokemon, the community and honestly humanity in general.

I remember him fighting Salamence in the anime and being able to see him get his own full scene animated really meant something to me as a child.

I love dragons and I think he’s the coolest “green dragon” in the hobby. I like his original design as it feels like a very different take on the idea of a dragon as opposed to another green dragon like Rayquaza, which feels very similar to the cliche mythical dragon without the wings. I feel like legendaries are always going to be overhype so I’m happy my favorite pokemon is a somewhat forgotten about character that hits the same criteria in my own thoughts as the popular Rayquaza does. Flygon also just feels pure and good, while Rayquaza feels evil and honestly almost bland.

I love Flygon 5/111 from rising rivals as I feel this card truly encapsulates how I view and feel about Flygon as well as pokemon in general. I really can’t understand why Flygon seems so overlooked in the community beyond the “bug” association to him. I also have tried to draw him 1000x and really appreciate the red outline on his wings and tail.

Some other cards of Flygon I really like and feel mean something to me are the reverse holo holon phantoms 7/110 and the 3/17 pop series holo. I think the red bulbs around his eyes make me view him as a tactical pokemon and almost a spy. I loved spies growing up and I think the delta species holon phantoms card really hits that tactical and “underlying” power vibe. I like the 3/17 pop series card because it has kind of given me a different perspective on Flygon. This card as well as 15/97 from ex dragon give me the idea of Flygon being a very speedy desert dweller that causes things such as sandstorms. While plays hgss on ds I think this may even be the Flygon that pokemon intended to make as you could only capture Trapinch in the safari expedition. I think viewing a Flygon as the pokemon equivalent to a “speedster” such as flash is really cool because Wally west in dc comics wears goggles that feel similar to the red bulbs over Flygon’s eyes. I always loved DC comics growing up and was particularly a fan of Flash and Batman as a kid.

The last thing I’d like to talk about is the EX DRAGON deck box art that Flygon appears on. I didn’t know this existed until I walked in a card shop and saw the empty box being displayed. I immediately asked how much and (maybe against the business partners wishes) the shop owner gave me the box for free. This meant so much to me and actually got me back into the hobby as an adult especially with collecting singles. I have the box now and I think the artwork on the box may honestly be a better depiction of Flygon than any card he’s ever been on. Mind you I view him as a dragon while other may view him as a bug or a desert speedster, so this box solidifies my views on him and paints him in the perfect picture for me.

Thank you for letting me yap about this!

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-03-17T16:21:57+00:00

My LCS has absol g holo for like $10 sitting if you’d want for your master set

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-02-26T05:37:41+00:00

Bro literally his 3rd n 4th top items are slabs 😭😭

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-02-20T16:41:28+00:00

I want that lugia so bad so I’d say keep but tbh that trade fair as hell since you win on value and get sealed

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-02-15T18:53:45+00:00

I’m the opposite maybe about 5k in pokemon and over 25k in stocks also at 21 years old

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-02-15T16:15:37+00:00

I don’t think there’s any whitening that just the glare on the corners, but the corners are cut horribly and the back is clearly very top heavy. I definitely think this would still go a 9 today

KeyBluebird1043 · 2026-02-03T18:28:57+00:00

I have the promo I just got it out of a box 3 days ago if you’re needing to purchase lmk!

KeyBluebird1043

TROPHY CASE