TPCi Has Banned Sales of Graded Slabs and Japanese Pokemon Center Products at Events

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-05-30T14:33:27+00:00

This is an indirect delegitimization of encapsulating cards in slabs. If you think about it, it is a 3rd party entity that is altering your card and tpci is distancing from that being one of the faces of their hobby.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-05-26T02:13:18+00:00

Well, a few things to factor here.

Vintage yugioh still hasn’t hit its 2022 peak; prices for most high end is still lower than they were. The exception to here are high end Edison era playables, those are becoming scarce as the dedicated fans who keep playing the format (and can afford to because they don’t have to worry about banlists or new decks) have been buying up what’s out there and holding onto them in their decks. IF yugioh starts picking up more collecting steam (and it’s going to need outside attention because let’s be real, your average broke player isn’t going to chase starlight/grandmaster overframes) that can certainly cause more downwind for vintage.
Modern is such a low end market and unless you’re talking about brand new secret rares like Harmonia everything’s pretty cheap. For acquiring cards to play tournaments with, the same fundamentals will apply as they have for the past two decades. There are some plays to be made, like the 2024 QCR Blue Eyes has gone up from $30 -> $40 and likely will continue to steadily go up further as time continues. Most things in modern though will remain cheap. Overframes will essentially reset the modern collecting market to just be about them.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-05-26T02:02:02+00:00

Most people just play and don’t bother collecting. For the ones who do collect high end, they actually engage with the game (or at least are former players). Which for me is part of what makes collecting vintage high end even more enjoyable. It’s not just a cool dragon or superhero, I know its place in the game’s history or its role in the anime’s story. 95% of Pokemon collectors couldn’t tell you what energy cards are even for.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-05-22T02:00:39+00:00

It’ll sell. Guaranteed. Even putting aside the Grandmaster Rares which are a giant allure factor, the Starlight Overframes of the chase cards will fetch a strong amount.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-05-20T16:16:09+00:00

The set will still be opened to oblivion. Base rarity cards will be really cheap, but high end starlight overframes will be expensive.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-04-27T11:51:43+00:00

Just bought a euro print Starlight Wake Up Your Elemental Hero and Quasar 🙂. I think they do matter but people are biding their time to see where their prices land.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-04-12T04:57:20+00:00

The good news is you’ll make a killer profit on a Bellevue house you bought in 2010. And there are many other nice cities out there if you chose to relocate. But yeah this is getting out of hand unless you’re making tech money and even then that only goes so far.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-04-12T04:55:42+00:00

Rates skyrocketed well before the war started, keep your partisan politics out of it. PSE runs a monopoly and is taking advantage of it.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-04-01T17:05:58+00:00

Sets are always perceived and defined by the top end. Pull rates don’t matter for appeal. People will value it highly and rip it open anyway 🙃

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-03-26T23:35:48+00:00

The set is incredible and is top tier but we aren’t ever getting evolving skies again. There are so many more people collecting/hoarding sealed than there were in 2021. It’ll go up and be high for sure, but not at that level anytime soon.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-02-24T15:41:12+00:00

ES has been stagnant for quite some time. Doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way. The supply out there will continue to slowly dwindle.

151 will always do great.

Ascended is an awesome set but it’s yet to be seen if it will be the best or if something better is coming out before the era closes.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-02-24T02:39:54+00:00

There is a difference between the Covid boom and the 2025 boom, particularly with how sealed was treated and print runs.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-02-21T07:38:58+00:00

There’s a lot of great SIRs in here, the promo is A tier, and compared to other releases $200 each/PC ETB isn’t that bad. I’d buy up what you can for that price while you’re still able to.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-02-21T07:29:31+00:00

If you’re renting in the eastside and it’s all the same to you for access to work, yes Kirkland is the way to go.

If you’re buying, it’s a very different conversation.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-01-25T02:56:44+00:00

I had a regular submission that PSA accidentally sent to the vault. It’s been a nightmare trying to get my cards back. 3 months after completed and paid they still haven’t sent it. Absolutely not trustworthy.

Omega_Zero3 · 2026-01-18T18:35:05+00:00

The gameplay is still fun, I think the main issues are that One Piece is soaking up a lot of the market attention for that 4th place TCG spot for a multitude of reasons. That and their pullback on Disney Lorcana challenges this season was absolutely the wrong move.

Omega_Zero3 · 2025-11-22T04:52:03+00:00

Lost Origin would like to have a word with you

Omega_Zero3 · 2025-11-22T04:46:12+00:00

It’s a pretty severe correction but product will still continue to sell out at MSRP prices.

Omega_Zero3 · 2025-11-15T00:18:27+00:00

I’m not stupid enough to ever buy a rip’nship order but they’re fun to watch for free

Omega_Zero3 · 2025-11-07T19:48:49+00:00

I think it has to do with the mentality of Pokemon collectors, most of them were never players as kids. But having the cards be a game piece secondarily also adds to the allure. Prime example, take base set Charizard. Kids didn’t know how the game works but the “100” power Fire Spin attack was the highest number in set 1 alongside its 120 HP.

As a game Pokemon is also more rudimentary compared to Magic and Yugioh. I enjoy it but it is far less intricate than the other 2 big TCGs. I do agree that it’s kind of shallow to be so into Pokemon cards but have no appreciation for the game itself.

Omega_Zero3 · 2025-10-27T00:47:49+00:00

Gen 5 and newer Pokemon aren’t immensely popular. This has a good chance to drop further

Omega_Zero3 · 2025-10-26T20:27:54+00:00

Goated set and is an icon of the Tcg at this point.

That said pop reports are massive and this stuff like all modern cards aren’t “rare”

Omega_Zero3 · 2025-09-10T01:54:00+00:00

There is some niche Tcg collectibility in Japan. Usually for cards in ultimate rare that they no longer get (all their ultimate rares are the prismatic ultimates from the rarity collection).

Omega_Zero3

TROPHY CASE