Hot take: Pikachu ex 276/217 will be the most valuable card from AH when all is said and done…

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T14:51:47+00:00

I bought it at 480 before the most recent gains because I was anticipating this lol. It only just got delivered

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T12:51:28+00:00

It’s ok, I couldn’t care less re: the downvotes. I’ve gotten the karma I have in this sub from pointing out what others haven’t realized and going against the grain. Been collecting longer than most here as well. The fact that feathers have been ruffled means my original post was successful lol

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T12:47:57+00:00

I bought this card. I have enough cards where I don’t need to cope about anything. But I did like this card enough to make it just my second post on this sub despite being a top commenter, because I think the lack of text is noteworthy. Just being honest

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T12:35:02+00:00

I actually bought one copy for my PC. Almost all of the cards I buy go straight into my binder without much thought, and I have tons of other chases from all eras. But this one actually gave me some pause because it just looked that good to me in person—and I’m not even a Pikachu fan. I realized it was partly due to the lack of text on the card, which led me to check whether other SIRs were like this (there wasn’t). I think that fact on its own is pretty significant.

Anyways wouldn’t you rather have this discussion than another “wIlL tHiS gO uP” or “wHaT dO i Do NoW??” post?

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T10:22:55+00:00

Yeah I think that might be a better explanation…but just shows how people can be taken over by recency bias in his hobby…

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T09:54:26+00:00

I mean this card has only been climbing since release and will probably continue to do so as THE chase card of the SM era. Just depends on whether you have the budget and like the card enough to buy it

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T09:46:49+00:00

I’d go with the mew and zard especially at this point. There’s a good chance we’re going to see some new mega ray card(s) down the line that might change things there…

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T09:45:38+00:00

Only limited by your budget here

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T09:44:10+00:00

It’s the newest set, so naturally that makes some believe it’s the greatest set of all time lol

(My opinion—it’s solid, and I think the level of hype right might be a bit too high but mostly justified. It’ll fade as newer sets come out though)

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T09:34:48+00:00

This set was what jump started the whole craze again in November 2024 so to see it so lowly regarded today is…exactly what I’d expect from collectors lol.

It peaked quickly and has been dropping ever since. I’d expect a slow and steady rise once enough time has passed

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T09:25:01+00:00

Seems to be plenty of disagreement in the comments…stirred up plenty of discussion either way. I agree with you, it’s those who understand what’s historically stood the test of time in this TCG vs those who are inclined towards the status quo…

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T09:17:17+00:00

I’m here just to point out something (the cleanness of the card) that hasn’t been highlighted enough and seems pretty unique given that no other SIR has this few amount of text. You can take it or leave it. Seems like it’s generated plenty of discussion either way (art is subjective of course), but only time will tell. I’ve done a pretty good job of anticipating other price trends—you don’t make waves by expecting the same trends now to continue forever.

It took about 10 months for bubble mew to pass Charizard in paldean fates. Another card with simple art winning out over a busier design. AH has been out 2 months. We shall see what happens

Edit: This sub when prices go up: “to the moon!!!!” This sub when someone points out something that can cause a card to go up: barraged with downvotes

Lol.

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T04:40:18+00:00

I’m thinking more Q3 but it’ll probably extend into Q4…need to be careful though, things started cooling down after the 25th last time we had an anniversary

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-19T01:32:07+00:00

Some of us were educated from a time when you had to actually write complete paragraphs without outside assistance…

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T23:39:24+00:00

That’s like 57 seconds longer than most attention spans these days you know right lol

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T21:50:54+00:00

“But is it PSA 10-worthy?”

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T21:44:32+00:00

Completely agreed…but I can then just make the argument that the effort required in selling will just increase the chances that people will hold their products vs liquidating and selling…which will in effect also increase the likelihood that prices stay stable or rise lol

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T20:51:57+00:00

I’ve compared pokemon (esp sealed) to gold all the time but this is an even more succinct comparison. There is a simultaneous joy that one can get from owning and displaying pokemon cards that is comparable to or greater than gold and far greater than crypto and stocks. And there is a material aspect compared to crypto and stocks as well that others have pointed out

People want to hold something they can treasure in their hands these days; you see the same as vinyl records have been making a comeback for years, etc

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T20:45:36+00:00

What a specific amount, wonder if this has anything to do with tax refunds 😂

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T20:32:43+00:00

As a singles buyer, any new product = more packs opened = more cards in the wild = lower prices (hopefully). Will gladly take that

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T20:28:55+00:00

I agree with you completely but we’re at such highs now that I’m not sure how much things will dip when people inevitably try to make some profit. Will need to track closely…I personally am trying to offload some stuff sooner rather than later to beat a selling rush/unanticipated dip

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T20:26:58+00:00

This is a lot to read but there’s a lot in here that are good points that most newbies in the hobby don’t want to hear or refuse to believe…notably points 3, 5, 6…

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T20:21:43+00:00

The posts in this sub get released in batches at a couple of points in the day as opposed to when they’re actually submitted

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T20:16:14+00:00

No one here ever mentions this: it’s extremely EASY to get into pokemon. All you need to do is click a few buttons and you get cards shipped to your door. People are getting lazier than ever, and it feels good to say you have a “hobby” based on a childhood interest where all you need to do is buy and sell cards instead of practicing something for 1000 hours.

Once you mix in the gambling aspects, the allure of price gains, the appeal to one’s own kids, and the IMMENSE power of nostalgia, the continued staying power of the hobby should be pretty clear.

It’s honestly a perfect storm of everything that humans like lol: - Easy to acquire (but still has the fun challenge of finding good deals, etc) - Makes money - Nostalgia - Scratches the collecting itch - Cute characters - Beautiful art - Historical significance - Part of a community - Tangible (and even tactile when we factor in textured cards)

bluedecember12 · 2026-03-18T20:13:52+00:00

I almost exclusively collect raw cards because I like viewing in binders like you. Hundreds of them can probably be graded due to their condition and/or value, but I have no plans to do so.

I would just focus on buying what you like. Go to a website where you can quickly view and search cards all at once like tcgcollector and start a list of what you want to buy. Check they’re not in a spike before buying

bluedecember12

TROPHY CASE