Since Pokémon Pocket's launch late last year, the Pokémon TCG has been… well, a mess. Prismatic Evolutions sold out almost instantly, followed by Journey Together, then Destined Rivals, and… well, you get the picture. It's not been a good time for the community, as scalpers and profiteers spoil everyone else's fun - but is the 2024-25 hype bubble slowly beginning to dissolve?
Buying the best Pokémon cards still isn't cheap, and if you're unfortunate enough to miss out on getting the newest Pokémon set at launch, chances are you'll either pay above retail price or have to skip it completely. There are also plenty of rare Pokémon cards, especially those from the highly sought-after special sets like Paldean Fates, with eye-watering prices. But many Special Illustration Rares are now finally dropping in value - and perhaps that's the first signs of Pokémania coming to an end, at least for now.
Whether they're the cutest Pokémon or meta-defining powerhouses, many 'Mons are dropping in price. For example, Lillie's Clefairy ex #184 from Journey Together has dropped from the princely sum of $344.70 down to $120, according to Pricecharting, despite it coming from an overall better expansion than Prismatic Evolutions.
There's a similar pattern with other Journey Together cards, including Hop's Zacian ex #186 and Articuno #161. But it's not just this Pokémon set affected: Charizard ex #199 from the nostalgia-fueled 151 expansion has dropped from $250 to the slightly more manageable $182.
Would I personally pay the lower amount, even for one of the best Charizard cards ever printed? Probably not, but at least anyone who does have that kind of money won't have to throw quite so much of it around.
However, it's not all downhill trends. While Mew ex #232's bubble has popped a little, (ironic, given its nickname is 'Bubble Mew'), cards like Umbreon VMAX #215, one of the most expensive Pokémon cards of recent years, are as ridiculously priced as ever, sitting at $1200 right now. Charizard ex #234, another Paldean Fates card, has gone up too, after sitting pretty low for quite some time.
But the overall picture is that singles are going down in price, despite stock shortages persisting. Are we finally seeing the Pokémon hype dying down? Potentially. Personally, I think it is. And about time too; I've found myself frustrated by the ongoing situation, struggling to get many products, and I even skipped on Destined Rivals to focus on Black Bolt and White Flare.
Do I think that you'll be able to walk into a store and buy Prismatic Evolutions next week? Probably not, as resellers are still keen to get their hands on anything from Elite Trainer Boxes and booster boxes to those funky collection packs, and many Pokémon 'investors' prefer sealed over single cards. But the tide seems to be turning for people like me trying to build singles collections.
Of course, that doesn't include the fact that a massive milestone is approaching: February 27, 2026 will be Pokémon's 30th birthday. I imagine that, alongside the best trading card game getting a new set, a wave of older and newer fans will be celebrating three decades of our favorite franchise. It's a perfect recipe to create another hype bubble. I just hope we can at least collect some sets between now and then.
If you want to find some Pokémon products regularly, I'd recommend checking out the following retailers on a regular basis:
- Magic Madhouse (global)
- Zatu Games (global)
- Amazon (US)
- Walmart (US)
- Amazon (UK)
- Very (UK)
After collecting all of those legendary Pokémon that you've been waiting to drop in price, I recommend joining our Wargamer Discord community, where we discuss everything from our favorite cards to the best Pokémon game. It's Platinum, and I'll die on that hill.