As I look back on the Scarlet & Violet era, there are a few Pokémon TCG sets I wish I had spent more money and time on: Black Bolt & White Flare, Stellar Crown, and Surging Sparks, to name a few. However, one stands out as a particularly sore spot for me - Paldean Fates. With my favorite Pokémon card ever as the main chase (which I wasn't willing to buy as a single), my trainer heart is now heavier than ever before, as this set's prices rise higher and higher.
Considering it's a special set sandwiched between the fantastic 151 and Prismatic expansions (I'm not counting Shrouded Fable, sorry), I was hoping that I'd have more time to collect some cards from Paldean Fates before the prices got too silly.
Sadly, waiting too long is one of my many regrets in life. Not picking up Mew ex #232 at $80 because I thought it was 'too expensive' haunts me at night still. And when I dream of collecting every Pokémon TCG card, it quickly turns into a nightmare, reminding me of my failures.
Of course, the community-named 'Bubble Mew' is the most expensive Pokémon card of the Paldean Fates expansion, and while sealed products are the main place we see price surges, there are plenty of other single cards that have also gone up in cost.
Charizard ex #234, which for the longest time was seen as a disappointing 'zard SIR has gone up to $275-$300 in recently sold listings. Pikachu #131, one of the set's 'baby shinies', is now $73, a massive change from the $33 it cost in November 2025 - in fact, at time of writing, a copy just sold for $99.
While sealed product, Mew ex #232 and the Charizard are by far the most coveted items, there's no shortage of smaller, more common Paldean Fates cards that have gone up in price recently, too. Snorlax #202, another baby shiny, has gone from a steady $20 for most of 2025 to $57, according to Pricecharting. And Gardevoir ex #233 has surged above $150, which is over double what it was in August last year.
Paldean Fates comes from a unique time period for the Pokémon TCG, when the hype was at its peak. Plenty of packs were ripped around its release, and it only got more popular after Pocket's release in 2024. The cards are very desirable, but sealed products go for monumental amounts, suggesting the rise is driven by the 'investor' crowd. From May 2024 to October 2024, you could buy the Pokémon Center ETB of this set for around $70. Now? It's over $570!
So yes, I deeply regret not getting more packs while things were good. If you don't want to make the same mistakes as me, and you're hoping to find some packs at retail price of future sets, make sure to join our Wargamer Discord to be kept in the loop. You'll need all the help you can get as the 30th Anniversary rolls around.