The Pokémon trading card game has a surprising rising star, as a free promo Pokémon card begins selling for up to $100. The Pokémon Center Exclusive Squirtle Promo was originally given away with pre-orders of the Scarlet & Violet 151 Mew Ultra-Premium Collection. Now, collectors are making back almost all of the $120 (£94.84) they spent on the product – just by selling the promo.
Initially, trading card game secondary market TCGPlayer valued this card at $42.99 (£33.97) in early October. As of November 30, the card is 106% more expensive with a price of $88.69 (£70.08) – and that’s not even taking into account a brief period earlier in the month when the card was valued at $100 (£79.05).
Recent sales on TCGPlayer and eBay show this $88 price tag might be a bit of a lowball. Multiple copies of the card were sold on November 29, with sale prices ranging from $85 to $101 (£67.17 to £79.81).
Some fans have already had their copy of the card graded, and these have sold for ludicrous prices. Two PSA 10 copies have been sold on eBay so far – one in October for $1,466.23 (£1,159.13) and one in November for $780 (£616.63).
It seems like rarity is the main force behind the price spike. For a deep dive into this card’s value and rising price, here’s a handy video from Pokémon YouTuber PTCGRadio:
The basic gist is this – these promos were only available to fans who pre-ordered the Mew Ultra-Premium Collection from the Pokémon Center site. You could nab a Charmander or Bulbasaur promo if you bought the same product from other sources, but Squirtle appears to be the rarest of the three.
On top of all of that, the card has a reverse holo treatment and an official Pokémon Center stamp. This last feature is a unique factor that may make it more appealing to collectors.
For more high-value PTCG items, check out the price tags on these rare Pokémon cards. We’ve also got some advice for avoiding fake Pokémon cards during your search for a good deal.