Price drop and rising draft picks this week (August 21)

The recent trends in the looming fables and outstanding crowns indicate a different market. Many excellent crown illustrations are rare Soft,,,,, Bulbasaurand Mr. Terpagos Ex I saw a sharp callback, while some of the allegorical dark styles and tool cards on the coastal pavilions are steadily enjoying.

The contrast is obvious. Gorgeous artworks quickly lose momentum, and cards with competitive or functional utilities tend to have value or growth.

TL;DR: Crashers and climbers this week

One of the most famous climbers of the week is Star Crown Basic Ultra-rare form of dark energyup from $34.15 in February to $39.98. This increased by about 17%. at the same time, The fable on the re-title shop Not yet brought any huge price surge, but the subtle demand for tools and drawing effects clearly supports a modest increase in value.

On the other hand, the excellent crown illustrations of rare staples are tumbled quickly. Waves 148/142 From $73.63 in February to around $50 today, it is close to a 32% drop. The market price of TCGPlayer is still in the mid-50s, and this trend indicates that collector demand is cooling rapidly.

Pokémon Card Crashers

The most important decline this week comes from Waves 148/142Stellar Crown's illustrations have been rare since February, with their illustrations down 32%. It opens at $73.63 and is now close to $50. Although Squirtle's gameplay has nostalgic appeal and cute art, it's actually zero. Its withdrawal attack relies on coin flips to prevent damage, while the skull slam caused only 20 damage, well below any competition threshold. The early hype was nostalgic, but as the supply increased, that interest gradually faded, and serious participants ignored it rather than a real utility card.

Bulbasaur 143/142 Almost the same behavior is being displayed. Its value dropped from $62.96 in February to $43.50 today. Like Squirtle, its charm is rooted in the appeal of nostalgia, not the potential. Water ech seeds can cause minor damage and healing, but this does not make it relevant in any current deck. ExplolyPly pushes down prices, now mainly for casual collector binder cards.

Another casualty is Earth boat 096/064This is a super rare trainer card that used to be $58.33, but is now available for $46.80. That's 20% of the slides. Its effect allows players to discard a card to find up to two basic energy that are practical but lack explosiveness. With more motivated tools and search options now available on the top list, there is less demand for this card, and less demand for collectors and competitors.

Special illustrations of rare version Fezandipiti Ex 092/064 Also keeps slipping. It has dropped from $49.81 to $38 since February, losing 24% of its value. Its flip scripting ability is situational at best, and if one of their Pokémon was eliminated in the last round, then let the player draw three cards. The brutal arrow is a target sniper attack against 100 damages, but the entire package does not give the consistency or pressure needed to maintain a certain position on the top deck. Although its artwork is convincing, it is not enough to maintain premium pricing.

Terapagos EX 170/142 The most eye-catching blow was taken among the collapsers. Originally priced at $77.89, it is now $36.88, accounting for more than 52% of the decline. Its colorless typing and bulky stats look promising at release, but a unified defeat relies on the full bench and cannot be used in the first round if second. Crown Opal is a strong move, but only blocks the attacks of basic non-colored Pokémon. These limitations make it too slow and too narrow to implement the current metagame.

Pokémon Rock Climber

Although the flashy card on the crown of the stellar stumbled upon, several functional and useful cards from the allegorical surfaces see steady gains. The top is Basic Dark Energy 098/064 Super Rare Formthe company rose to $39.98 from $34.15 in February. This increased by 17%. High Rare Energy Cards have long been a favorite among collectors, which also happens to play a major role in the exciting depth deck.

The surprising lifter is Dusclops 069/064This is a rare illustration since June that has moved from $17.46 to $20.40. Cursed Explosion abilities allow you to place five damage shells on your opponent's Pokémon, and knock dusclops down. It's a one-off game, but it can fight low-HP attackers or end critical threats. It is finding a home in creative deck construction and may have long-term appeal as a rogue tool.

Interestingly, while the rare special illustrations of Fezandipiti Ex are falling, the double rare version Fezandipiti EX 038/064 Moving in the opposite direction. It has risen 93% from $8.66 in March to $16.75 now. The competitors are clearly buying. Flip script is a good comeback mechanic, and the cruel arrow is a strong pressure for slower showdowns. This is a functional card that benefits from the adoption of mid-to-high-rise buildings at a lower price point.

Subtle and steady growth PowerGlass 097/064 It's also worth mentioning. This super rare Pokémon tool has increased from $17.35 to $18.50, up 7%. If the equipped Pokémon is in active position, its turn effect allows you to attach basic energy from the discarded stakes. This resource recycling is becoming more and more valuable in Grindy games, and players are looking for ways to incorporate it into the spinning attacker strategy.

at last, Okidogi is 090/064 From $16.76 in March to $18.99 today, an increase of 13%. This dark type of Pokémon has a synergy around poison and self-enhancement. Its first attack accelerates two basic dark energy at the cost of poisoning, while Chain Lock's hit causes 130 damage if Pokémon is poisoned. This interaction allows it to self-motivate and trigger a huge 260 damage attack, which is becoming increasingly popular on some edge decks. Its special illustrations and rare art increases collector interest, thus driving game and display value upwards.

The allegorical product of the sealed star crown and shroud

For collectors and players who prefer opening packaging rather than buying singles, both Star Crown and the Re-Style Fable offer a solid sealed lineup. But if you are chasing a specific high-value illustration with a rarity of playable themes like Squirtle or Fezandipiti ex (such as Fezandipiti ex), the numbers are clear: buying singles will save you a fortune.

take Star Crown Booster Boxer Boxcurrently on TCGPLAYER for $219.99. With 36 packs, you pay more than $6 per pack, and the odds of rare illustrations like Terapagos Ex 170/142 are very slim. Given that the card is now selling for around $36.88, buying it straight is much more efficient than hoping you will land by chance.

If you are looking for smaller options, Star Crown Booster Bundle $54.01 or Elite training box $83.00 offers several packaging and theme accessories, but again, the chances of pulling a $50+ chase card is low. Even Pokémon Center Elite Training BoxPriced at $121.00, each pack is expensive and has no guarantee of returns.

On the fable side of the pavilion, Booster Bundle $46.24 and Elite training box $55.01 provides easier access to entry points, and the set is usually at a lower price range. this Pokémon Center Elite Training Box $97.94 and Mini tin display The goal for $164.95 is for collectors looking for an advanced unboxing experience, but again, pulling out a specific card for PowerGlass or Okidogi Ex (like Okidogi Ex) is far from guaranteed.

Even Kingdra Ex Special Illustration Collection $124.99 and Greninja ex Collection $90.00 is used more as a showcase work than a consistent value game. Unless you want to collect seals for long-term retention or display, the best strategy at the moment is surgery: identify what you want to be single and buy it directly.

Sealing products are fun and sometimes lucky, but the current market makes one thing obvious. If your goal is to have a specific card, especially any climber or crasher we cover this week, buying singles is a smarter and more economical road.

Christian Wait is IGN's contribution that covers all collectable and transactionable. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the gaming and tech industry and has a mixable and pocket-sized crafting charter. Christian also created a hand-painted collection for the miniature of the sword. Christian is also the author of The Ultimate Unofficial Game Guide for Pokemons by Warrior. Find Christians on x @chrisreggiewait.