Filling the Void (The Not-Quite-Trophy Cards)

[chrispy]

@theluckycarp

Hi all,

For those that appreciate the unique release and rarity of the big hitting Trophy cards but can’t afford the price tag, it would be great to hear about your favourite cards and views on interesting releases that are more affordable. It seems to me that the top-end of the market has accelerated so much that there’s a ‘giant chasm’ in terms of price to all those not-quite-trophy cards beneath such as Grand Party, Pokemon Card Laboratory etc.

For example, buying a mint Tropical Wind has become difficult but how about the Tropical Tidal Wave cards. What’s the consensus on the 7 language print commemorative collection that was given out to players at the start of the Worlds? The PSA pop is very low but since they were given out to all participants I assume the actual supply is quite high?

Tell me a price range and I’ll let you know what kinda good hits you can get in that range.

[Lemon]

Lots of great advice and recommendations in this thread. It’s been said before but Victory medals, Japanese exclusive pikachu promos. Those are what I have been buying.

[Lemon]

@chrispy

@theluckycarp

Hi all,

For those that appreciate the unique release and rarity of the big hitting Trophy cards but can’t afford the price tag, it would be great to hear about your favourite cards and views on interesting releases that are more affordable. It seems to me that the top-end of the market has accelerated so much that there’s a ‘giant chasm’ in terms of price to all those not-quite-trophy cards beneath such as Grand Party, Pokemon Card Laboratory etc.

For example, buying a mint Tropical Wind has become difficult but how about the Tropical Tidal Wave cards. What’s the consensus on the 7 language print commemorative collection that was given out to players at the start of the Worlds? The PSA pop is very low but since they were given out to all participants I assume the actual supply is quite high?

Tell me a price range and I’ll let you know what kinda good hits you can get in that range.

I’m actually curious to hear your recommendations. I think your answer might help others as well. Let me hit you with two price ranges: $1k -$5k and 5k to $10k

[theluckycarp]

@Lemon

@chrispy

Tell me a price range and I’ll let you know what kinda good hits you can get in that range.

I’m actually curious to hear your recommendations. I think your answer might help others as well. Let me hit you with two price ranges: $1k -$5k and 5k to $10k

Yeah, these were the ranges I was going to suggest.

Managed to pick up a 058/L-P Lapras for c. £200, hopefully it arrives as clean as it looks in the listing. It’s pretty obscure and there’s an English print but that seems cheap given the rarity.

[jawsh98]

@theluckycarp, I really like Art Academy cards. Hard to track down, but the limited supply makes it fun

[chrispy]

@Lemon

@chrispy

Tell me a price range and I’ll let you know what kinda good hits you can get in that range.

I’m actually curious to hear your recommendations. I think your answer might help others as well. Let me hit you with two price ranges: $1k -$5k and 5k to $10k

I mean you can get actual trophies in this price range.

For instance: www.ebay.com/itm/353435432440?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&fromMakeTrack=true
There is a Victory ring.

$1K-$5K

Opening Ceremonies
JR Rally’s
Spring Battle Roads and L-P Prizes (stuff like Lapras, Copycat, Burned Towers)
Battle Festas
Pokemon Dude

$5-10K

University Karp
Mysterious Pearl
Championship Arena

[casual]

@chrispy

@chrispy,

Opening Ceremonies

^ What is that

[chrispy]

@casual

@chrispy

@chrispy ,

Opening Ceremonies

^ What is that

Player’s Ceremony

[theluckycarp]

@chrispy

@casual

Opening Ceremonies

^ What is that

Player’s Ceremony

These are decent cards - exclusive and the art ties into the release.

Is there any consensus on whether the supply of the 2020 card would have been limited by covid related tournament cancellations? I think I read somewhere that they printed the same number as usual and just posted them out in lieu of the actual tournament. If not, the 2020 version could be extremely rare…

[thymeee]

@theluckycarp

@chrispy

Player’s Ceremony

These are decent cards - exclusive and the art ties into the release.

Is there any consensus on whether the supply of the 2020 card would have been limited by covid related tournament cancellations? I think I read somewhere that they printed the same number as usual and just posted them out in lieu of the actual tournament. If not, the 2020 version could be extremely rare…

There were obviously less tournaments to get the points needed to get these cards, however the points needed to get this card where lowered in the 2020 season compared to the 2019 season. I have not been searching for these cards, so I would not know the relative rarity but I remember @sacari talking about them and saying that they were a bit scarcer than the 2019 version. But still not incredibly rare.

[greenshoots]

This is one of those threads where I have several appropriate answers not mentioned already, but I don’t feel good suggesting cards I own - and I especially don’t feel good suggesting cards currently on my eBay watch list

[Lemon]

@chrispy

For instance: www.ebay.com/itm/353435432440?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&fromMakeTrack=true
There is a Victory ring.

$1K-$5K

Opening Ceremonies
JR Rally’s
Spring Battle Roads and L-P Prizes (stuff like Lapras, Copycat, Burned Towers)
Battle Festas
Pokemon Dude

$5-10K

University Karp
Mysterious Pearl
Championship Arena

Thanks a ton for your input. Burned Tower, Battle Festas, and a Pearl were definitely on my radar but these are all very good suggestions.

[Lemon]

@greenshoots

This is one of those threads where I have several appropriate answers not mentioned already, but I don’t feel good suggesting cards I own - and I especially don’t feel good suggesting cards currently on my eBay watch list

post ones you own. So long as you are disclosing you own them I think it’s fine. Or you could post some you own and some you don’t to balance it out

[redsticktcg]

I love the japenese 05-07 victory medal pikas. Cheap and look great!

[greenshoots]

@Lemon

@greenshoots

This is one of those threads where I have several appropriate answers not mentioned already, but I don’t feel good suggesting cards I own - and I especially don’t feel good suggesting cards currently on my eBay watch list

post ones you own. So long as you are disclosing you own them I think it’s fine. Or you could post some you own and some you don’t to balance it out

Ha, I will say there are cards on the absolutely excellent “rarest” master list spreadsheet (PichuFan posted it on the first page of the thread) still available for within the price brackets you denoted (including $1k-$5k) on eBay right now with what looks like worldwide shipping. The master list is a great stroll through some of the most interesting cards in Pokemon history, so rather than guiding people into buying cards I already own, I’d just defer to that and suggest checking it out.

[Lemon]

@greenshoots

@Lemon

post ones you own. So long as you are disclosing you own them I think it’s fine. Or you could post some you own and some you don’t to balance it out

Ha, I will say there are cards on the absolutely excellent “rarest” master list spreadsheet (PichuFan posted it on the first page of the thread) still available for within the price brackets you denoted (including $1k-$5k) on eBay right now with what looks like worldwide shipping. The master list is a great stroll through some of the most interesting cards in Pokemon history, so rather than guiding people into buying cards I already own, I’d just defer to that and suggest checking it out.

I’ve had it bookmarked for a while now. While rarity is definitely one of, if not the, most important factor, a given rare card’s relative obscurity can be a double-edged sword.