If it didn’t break any rule I guess cancel culture is strong. Maybe someone could get offended. Like, everyone, with like, anything.
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How did a thread about a pikachu illustrator being overrated turn into a debate about a thread which was deleted… Go whine somewhere else
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Bingo;)
*GASP* The Shadow Realm does exist!
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Definitely not but I am of course biased. It is an iconic art in the hobby, has an interesting back story and is legitimately rare.
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The element of hype-that-sticks is not unreasonable, it happens in every field. The status quo, once hardened, is hard to remould. However, I think the appeal of the card itself is something the Illustrator has going for it, as proven by its longstanding status. That hasn’t really changed much since the 240p Pokegym days.
If we imagine that the card was a part of Base set, I think it would still command a big chase card premium. Personally, I think the illustrator is one of the strongest trophies, along with the pikatrophies. Very unique and tasteful.
The illustrator didn’t have to be appealing, the rarity is more than enough to generate insane demand. But the fact that the card is visually appealing makes it that much more potent. Just look at some of the grail items in other tradeable cards, they’d be laughed off the stage if it weren’t for the fact that they are insanely rare.
What I can say is that Pikachu Illustrator IMO does have the best art of all vintage trainer trophies and even tho the Pika trophies have lesses copies, the art was reprinted and used again, illustrator was not.
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You looked at that way closer than I did bro lol,
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I feel like this question gets asked a lot because people overlook the card itself and focus on the noise around it. Compare the card with the rest of the hobby: it is one of the most unique cards in the hobby, and not in a quirky way (i.e. humans on the card).
The release itself is worth mentioning: winners of the CoroCoro contest received 20 copies of a card with their own illustrations, but only one Illustrator card. The artwork is so unusual, and so appealing (opinion). The pen logo in the corner is a really nice touch as well. In other words, there’s enough going on with the card that isn’t replicated which means there’s more to the demand than just hype.
Sure, it’s not the absolute rarest card, but it’s still ridiculously rare. I’d guess it’s also the card with the highest number of people with the means to buy one actively looking for a copy relative to the number of copies (available or otherwise).
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When learning about trophies my first thought was why aren’t the Pika Trophies > Illustrator. The thing that shifted my opinion was the competitive scene, or absence of one. It’s a thing but it’s not nearly as big as I would of thought as a MTG player and e-sports enthusiast.
The Illustrator is a homage to artists
The Pika Trophies is a homage to players
The hobby is full of collectors not players appreciating the art, with that said I’d say it’s actually still undervalued due to the lack of public awareness.
A little off topic; but I hope the PSA 7 PWCC auction brings a PSA 9 to auction.
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I got into Pokémon card collecting in ‘06, the Illustrator was the big dog then, and it’s still the big dog 15 years later.
I ignored the Japanese side of the hobby until this year. Boy do I feel stupid.
Come on Illustrator owners, time to flex. Post a pic of your card, the year you bought it, and how much you paid. Show us why the Illustrator is the boss!
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A lot of collectibles are fueled around hype. So do I think the illustrator is overrated? Yeah, but it’s a great card regardless that has withstood the test of time as being one of the chase cards of the hobby,
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True, but when you start to go down that road, it’s impossible to know what someone else has offered for someone else’s card etc.
When was the last time a psa 10 illustrator changed hands? You are saying you have higher offers on a card, than the known offers on the psa 10 illustrator?
Illustrator has many things going for it but the most important is that it’s not part of a set.
If you buy a 2nd place trophy pika of 1998, you will want to get the 1st and 3rd to complete the set. Your trophy set will be incomplete.
With the illustrator, that is not an issue. It’s a holy grail, a trophy, that can hold on its own.
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its already established in the high end as the most valuable. If something is established as most valuable then the people with the most money are going to spend the most money to get it. Could something else overtake it? There aren’t many options out there for that to happen with. The only thing I can think that could exceed its value is no rarity base charizard. Not only is it the most iconic and well renowned artwork in the hobby but it is the oldest and rarest variation of it. People with tons of money could easily gravitate to that instead. Knowledge about these kinds of products used to be mostly second hand to the ultra wealthy set on simply buying the best there is out there as a status flex. As these kinds of buyers become more aware of their existence, and more aware of the potential that a card like that could elude them for years; they may FOMO with a quick mil. But I can’t predict anything, that’s just my opinion.
I think a black label 1st ed. charizard could overtake an illustrator as well if one ever gets graded.
In any case im not sure this conversation is really that relevant to people like me. Just needless speculation 4fun I guess.
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I think that’s the main point and advantage the illustrator has. I personally like the Pika Trophies & even some Snap cards more, but if you manage to get any of them, you just have “a” snap card. You don’t have *the* snap card.
What’s also incredibly important to me in a trophy is unique art, which the illustrator and all cards mentioned have, which makes them far more valuable to me than say a Kamex Computer Error or a Unikarp. “Throphy card” I think suggests exclusivity in all aspects, the more the better.
Illustrator is overrated and Wishiwashi GX is underrated.
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Illustrator is vastly overrated compared to other trophies that are just as old and with less copies and with art that is just as excellent. The only reason it has been and continues to be known as the highest echelon trophy is likely because people with stake in its value have more of a voice/more influence to artificially hype/elevate it. I don’t even know who those people would happen to be, but that’s the only reason I can possibly think of. Doesn’t make sense otherwise.
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No, Illustrator has been number 1 since the start. I knew about the Illustrator way before any Pika trophies. If it had suddenly boomed then I would agree, but its the most recognisable Japanese exclusive.
www.elitefourum.com/t/pojos-may-2000-whos-the-rarest-of-them-all-magazine-article/13885/1
Before I joined I found this forum by googling for scans of this particular magazine article to reminiscence about birthday pikachu.
The illustrator and trophy pikachus have always been at the top.
I 100% agree with odd’s reasoning above.
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