I was auditing my collection this weekend as it had been some months and I wanted to chart what I paid and more importantly what the current sold listings/market is for my cards. I have been adding to my collection at a nice clip this year as the bulk of my cards purchased were in in 2017. Back then I went after one of each Charizard PSA holo in either 8 or 9 grades up until legendary treasures, and then added specific pokemon (gengar, mewtwo, alakazam, dragonite, tyranitar). Having a general understanding of the fact that they increased significantly over the following year and a half, I was pleasantly, or curiously surprised by the further increase of their price in the last few months when I was updating my chart. Specifically in the last two months.
With the stock market having recovered a little over twenty percent from its March 23rd lows (dow jones anyhow but still down 6000 from its highs) I was expecting a pullback in the card market and to get some deals on cards. Now I must stress the following: 1. I do not hope I ever have to sell the cards I buy and 2. I always buy the particular card I seek slabbed in a beautiful PSA case, which is on an ultra pro card stand (V one). Having said that, I don’t really want the price of my cards to go down. This may seem trivial but I sincerely doubt that anyone on this site thinks, “awesome, my collection is now worth half of what I paid!” HOWEVER, I would gladly buy more cards for my collection at lower prices if they tanked, playing the long game with the contradicting, but I bet common collector mindset, that I will keep these cards and not sell, but one day s*it might hit the fan and I may have to sell. Also, collecting is much like a game; we are competitive, and we go after that card. Some want it now and a specific grade will pay a premium, or in general pay more, while others will pay current market value or wait if no deal can be made via buy it now or wait for an auction and get the “real” value. Maybe they used e4! We feel good if not great if we get a perceived deal on a card, while we may face buyer’s remorse if we perceive to overpay after the fact. We walk a fine line, outside of a few collectors. But as of April 20, 2020, Pokemon cards have not been negatively affected by the corona crash.
Any card purchases that I have made in the last 3 months have been in congruence with that card’s particular uptrend in price. I may have been able to snipe a few auctions but even then, shipping and tax makes it at current buy it now or sold listing. I know taxes are a new thing online, but for me it’s 6.25 percent which is not the worst. But from gold stars, to shining, to base set, to post 2006 set cards, there have been significant jumps in prices. This is most apparent with the more popular species (All the Eevee forms, Charizard, etc…you know the ones)
I am literally one man making pokemon card purchases and following prices everyday to remain knowledgeable to what I can do to add to my collection at a reasonable rate. I am aware some mid-level and larger sellers are cordial with each other and can make deals or may know someone or have access to personal collections that they can purchase much lower price, but provide liquid cash at that moment, which brings a discount. All collectors have options to buy other than ebay, but mainly that one is it. That’s fine, it just means I have to work harder to find the cards I want at a price I am comfortable with. So far, I have been successful in that purpose and accept that prices are up, but I am surprised considering our current times.
I just find it less likely that there is going to be a MTG card or stock market tank of 20-40 percent in the next few months as those markets have experienced. Maybe its goes down, but how much? Five percent? Why? Did so many people that are now struggling have so much dispensable income based in pokemon cards that they now have to liquidate? I know that the next half a year in terms of the economy will likely be very bad, oil is negative on the commodity market, unemployment is in the millions and wages will likely suffer in following years. However, if prices were going to go low, wouldn’t it have happened by now? I have many nieces and nephews and work with kids, and there has been no downtrend in their current appetite for modern pokemon cards, games, movies…whatever, even in this corona crash. Its remarkable to see the price of sealed WOTC and even Non-WOTC 2004-2010 sets, and this is the same for both raw and graded cards of those sets. I don’t follow post 2012ish era, so I cant speak for that but we all know that sales are doing well in the least since 2016, after all it got myself and millions of others from my generation back into pokemon in some form.
Pokemon has overcome what other sports and non-cards markets have already faced and the stock market in general.I do not think this is bad, or good. It is independent of what I want and I am amazed at the resilience of a discretionary-fund based hobby. You don’t need these cards, you want them. At least I know I do 
im here scrambling and trying to build my collection before prices soar too high out of reach.