I think that’s very logical yes
1 Like
Maybe I’m just unlucky, but none of the 8s I’ve cracked look ‘NM’ enough to command decent prices. Like, look at my EX Dragon Charizard: imgur.com/a/YRNBQYU
Has severe edge damage but it’s ‘NM-MT’ according to PSA? And that’s not the only one…my Entei ex and Metagross ex are equally MP/HP and they were both PSA 8s. I haven’t yet resold them since I’m still trying to find suitable replacements for them, but theres zero chance I could get high prices for them without straight up misrepresenting the cards. The worst of them, though, was probably the PSA 8 FRLG Charizard ex that I cracked and had to resell because it had a literal dent in it. Not at all blaming the people who sold me these (a couple of them being E4 members) – it’s ultimately PSA’s fault; that or I’m just wildly out of touch.
If you can crack 8s and flip them for profit then good for you, but there’s zero chance that I could do that with mine lol. Maybe the people paying PSA 9/10 prices on raw cards have also had bad luck with PSA cards and so only want to purchase raw? If that’s the situation, then maybe the prices they’re paying aren’t so crazy after all.
1 Like
You Know you can look at the card before buying it or at least before cracking it out of the case right…?
Buy the card not the grade 
2 Likes
@zorloth, I don’t see the issue with that Charizard grading as a PSA 8.
PSA 8s are not PSA 9s or 10s. They’re downgraded for a reason. Have I seen better 8s? Sure, but that card still looks presentable.
1 Like
So I just picked up this in a local trade today; Yes I posted it in the recent pick ups thread as well…gotta show it off again lol.
One of my most expensive cards I’ve ever owned so far:
Maybe I’m biased, but here are my questions/thoughts:
My questions are do you guys think the value will continue to rise or take a step back? Asking prices are above 1K and completed sales reflect the same.
Is it undervalued as we speak? (That’s what I’ve been told). With Hidden Fates becoming slim to none in the stores now a days and people keeping their products sealed, does this card have more potential to increase in price?
Also, do you guys feel this is one of the better looking Zards made as far as design and eye appeal?
There’s just something about the Red and White label with the Zard being Blue that really stands out imo. Almost like it resembles the US Flag or something lol…dumb I know.
3 Likes
PSA 9’s even range between $4-500
1 Like
@crushingame Moved your thread to our dedicated market analysis thread. Congratulations on a sweet pickup!!
As for your questions, let me pull out my crystal ball. Jokes aside, I think discussing value on in-print sets is basically pointless. HF packs were very expensive and prices were going up, and then Pokemon did a massive reprint of the tins. We’ve seen price-conscious reprints in the past with Roaring Skies boxes, and just full out overprinting with Evolutions. They could decide to not print any more, or they could flood the market and the packs could be available for years afterwards at rock-bottom prices.
In 20 years, do I think the price will be higher than it is today? Probably. How much higher, and how it grows in relation to other Charizard cards is a much different story.
4 Likes
Of course; I always do that. I have several still-graded cards that I haven’t cracked because the condition looks questionable.
1 Like
My apologies.
Love your videos. Keep up the good work and sharing your knowledge.
I had no idea the tins were reprinted lol.
2 Likes
Interesting. I was under the impression that 10s were flawless, pack fresh cards, and that 9s were pack fresh but with minor factory defects (i.e., print lines, tiny white specks on the back corners, and/or poor centering). I assumed this because 9s are called ‘mint,’ which would seem to imply that they are just that – with no flaws that were accrued after they were cut from the sheet. Based on what I’ve read and observed, it seems it would be more accurate to call PSA 9s ‘NM’ since it seems they can have post-factory flaws (i.e., faint holo scratches and/or edge whitening). I thought PSA 8s were just pack fresh cards with minor post-factory flaws such as maybe a couple tiny white nicks or faint holo scratches. But clearly my understanding was incorrect. I’d be really curious to compare BGS 8/8.5 Pokemon cards to PSA 8 Pokemon cards now because I’ve cracked so many BGS 8/8.5 MTG cards for my sets and they have all been in solid EX-NM condition. But, from what I’ve heard, BGS 8s are considered lesser than PSA 8s by most Pokemon collectors. So BGS must be less harsh with grading Pokemon cards than Magic cards. Clearly, I have lots still to figure out and I appreciate your input.
1 Like
985 pop and growing but yes it’s a cool card and congrats 
1 Like
PSA 8s definitely have a higher standard than BGS 8s. BGS 8s can sometimes get very sketchy, especially if any of the sub-grades are below an 8. The key difference is that a card can still have a crucial flaw (like a major dent or scuff mark) and still be given a grade of 8 whereas with PSA that can’t happen (unless the grader misses somehow misses it).
I do think your impression of how cards is graded is off. PSA 10s are not “flawless,” they are pack fresh cards that have incredibly minor flaws. PSA 9s are pack fresh cards that can allow for more significant flaws, such as being off-center, having a noticeable print line or a minor scratch on the holo, or having a more notable degree of whitening on the back. But PSA 9s can allow for multiple of these types of issues. A PSA 8 is usually not a pack fresh card. They *can* be pack fresh cards, but if they are it’s the sort of pack fresh card that comes with multiple print lines and a good deal of factory whitening. But in general a PSA 8 is a card that has some imperfections as a result of being handled but is for the most part a very clean card without super bothersome flaws. I would say that your PSA 8 Zard fits that description (although I do think it also could have easily gotten a PSA 7, was probably borderline).
1 Like
PSA 10 Base Set Charizard Unlimited just sold for $5494.33 + Tax which is like closer to $6000+. Soon PSA 10 Base Set Charizard Unlimited will start selling for $10K each imo
1 Like
Appears they sold in on their website which is always a better price than eBay, also this copy has an Arita auto.
1 Like
How does a card get a GM 10 when it has an autograph on it? I thought cards automatically lose a grade due to the auto
1 Like
Oh yea completely forgot they got a store so you’re probably right. Still I assume it’s $5K+ still which is a new record. Watch for PSA 9 unlimited Zards to drop 1 by 1 these coming weeks
1 Like
Auto grades are separate from card grades. You can always send it back to PSA and tell them you don’t want the auto grade of 9 and keep card grade of 10. Would have been sweet to see a Gem 10 card grade and Gem 10 auto grade for the zard.
1 Like
Now I’m randomly wondering how much a PSA 10 1st edition Base Zard signed by Arita (with a Zard sketch) would sell for.
3 Likes
This is very helpful, thank you! With the Zard, the thing that bothers me about condition-wise is that the edge wear looks like fraying and not typical whitening. I tried to capture that in the third photo – the wear is angled a bit and looks like a small sliver of the card stock has creased. The edge wear also seems more consistent and less sparse than I would expect of an 8. And it’s not only this Charizard I posted – I’ve also been annoyed with a Metagross ex (HL), an Entei ex, and a Ninetales ex, all of which were PSA 8s. All of them have very significant surface scratching – to the extent that the surface appears more dulled. The Ninetales and Metagross are ok-ish, and borderline for me, but the Entei (in addition to the surface scratching) has a corner with a slight bend or angle to it. It’s not something that can be seen at most angles and without direct light so it doesn’t affect the eye appeal of the card in my binder, but it feels creasy to me and is far beyond what I would consider acceptable for NM. If it wouldn’t derail this thread, I’d post a picture of it, but I don’t want to further turn this thread into a “zorloth’s condition complaints thread” since none of this is directly market-related.
Regarding your observations on PSA vs. BGS, that’s very interesting and in line with what I’ve heard from others. BGS is clearly more lax on Pokemon cards than MTG cards; perhaps because it’s just not their specialty so they don’t know what lighting conditions are best and what to look for. Thanks again for your input.
1 Like
Facts on 985 and counting…that’s fine, as long as it keeps going up in price lol
1 Like