I mean, this circles back to @smpratte 's video on what’s the best era.
Of course most people on here tend to disagree with SWSH being the best or 2nd best.
VSTAR Universe with its 70-90+ alts hasn’t come out yet either, so best days behind us? Only for those living in the past!
Genetic engineering, or robotic revolution?
Maybe both? This, crossed with Chimp genes jurassic park-style for that unpredictable domesticity combined with robotic microplasma torch implants in the cheeks. What could go wrong?
Alt Arts aren’t rare.
They may be scarce due to demand, but just because the pull rates are incredibly low doesn’t mean the card is rare. There are over 2500 Umbreon VMAX Alt Arts graded in just a little more than one year since the release of Evolving Skies. There are more Umbreon VMAX Alt Arts graded than there are Umbreon Holos (1st Ed. & Unl.) from Neo Discovery. 2,517 vs 2,152
Also, I hate the name Alt Art. I really wish TPCI would have just given these cards a designated name or star in the title so they can be distinguished. Isn’t a full art V an alternate of a normal V so could you say that is an alternate art?
alt art isn’t an accurate term for the type of card. it is more widely accepted internationally as SA (special art). Alt art is typically used for something that just has a different artwork, like the Vs that end up in tins and other sorts of promos that receive slightly different artwork, but are still within the same rarity type of card layout.
as for rarity, they are technically more rare than something like a gold star or neo shining. also, i do not think judging a print run by the number of cards graded, especially considering how cards released today are treated vs cards released 20 years ago. the % of SA umbreon vmaxes graded would be far higher than the % of neo destiny umbreons graded simply because grading wasn’t a fad back then like it is now.
which brings me to my unpopular opinion,
grading is a fad.
corrected: grading bad cards is a fad
Pokemon is a fad.
you’re not wrong
5ban full V is not art, so its an alt art
It is art, just not the kind most people seem to enjoy
Yeah. I think “grading is a fad” is certainly applicable to the late 2020/early 2021 boom of grading things like modern reverse holos, but not to grading as a whole. There is a reason why PSA has been in existence since 1991 lol. Hard to call that a “fad.”
I mean, all set cards arent rare
Just keep track of Vivid Voltage PSA populations, all of the cards keep going up from the pandemic backlog.
Grading Orbeetle Vs and etc.
Which is rarer a set card or a promo card?
Then there are print runs of different languages.
The individual rainbow cards are the hardest for each set, but imagine that in Indonesian or Thai with presumably much smaller print runs.
yeah especially box structures similar to japan where you only get one secret per box and HRs are even less rare than SRs.
relatively low print run (compared to english)
global demand
low pull rates
the only real exceptions are special sets like vmax climax where they deliberately print it until there is no more demand, but prices reflect that
I agree with you on all levels.
The demand for it exceeds those though.
Should it be that expensive? Who knows at this point.
A modern set with junk slabs does not mean PSA grading is a “fad.” Lol.
And that Umbreon comparison is relatively tame! I was curious, so I came up with some other comparisons that further demonstrate the pure insanity of the modern grading mania:
2015-2020 Charizards graded by set:
Evolutions (2016): 75,144
Hidden Fates (2019): 20,974
Darkness Ablaze (2020): 20,432
Champion’s Path (2020): 26,999
SWSH black star promos (2020): 71,221
SM black star promos (2019): 41,243
2003-2010 Charizards graded by set:
Skyridge (2003): 1348
EX Dragon (2003): 1285
EX FireRed (2004): 1308
EX Crystal Guardians (2006): 2185
EX Dragon Frontiers (2006): 1925
EX Power Keepers (2007): 1479
DP Secret Wonders (2007): 916
PL Arceus (2009): 1590
PL Supreme Victors (2009): 1780
DP black star promos (2009): 1082
I think that some people haven’t quite internalized the scale at which modern is being opened and graded. We’re not talking about 2x as much product. We’re not talking about 10x as much product. We’re talking about 20-100x as much product – and 99% of it is mint. It’s astounding. And it gets crazier if you just compare the PSA 9-10 populations.
