On March 10, a PSA 10 copy of the SIR Pokémon card Umbreon ex from the hot new Prismatic Evolutions set sold on eBay for $2,900. Now that might sound like a lot of money for a small cardboard rectangle, but it’s about $1,000 less than similar graded versions of the card were going for in mid-February.
This rare Pokémon card has been the most expensive, most-hyped up card from the newest Pokémon set ever since it came out on January 17. The most expensive Umbreon eBay sale we spotted online went through the week before official release, for an outrageous $19,000.
Since then, of course, prices have been far lower, but PSA 10 graded copies of Umbreon ex have still regularly been sold for about $4,000. Now the value of the card appears to be clearly shrinking, as new copies of Umbreon ex are changing hands for under $3,000.
New Pokémon cards are expected to go down in value a little as the initial burst of hype dies down, and more copies start to enter circulation, so in some ways this isn’t that surprising. But Prismatic Evolutions didn’t so much have a burst of hype as a non-stop barrage, and this could be a sign that things have reached their peak.
Right now it feels like Pokémon collectors are waiting with baited breath for the other shoe to drop on Pokémon card prices. We’re still seeing plenty of cards, including other Prismatic Evolutions cards, rise in value, and most products fly off the shelves the moment they’re restocked, but there’s certainly a sense that we’re in a bubble that won’t last forever.
That said, upcoming Pokémon sets are looking very hot. The Team Rocket set in particular is expected to be a nostalgic crowdpleaser, so it may be that the Pokémon card market doesn’t lose momentum for a good while yet. Who knows, perhaps Moonbreon 2 will be back up in price sooner or later!
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Source: Wargamer
