Image via the Pokémon Company
Whenever a new Pokémon TCG set hits the shelves, a few things are on most of our minds. First, of course, is “will we even be able to buy this set?” But shortly after, many of us start to wonder about chase cards. Which cards in the set are rare, coveted, and, for those who view Pokémon cards as an investment, the most valuable? As someone who writes about Pokémon cards pretty regularly, I find the chase card conversation fascinating. So often, the rarest cards, the ones with the highest resale prices, automatically top the list. But when I’ve ranked chase cards on price in the past, I’m often shocked at which ones fetch top dollar.
Personally, I collect Pokémon cards that feature my favorite Pokémon or artwork that suits my taste. That often means I’m squinting at the most coveted cards like, “Really, that one?” So, I decided to try something a little bit different for our chase card list for Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration here at Bonus Action. I’m going to list out the top 5 most expensive cards (per PriceCharting), aka the “chase” cards many people will be hoping to pull. But instead of ranking them by how much they cost, I’ll be ranking them on vibes. Essentially, which ones have the best art, the coolest Pokémon, the overall cool factor that would make me actually happy to pull them from a pack, before ever checking the resale price.
5th Place: Mew RBG Secret Rare Trio
I’m lumping these 3 in together because they’re far and away the rarest, and therefore priciest, chase cards from 30th Celebration. And, respectfully to the artist’s vision, they’re also… not my style. At all. I like how each one is a different color in the spectrum, but the washed-out mono-color look where you can barely see the featured Pokémon is one of my personal least favorite trends in the TCG. I’ll admit that the overall look of all 3 together is pretty cool as intended, but the odds (or cost) of making that happen are sky-high.
Depending on which one you pull, these are fetching some wild prices on the resale market right now. Here’s where PriceCharting places each of these, in their ungraded forms:
- Mew R/RGB – $4200+
- Mew B/RBG – $3700+
- Mew G/RBG – $3500+
So I guess if I pulled one of these, I’d be excited about the fact that it could possibly pay my mortgage for a month or two. But beyond that, I don’t really care for this art style at all. So ranked by vibes, this comes in last place. Sorry, Mew. You’ve had better cards.
4th Place: Lugia 30th Celebration Classic Collection Reprint
Okay, listen. I have no disrespect for Lugia itself. And I think the retro reprints in 30th Celebration are a beautiful way to honor the history of the TCG. This Lugia was originally a holo Secret Rare from the 2003 Aquapolis expansion, making it an exciting return to a long-bygone era. But historic or not, I really do not care for the overall look of these e-cards. The yellow/gold barcode lining just makes the whole card feel squished into a small area, leaving even less room for the artwork than a typical common card. So, while I do like the actual Lugia art on this card, and the cool multicolored background for the text area, it’s a meh from me overall.
But if you’re in it for the value? This is currently sitting under sealed product and the Classic Collection pack, with ungraded cards selling for around $225 a pop. If you like owning a piece of Pokémon history, the e-card era is definitely an interesting one. But personally, I’d rather see a stunning full art or a really cute Eevee card than pull this guy, so into the 4th place slot it goes.
3rd Place: Charizard 30th Celebration Classic Collection Reprint
This card is, of course, a classic. The original is one of the chase cards from the Base Set. And to this day, it’s still a pretty stunning rendition of Charizard that really captures its fiery essence. Hands down, it’s a great card, and it would’ve been a crime not to include it with the classic cards for 30th Celebration. But me? I’m more of a Water and Grass-type trainer, so the fire lizard ranks last in my heart for the Kanto starters. I do love the retro art style here, and I think I’d be pretty excited to pull one. But there are just other cards that would excite me far, far more.
On the resale market, people are trying to make a Charizard reprint happen in a pretty big way. This one is sitting at somewhere around $180 ungraded, with PSA 10 getting up near $2000. That’s nowhere near what a retro card will run you, but it’s not half bad either.
2nd Place: Magikarp 30th Celebration Classic Collection Reprint
Today I learned this card is a reprint of an Illustration Rare from Paldea Evolved, which was released back in 2023. Somehow, I think looking through 30th Celebration chase cards is the first time I’ve seen this one. If we were ranking by resale price, Magikarp would come in last on the chase card list, as it’s worth the least of the top 5 for 30th Celebration so far. Ungraded, it’s selling for around $93, which isn’t half bad as far as Pokémon cards go, but is hardly the most impressive resale value of the set. But on vibes, I kind of love this one?
Like all of the 30th Celebration classic cards, it’s got a special gold border to denote its reprint status. That border goes beautifully with the original art, which has a lot of gold and yellow hues to it. And I’ll admit, I kind of have a soft spot in my heart for Magikarp. Poor guy just flops around and then one day, BAM, rage dragon evolution. I love how majestic the maligned Pokémon looks in this card art, and the background reminds me of those rainbow scratch-off art things. And I do mean that in a good way.
1st Place: Mew ex Illustration Rare
Very interesting that Mew is the only Pokémon with new card art in the top 5 for resale value so far. The other slots for highly priced, rare cards from the set are mostly reserved for reprints from the Classic Collection. And of course, unsealed product is being resold for eyebrow-raising amounts. But this set does bring in some great new artwork for fans to enjoy, and this is what a good Mew card looks like in my not-entirely-humble opinion.
Unlike those ultra-rare Mew RGB cards, you can actually see Mew in this one. And even better, it looks adorably sleepy, like it’s just waking up from its long hibernation. I love the mysterious forest vibes of the background, and the overall bright, sunny look to it. I didn’t pull this one when I opened packs, but I would’ve been delighted if I had. And not because it’s currently sitting at around $100 for ungraded resale average. This one would go straight in the “adorable cards I must keep at all costs” collection. So, even if it’s not the most pricey chase card in the set, it is my favorite of the most highly coveted cards so far.
Looking for more Pokémon TCG coverage? Check out our review of 30th Celebration.
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