The strongest collector thesis making rounds today was the idea that the first stretch of Sun & Moon sits in a sweet spot, low graded populations, weaker historical attention, and less oversupply than a lot of later modern. That argument has legs. It also fits a broader shift away from ultra-common PSA 10 moderns, especially with social chatter openly mocking cards sitting on 40,000 gem-mint copies. If this rotation keeps building, early GX-era promos and sealed from the first 10 SM sets look better than a lot of flashy recent product.

Pikachu ex debate was everywhere today, with collectors comparing Start Deck 100 to newer Japanese chase products and asking if the card has run too far or still has room. The key point is structure. Start Deck 100 has always had an unusual scarcity profile, and renewed awareness of the secret Deck 102 chase seems to be lifting interest across the product. Separate from that, BGS 10 Master Ball set-building posts showed there’s still real money for top-condition Japanese niche cards, with reported prices of $360 for Gengar and $430 for Pikachu. That’s collector demand, not just flipper noise.

The headline number making the rounds was Mega Dragonite up 75% since release. That kind of move brings attention fast, and it usually brings weak hands right behind it. Early spikes can keep going for a bit if rip content and pull posts stay hot, but they also tend to flatten once more copies hit the market. Right now this looks like a momentum trade, not a comfortable long-term entry.

One of the more revealing sentiment posts came from a seller who moved a card at 5,600 AUD, then saw fresh listings around 10,000 AUD. That doesn’t automatically mean the market repriced overnight. More often, it means the spread between real transaction value and optimistic list prices is widening. In thin markets, a couple loud listings can distort perception fast. Watch completed sales, not screenshots.