This still looks cheap raw relative to the slab market. A $1,309.67 PSA 10 average is massive, and it tells you condition rarity is doing the heavy lifting. If you can source truly clean copies, this is one of the better old-school condition plays on the board.
The Journal
Gardevoir [1st Edition]Gardevoir [1st Edition] · Pokemon Japanese Galactic's ConquestNM$16.65PSA 10$437.84+20.0%
Chansey [1st Edition]Chansey [1st Edition] · Pokemon Japanese Expedition Expansion PackNM$13.81PSA 10$411.90+6.2%
Daily Market Brief
Oct 5, 2026No. 1886 min read
Old singles rip higher while newer cards cool off
Druddigon, Cresselia, and Mudkip surged as several newer names got cut in half
Today’s market still looks split, and the gap got wider. Scarcer singles and oddball chase cards kept running, with Druddigon from White Flare, Cresselia from Shrouded Fable, and Mudkip from Dragon all up roughly 148% in 30 days, while newer or recently overbought cards like Lugia VSTAR and Mega Gengar ex got smoked, down about 50%.
That lines up with yesterday’s read. This is not a broad rally. Buyers are being picky, paying up for cards that feel hard to replace, while plenty of modern names are getting repriced fast.
Top stories
Older and scarcer singles are still leading the market.
Mudkip from Dragon at $7.77, up 147.76% in 30 days, is the cleanest example of the week’s theme. It’s not an expensive raw card yet, but the PSA 10 average at $1,309.67 shows how badly top-condition copies are bottlenecked. Druddigon from White Flare is doing something similar on a smaller scale, now $23.19 raw with a PSA 10 average of $347.97 after a 148.37% run. This kind of move usually means collectors are chasing supply, not hype.
Newer winners are getting sold into fast.
Lugia VSTAR from Silver Tempest is down 49.53% to $6.61, and Mega Gengar ex promo fell 49.96% to $4.21. That’s a sharp reset, not a normal pullback. In both cases, the raw prices now look much cheaper than their PSA 10 averages, but that doesn’t automatically make them buys. It tells you sellers are prioritizing cash flow and buyers aren’t stepping in aggressively on modern copies unless the entry is really low.
White Flare is a weird mix of hot singles and bad pack value.
Druddigon is one of the strongest gainers anywhere in the market, but White Flare sealed still shows a pack EV ratio of just 0.55x, or negative 45%. That contradiction matters. Collectors clearly want a few singles, but ripping the set still doesn’t pencil out. Usually that means the chase is narrow, and sealed only gets support if the set earns a long-term collector following.
30th Celebration is still the cleanest sealed story on the board.
Pack EV at 1.67x with a 67% margin is miles ahead of the rest of the list. Crown Zenith sits at 0.64x and White Flare at 0.55x, so 30th Celebration isn’t just leading, it’s in a different tier. If you want a set where the numbers actually support opening product, that’s the one today.
Sentiment is starting to rotate away from some headline names.
Mega Sableye & Tyranitar GX improved to a 55.0 sentiment score, and Zygarde GX popped to 70.0, even on light mention counts. On the other side, Mega Charizard Y ex and Shining Charizard both slipped to -40.0, with Umbreon at -20.0. The mention counts are small, so I wouldn’t overreact, but the tone shift matters. Collectors sound more interested in overlooked cards than paying peak prices for the usual trophy names.
Today's movers90 day trend
Gainers
Lugia VSTAR, Silver Tempest, $6.61, down 49.53%Lugia VSTAR · Pokemon Silver TempestNM$6.61PSA 10$116.95+11.5%
Lugia VSTAR, Silver Tempest, $6.61, down 49.53%Lugia VSTAR · Pokemon Silver TempestNM$6.61PSA 10$116.95+11.5%This is what happens when a modern staple loses urgency. PSA 10 average is $116.95, so there’s still grading spread on paper, but modern supply can crush that spread fast. Cheap doesn’t always mean safe.
Decliners
Druddigon, White Flare, $23.19, up 148.37% in 30 daysDruddigon · Pokemon White FlareNM$23.19PSA 10$347.97-20.2%
Cresselia, Shrouded Fable, $27.02, up 148.14%Cresselia · Pokemon Shrouded FableNM$27.02PSA 10$183.39-12.5%
Mega Darkrai ex, Pitch Black, $162.48, down 49.59%Mega Darkrai ex · Pokemon Pitch BlackNM$162.48PSA 10$760.00-59.0%
Druddigon, White Flare, $23.19, up 148.37% in 30 daysDruddigon · Pokemon White FlareNM$23.19PSA 10$347.97-20.2%This is the card everyone needs to keep on watch. The raw price has already moved hard, but a PSA 10 average of $347.97 says high-end buyers still see room in clean copies. The catch is White Flare sealed has poor EV, so this looks driven by single-card demand, not broad set strength.
Cresselia, Shrouded Fable, $27.02, up 148.14%Cresselia · Pokemon Shrouded FableNM$27.02PSA 10$183.39-12.5%Cresselia’s move is more surprising because Shrouded Fable hasn’t had the same broad collector buzz as older sets. PSA 10 sits at $183.39, which is not explosive versus raw, so this looks more like a raw-card squeeze than a grading story. Good sign for sellers, less exciting for submitters.
Mega Darkrai ex, Pitch Black, $162.48, down 49.59%Mega Darkrai ex · Pokemon Pitch BlackNM$162.48PSA 10$760.00-59.0%This is the most interesting loser because the card is still expensive after the drop. A near-50% cut on a triple-digit card usually means prior pricing got way ahead of actual buyer depth. PSA 10 at $760.00 keeps it relevant, but this doesn’t look done unless collector sentiment stabilizes.
Grading spotlight90 day trend
Raw is $41.12 and PSA 10 averages $1,078.71, a projected ROI of 791%. That’s the best headline number in today’s grading list, but the gem rate is only 19.9%, which is the part that matters. This is not a bulk submission card. It’s a cherry-pick card. If centering or surface is even a little off, pass.
Gardevoir [1st Edition]Gardevoir [1st Edition] · Pokemon Japanese Galactic's ConquestNM$16.65PSA 10$437.84+20.0%Raw is $16.65, PSA 10 is $437.84, and projected ROI is 782% with a 44.5% gem rate. That combo is much healthier than Squirtle’s. The upside is still huge, and the odds of actually landing the 10 are far more realistic. This is the better risk-adjusted grading play today.
Chansey [1st Edition]Chansey [1st Edition] · Pokemon Japanese Expedition Expansion PackNM$13.81PSA 10$411.90+6.2%Raw at $13.81 versus PSA 10 at $411.90 gives a 780% ROI with a 43.7% gem rate. Very similar profile to Gardevoir. If you’re buying raw for submission, I’d rather take repeated shots on cards like this than gamble on ultra-tough gems unless the copy is pristine.
Community Pulse
The talk online is still selective, not broad-based. Sentiment improved for Mega Sableye & Tyranitar GX and Zygarde GX, which fits the current mood, collectors are hunting names that haven’t already been bid to the moon.
Meanwhile, the tone around Mega Charizard Y ex, Shining Charizard, and Umbreon softened. That doesn’t mean those cards are broken, but it does say buyers are getting more price-sensitive around the usual blue-chip favorites. Direction today is mildly positive for overlooked cards, mildly negative for expensive trophy-name chases.
Pokemon TCGOctober 05 2026Mudkip DragonDruddigon White FlareLugia VSTARPSA 10 grading30th CelebrationPokemon card prices
Hot card dealsAll deals