| Card | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Zenith GG Mewtwo VSTAR · PSA 10 | $260 | $150 | +73% |
| Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex SIR · Raw NM | $550 | $420 | +31% |
| Mega Gengar ex SIR · Raw NM | $1,530 | $1,100 | +39% |
| Mega Dragonite ex SIR · Raw NM | $700 | $598 | +17% |
| Mega Starmie ex · Perfect Order 118 · Raw NM | $90 | $75 | +20% |
| Charizard VSTAR · Galarian Gallery · Raw NM | $60 | $63 | -5% |
| Card | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurgle's Rot (Warhammer 40K) · NM | $13 | $10 | +30% |
| Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice · NM | $5 | $1 | +400% |
| Eye of Nidhogg · NM | $8 | $2 | +300% |
| Displacer Kitten (Secret Lair) · NM | $55 | $40 | +38% |
| Intuition (Reserved List) · NM | $340 | $280 | +21% |
| Mox Opal (Masterpiece Series) · NM | $1,140 | $900 | +27% |
| Card | Sale Price | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 Topps Steve Carlton RC · SGC 10 | $49,099 | Apr 19 | eBay |
| Ohtani 2025 Topps MVP 1/1 Foilfractor Auto | $41,189 | Apr 19 | eBay |
| Aaron Judge 2017 Topps Transcendent 1/1 Auto | $37,600 | Apr 21 | eBay |
| Ohtani 2018 Bowman Chrome Auto RC · BGS 9.5 | $27,200 | Apr 18 | eBay |
| Cooper Flagg Topps Chrome Base Auto · Raw | $27,500 | Apr 20 | eBay |
Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex is the undisputed heavyweight of the current Pokémon market. This Special Illustration Rare has had an extraordinary month, surging from $420 to $550 raw NM — and the driver is anniversary hype in its purest form.
The dark aesthetic of the original Team Rocket set (2000) is experiencing a massive collector resurgence. Collectors are scrambling to secure these high-art grails before supply dries up. The pull rate for SIRs is mathematically tighter than base set numbers suggest, and as diamond-hand holders remove supply from the market during the 30th anniversary window, floors across mascot-themed SIRs are rising.
Grade premium analysis: Raw NM copies are trading at $550. PSA 10 population data is critical here — low pop on a $550 raw means a PSA 10 could realistically land at $1,200–1,800. The grade premium math is compelling if you're sitting on clean copies.
Risk factors: Hype-driven spikes can retrace 20–30% once the anniversary window closes. Do not buy at peak unless you intend to hold 12+ months or are targeting the grade premium play specifically.
Welcome to Issue #001 of the Cardboard Economy Weekly Market Intelligence Report. I've spent 40 years watching this market evolve from a kids' hobby into a legitimate alternative asset class — and I can tell you with confidence: we are in the most interesting period I've ever seen.
Three things are happening simultaneously that have never happened before. The Pokémon 30th anniversary is driving nostalgia money into the market at scale. Magic: The Gathering is about to cross into mainstream pop culture with the Marvel collaboration in June. And sports cards just posted their highest single-card sale in modern history with the Aaron Judge Superfractor at $5.2 million.
What does that mean for you? It means the floor across all three categories is rising, and the collectors who move before the headlines do are the ones who win. The Mewtwo ex SIR was $420 three weeks ago. It's $550 today. The Premodern Reserved List cards were $5 a month ago. Some are $13–15 today. The Flagg autos were $4K in December. A base auto just cleared $27,500.
This report exists to make sure you're never on the wrong side of those moves. We'll be in your inbox every Monday with the data, the analysis, and the specific calls. Welcome to the market intelligence side of this hobby.