While the first rainbow rares appeared in 2017‘s Sun & Moon set, new ones continue to be added in contemporary sets too. So rainbow rares that also boast strong competitive utility break out above counterparts solely valued for collecting. They found competitive rainbow rares held a 69% higher average value over non-competitive versions. Rainbow rares like Charizard VMAX, Mewtwo VSTAR, and Genesect VMAX that are competitive staples trade for higher prices.Ī 2021 field study by hobby research group Carddlegends tracked the market prices of competitive play and non-competitive rainbow rares. Competitive Value Matters TooĬards that are viable for tournament play see extra demand from players optimizing decks.

You can see how the PSA 10 commands over 6x the price of a LP copy of the same card! Proper storage and protection is essential to preserve value. Take a look at sale prices for the Rainbow Rare Charizard VSTAR from Brilliant Stars across various PSA grades: PSA Grade PSA graded Gem Mint 10 copies sell for many times more than cards graded in lightly played or moderately played condition. That means the condition of a rainbow rare has an enormous impact on value. Thanks to the textured foil surface, rainbow rares tend to show wear and damage more easily than typical cards. Nostalgia and competitive relevance also influence which Pokémon command the highest rainbow rare prices. Here‘s a comparison of average sale prices for some top rainbow rares: Rainbow Rare Card But the Rainbow Rare Charizard VMAX from Champion‘s Path sells for $196.82 on average – over 20x as much! (Price data via TCGPlayer Market Price tools.)

Super popular species like Charizard, Pikachu, Eevee, Mewtwo, and Lucario fetch much higher premiums for their rainbow cards.įor example, a Rainbow Rare Lucario VMAX from Fusion Strike has an average sale price of $8.99. While any rainbow rare is considered valuable, the Pokémon featured has a huge impact on price. And that scarcity immediately makes them more desirable to collectors. To put that in perspective, here are rough pull rate tiers for key Pokémon TCG rarities according to BBBA_Paul, a respected Pokétuber: Rarity TierĪs you can see, rainbow rares have roughly 10-20x lower pull rates than a typical ultra rare card. But the odds can stretch as high as 1 in 300 packs for certain rainbow rares. Across all Pokémon TCG sets, they appear at an average pull rate of just 1 in 80 packs according to hobby probability analysis. Rainbow rares stand out thanks to very limited availability. Let‘s dive into the details on why these modern rarities command such high prices. In short – rainbow rare Pokémon cards can be worth a tremendous amount to collectors and investors.

Pokemon card rainbow charizard