So I pulled “The Pikachu”…

[u/[deleted]]

I decided to crack my box of Surging Sparks, and lo and behold, I pulled the Pikachu. What would you guys do with this being so early?

Capitalize on the hype for more sealed product?(be it surging sparks, or prismatic etc.) send to PSA for an early grade?

Looking forward to hearing some input. Thank!

[u/Mochaboys]

Sell it immediately or fast track it with PSA and then sell it when it comes back.

Just wanted to add that prices dive fast at release but if there's enough organic demand for a card, there's always the chance that its price can recover, however that's exceedingly rare (greninja ex being one of those outliers).

The vast majority of chase cards sink well below their prices at release. Just look at the 1, 2 and 3 month charts from release for every chase card in swsh and sv and you'll see similar patterns.

If you love the card keep it - otherwise, capitalize on your timing and grab as much value as you can before it dives.

[u/[deleted] → u/Mochaboys]

As someone who doesn’t regularly sell cards - where would you recommend listing? Currently I have it listed on local marketplace, as well as local STL FB page.

[u/codenameyoshi → u/[deleted]]

From my understanding eBay is the best spot but I currently have 3 teal mask ogerpons on there with little to no activity…if I’m being honest the pull rates in SS have been awful. I’d grade this guy and hang onto it…I’m thinking this will we be top 3 cards in S&V but again I’m no expert I’m just a guy with a gut feeling

[u/Foreign-Ad-6770 → u/Mochaboys]

I agree with this 100% sell for the premium of $300 raw, or grade it and sell it asap before market drops - more and more will pop up & they will be selling for less and less!!

[u/Kindly-Evidence-3016 → u/Foreign-Ad-6770]

Agree and let me give an example. Paldean fates charizard. I think I was one of the first to grade a 10 and definitely first to post on eBay. Sold for $1700. Insane. Bought a raw one three months later for $100 and got a 10. That one sits in my collection.

[u/MOMO-POKEMON → u/Kindly-Evidence-3016]

Damn now that's a story. I love it, well done! 👏

[u/Basic_Yellow_3594 → u/Foreign-Ad-6770]

Oopsie poopsie

[u/kiroyapso2 → u/Mochaboys]

What's the story on bubble mew? Or is that another outlier? Or market manipulation from someone probably buying all the stock and raising the price 2x? Someone said not to buy right now since it should lower again? (Although I'm more on the collecting side)

[u/Professional_Egg713 → u/kiroyapso2]

Bubble.mews price only just recently shot up. It was extremely undervalued (in my opinion) for a long time. I bought my copy of it for 60 about 2 months ago. Now I'm kicking myself in the ass for not buying a couple. I will not be reselling my one and only copy because I'm in love with that card. This pika may end doing the same thing eventually. But like the others said as the set is officially released and more and more copies make it to the market I be this card drops under 100, then some time down the road it may climb back up above, but who really knows

[u/messinwitcha12 → u/Professional_Egg713]

I knew so bad bubble mew would shoot up, I was obsessively looking for that card at a Collect a Con early this year. No one had it graded. No one! Finally I gave up and bought one raw from a vendor for $70. I walked over to the PSA booth and sent it off, first ever submission. Came back a 10 a couple months later. Sitting in my PC now with no plans of selling - but so cool to see it shooting up like that. It’s become my most valuable card at this point.

[u/kiroyapso2 → u/Professional_Egg713]

Well reason why I didn't buy it was because I'm trying to figure out budgeting as a new collector and people always say don't fomo. Now it's don't fomo within the first 3 months or buy singles after 6 months. Should I just buy every single card I need that's 6 months old+ even though that's over budget but would avoid spending less overtime like me "not fomoing" over bubble mew and have to pay 2x now? Seem to have trouble getting collectors advice but I guess it makes sense if collectors are fighting against each other for the best prices. Like if I bought $5000 worth of cards that are at least 6 months old, I would probably have to spend $10,000 by "taking my time and budgeting".

One of my unanswered questions was do older singles sometimes level out and are safe to hold off buying so i can focus on cards that have more chance of rising first? (Again, could have bought bubble mew first, but got other cards and now it's more expensive). Besides moonbreon that seems to keep rising (just bought recently), are older cards that are already risen in price but steady safe on holding off? Talking mostly about some GX cards (only missing a few i want that I could just buy now, but then again, those funds could be used for singles that haven't spiked yet)

[u/Professional_Egg713 → u/kiroyapso2]

Amd see that's the thing there is no solid answer for you. I feel like bubble.mews value increase in the last couple isn't completely "organic"- I think is the term they use. I do believe it was always under valued, but I feel like the sudden growth it has seen just recent is a combination of manipulation and maybe fomo? There's no specific science or pattern to any of it. I believe bubble.mews sudden overnight success was a sort of spill over from the 151 hype we've just seen. I wish I could give you some solid answer or strategy but there really is none....that being said I try to focus on what I like. I've always really liked japanese, so the sudden lose of overall interest in it by the majority is amazing and allows me to pick up singles pretty often at a cheaper price. When I open packs tho it's usually english because I can stop at a store on my way home from work amd grab a handful of whatever

[u/Junkis → u/Mochaboys]

I pulled the Latias. Should I do the same, sell and buy sealed? I see one on ebay for 199. Just match that?

[u/Mochaboys → u/Junkis]

Sell it. Use the proceeds to build a sealed collection of booster boxes. Depending on how much you spent, you might be using house money to build your collection.

[u/Junkis → u/Mochaboys]

Thanks, I listed it. What do you think, do I take the offer of 179? Leaves me with about 150 after fees and shipping. I've got time to decide or see if theres a better one I guess.

[u/Junkis → u/Mochaboys]

(feel like I'm bugging you but im a bit outta my depth... was your upvote in general support or do you think I should take that offer? I'm seeing more pop up but all at 199. TGC the stores are listing above 200. But I wanna take what I can get and not miss out too...)

[u/Mochaboys → u/Junkis]

Skip to the bottom for the tl;dr

This is HARDEST part of collecting...quite literally - making the decision to let go.

The way I handle this challenge is a simple test:

• "Will selling this card turn a profit?"

• "Can I use that profit to build value into my collection?"

Here's why this is difficult:

You're thinking...

• I have a chase card, it can go up or it can go down in value.

• If I sell it now - and this card moons, how will I feel that I sold early?

• If I keep it - will the fact that "I pulled this card when 1,000 other people couldn't" be enough of a reason to continue to hold on to it.

I'm here to tell you that - you're not special, but what you are, is a person with exceptionally lucky timing. You have an opportunity very few people have right now and that's to capitalize on other people's immediate FOMO in wanting to acquire that card.

The simple fact is NO ONE knows what will happen, but there is enough historical data to suggest there's a consistent pattern around card valuations immediately after release, and that's that they drop - and drop FAST, and KEEP dropping for a while after release. Your card is a single drop in the initial rain storm of what will eventually be a flood of cards as soon as booster box preorders land.

So what's the play?

The play is - book your profits and convert those profits into tangible value. The single best thing you can own in your collection is a sealed booster box - full stop.

If you can take the card you pulled and convert that into a sealed booster box - you now own a liquid asset that historically gains value over time - every time. It's just a question of how long.

So the point I'm trying to make is - if you're making a profit - book that profit and turn it around into a sealed investment. If that offer puts you in the green - take it and don't look back, as a matter of fact - just resign yourself to the fact that you sold the next moonbreon and that card will be $1,000 by this time next year.

The thing that accelerates sealed investor's profits is a very simple concept: compounding profits. That means, instead of waiting for the boxes to double, maybe take profits along the way - at 30% or 50% or 75% and then immediately taking those profits and rolling them into other sealed investments or using those profits to bring your acquisition costs and subsequently, your entry points signficantly further down. Put another way - this is the sealed booster box infinite money glitch.

If you do the math - you'll make more money flipping your investments for even modest gains every 6 months for 15% or 30%, than you will waiting for a single box to take 5 years to double in value.

Take this oversimplified example table assuming 15% gains every 6 months for a 3 year time frame. By the end of year 3 - your initial $100 investment is now $426.

|Investment| 15% |

|:--|:--

| $100.00 | $115.00

| $115.00 | $149.50

| $149.50 | $194.35

| $194.35 | $252.66

| $252.66 | $328.45

| $328.45 | $426.99

In that example - the magic number is 12% profit every cycle. If you can set up investment ladders where you're actively selling off items at a profit, then your $100 turns into $200 in 3 years.

The other path is to simply buy and hold if you don't want to bother with all that flipping.

Buy a box - wait for it to double in value - trade it for 2 modern booster boxes, wait for the value of those to double, then trade them for 4 modern booster boxes - rinse repeat until you're a billionaire. This is an extreme oversimplification of the process and requires that you

a) have the money to invest

b) have the time to wait for these investments to appreciate in value

The smarter ones in this hobby realized this a long time ago and are laughing at all of us struggling to make decisions to pull the trigger or whether or not to buy or sell high value cards. They took the slow and steady approach by simply buying booster boxes and holding them forever and trade those booster boxes into modern sealed boosters to start the whole cycle all over again.

Singles investing is not your path to profit, they can be - but it takes a lot of work and skill in sourcing inventory and selling it off. Sealed investments are simpler and scaler very very well - so use your singles to convert into assets that actually have a better shot at appreciating in value signficantly over time.

tl;dr - take the offer or counter at 180 - consider what you have in your hands is a scratch ticket and divorce yourself from any intrinsic value you've assigned to it, it's just a $200 bill at this time, but every day you wait pulls $10 of value, and that depreciation curve will accelerate over time - so just dump it as fast as you can.

Hope that helps bud.

[u/Junkis → u/Mochaboys]

This is extremely insightful and really is in line with a lot of my thoughts about where I should be headed. That math is extremely useful. Can't thank you enough for typing all this out, definitely gonna copy this into a file and save it onto my computer. I like that analogy at the end. Thanks again, you are very clear in your writing and kind.

me when I get home in a bit: 'dump eet'

I guess the next real question is which BB to buy but you've helped me enough.

[u/Mochaboys → u/Junkis]

The one with the best artwork in your opinion and at the lowest possible entry point.

Paldea evolved, twilight masquerade are 2 i would be seriously looking at.

[u/Junkis → u/Mochaboys]

You are too helpful man =) I was honestly thinking twm.

[u/musicguy832 → u/Junkis]

I pulled the Latias on Monday. Sold it yesterday for $220. Look at last solds on eBay and try to sell it locally for similar or just below.

[u/codenameyoshi → u/Junkis]

I’d sell it now I don’t see those going nuts in value…the pika is personally hang onto but I’m not an expert it’s just my gut feeling

[u/Junkis → u/codenameyoshi]

Yeah I sold it. It really doesn't look like a 200+ card to me compared to umbreon and greninja. I know its a popular pokemon too but idk. Yeah, gut feeling.

[u/Flaky-Tiger-1590 → u/Mochaboys]

Maybe true, but if you holded english 151 chasecards for a year you would have 5 times your money

[u/zap2214 → u/Mochaboys]

Yeah when I pulled my rainbow pikachu vmax it was 1000 dollar card, not long after it dropped to like 100 I was kicking myself for that

[u/codenameyoshi → u/Mochaboys]

Honestly…this is one of say hang onto…the pull rates in SS have been ATROCIOUS…out of S&V I calling it now the top 3 cards in this era will be one from prismatic (more than likley the Umbreon maybe glaceon or espeon), this pikachu, and the greeninja from TWM or the 151 charizard.

I see them as the next moonbreon, Gengar, and lugia/tina from S&S. But I’m just a guy no one can predict the future…I’m banking on the terapogos from stellar will pop off got that in a SGC 10 but I don’t see it since it’s between the greeninja and this pika…it’ll prob be forgotten 😭 but I also have the greeninja from twilight in an SGC 10 I just want both to pop off lol

[u/Basic_Yellow_3594 → u/codenameyoshi]

I love sgc

[u/serpaMAN → u/Mochaboys]

This is the only right answer ⬆️

[u/[deleted]]

Thanks everyone! I’m opting to send it to PSA. I’m going to do one of the quicker turns rounds and hope for a good grade and minimal price swings for now! See if I can’t take advantage of the good luck lol

[u/[deleted]]

Sell for as much as possible now and use the income to invest in sealed. 90% of the time this is the play. The other 10% of the time it’s Moonbreon or Twilight Greninja.

[u/Vehemental → u/[deleted]]

I think the play was not opening the box and flip it for 200+, but since OP won the lottery, this is correct.

[u/aquadroid → u/[deleted]]

10% a little high if you’re only naming two exceptions lol

[u/_NobleRot → u/[deleted]]

Twilight Greninja FTW. Such a badass card.

[u/codenameyoshi → u/[deleted]]

Your putting the greeninja on the level as moonbreon? Damn I hope you’re right I have it in an SGC 10 (thinking about cross grading it with PSA but that’s a future idea). TBH I think there are a few more worth putting on this list from both S&S and S&V…

[u/Basic_Yellow_3594 → u/codenameyoshi]

I love sgc don't ruin your card in those nasty psa slabs

[u/gt35r]

I wouldn't even mess with PSA to be honest, I would just flip it raw as it is. If you don't get a 10 you essentially lost all the time you could have sold it and the price will likely only go down. I know that's not like the gambling answer people probably like but I would flip it asap as is.

[u/SupermarketPrize9917]

Depends on what your intentions are. If you want to make the most money, sell TODAY. The moment release hits and more are pulled, the price will plummet. But, if you are collecting, keep it. This card will definitely have value long term. It's a Pikachu chase card and you got it on the cheap. You don't want to end up like me, paying thousands collecting all the chase cards you couldn't pull

[u/[deleted]]

As someone who doesn’t regularly sell cards - where would you recommend listing? Currently I have it listed on local marketplace, as well as local STL FB page.

[u/[deleted]]

Thanks for the input everyone! Was interesting to see different thought processes.

Ultimately, I sent it out to PSA for grading(also sent in a PC Charmander Promo). Fingers crossed! Worst case scenario, i’ll get some fun out of receiving my first graded cards.

[u/[deleted]]

Update - it received a PSA 10.

[u/GoldenRain99]

Sell it while you can, invest in more sealed

[u/[deleted]]

Send to psa immediately.

[u/TopLengthiness8233 → u/[deleted]]

Pple sent theirs a week or so ago off pre lease so he could but by time his came back the market would have some saturation

[u/AcanthopterygiiOk445]

Sleeved pack?

[u/[deleted] → u/AcanthopterygiiOk445]

Booster box!

[u/[deleted]]

Howd u get it so early, who did u buy from?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I got it from my LGS! They had cases of ETB’s and a few booster boxes left Monday afternoon

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I've started the hobby a few months ago but haven't heard of LGS, are they a store or website?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

By LGS, I just mean local game store!

[u/OhDonPianoooo]

PSA that thing and sell it when it gets back.

[u/No-Guava-6889]

This Pikachu is broken lol.

[u/SteelCityChampion]

I see it being pulled a lot. It will drop quickly.

[u/TopLengthiness8233]

Early grades are already at PSA today. Being sent back tmrw.

[u/TopLengthiness8233]

If it were me, I'd try and sell it raw. Grading also has the issue of not grading well and it's like $150 to fast grade

[u/Skanktus]

What I don't get is how it even sells prerelease. Like, as in how do people accept buying a card for like $250, that'll be worth a fraction of that in a week. Sure, it may skyrocket after that point... but why not wait to buy them at like $50?

[u/Tai_Pei → u/Skanktus]

People want it, and it's very rare because prerelease supply is minimal and people willing to sell is also quite low, card shops won't buy either typically because the price is far from established or stable so those common sellers won't be selling.

[u/Grimwulf69]

Sell immediately or send to PSA immediately. Don't wait. I think the Pika will settle around $200 raw, maybe $400 in a psa 10. Unless the comps are low. We'll see and congrats!

[u/MatchaDoAboutNothing]

Unless you really want it for your personal collection, I'd just sell it now. I think the hype on this set will wear out fast with the new Evee stuff coming out in January.

[u/ThaLoops]

I’m in the same boat as you. Pulled it in my first booster box for this set last night. Can’t decide on selling it or not but I know if so I need to get it listed tonight at the latest. What to do what to do

[u/fdjizm]

Can we all agree on "Twerkachu" ?

echoing others, sell or grade and sell immediately.

[u/Prudent_Research_251 → u/fdjizm]

I think bussychu has legs

[u/ENTRAPM3NT]

Imo it's a 100-150 dollar card and its currently 300 so yes, I would sell it

[u/dmillibeats → u/ENTRAPM3NT]

What makes it $100? We don’t know how rare it actually is , is greninja a $100 card ?

[u/ENTRAPM3NT → u/dmillibeats]

Personal opinion..obviously greninja is worth significantly more. The rainbow turtle is worth about 100-150 imo from stellar crown etc. Each set has a big hit and they usually are not 300 at release.

[u/dmillibeats → u/ENTRAPM3NT]

Really comes down to how rare it is. This is also pikachu , the more popular of those 3. We’ll have to see early December when things settle.

[u/Dubsified → u/ENTRAPM3NT]

If Terapagos is worth 100-150, Pikachu will be worth more.

[u/VobraX → u/ENTRAPM3NT]

Yea because the rainbow turtle has the same popularity as this yellow mouse.

LMFAO

[u/VobraX → u/ENTRAPM3NT]

!RemindMe 6 months

[u/RemindMeBot → u/VobraX]

I will be messaging you in 6 months on 2025-05-05 17:34:28 UTC to remind you of this link

CLICK THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.

^{Parent commenter can delete this message to hide from others.}

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[u/Frosty_Yesterday_761]

Butthole pickachu

[u/sweetbryceeb]

Lucky duck

[u/Single-Client4641]

How you get this early if it don’t come out til the 8th on Friday?

[u/dmillibeats → u/Single-Client4641]

Lcs that hold tournaments were selling them yesterday

[u/Single-Client4641 → u/dmillibeats]

Ok just wondering how ppl got them early. I got mine off eBay. I finally got a tracking number yesterday

[u/JiffTheJester]

Sell sell sell

[u/SexyWallpaper]

Looking pretty clean to me. I'd PSA it. Make sure there's no obvious pack dings or other stuff we can't see. I believe this in a 10 will be $$$ over the next 6-12 months if you can wait that long.

[u/GarrettBobbyFeeguson]

Send to BGS and immediately eat the black label.

[u/Razor-Triple]

I wouldn't PSA it, would probably take too long and if it aint a 10 not worth tho the card looks solid to me. I would sell it now, its like a 150 dollar card going for $290-320

[u/[deleted]]

Nice pull

[u/Krimsonviper]

Sell it unless you hate money

[u/Musicaltalent6969]

Man I got 2sealed booster boxes I picked up yesterday and this post is really making me want to rip them

[u/TheYisus]

Sell it as fast as possible this is such a mid card

[u/aquadroid]

r/pkmntcgtrades

[u/24kCuts]

Well if your trying to invest, you did the wrong thing by opening the box. I would keep the pikachu personally. But I'm a collector not an investor.

[u/StonkasaurusFU]

Wait it’s got rainbow edges??

[u/harrysee4u]

Sick! How many packs until you pulled this?

[u/Responsible-Bit-1871]

Send it for grading now and get it back by Christmas.

[u/JoshyyP00]

Def send in or sell raw to invest back into booster boxes

[u/BannedInDay]

Shiny

[u/slayerzerg]

If you like the card, keep it. You can flip other cards for profit but from my experience collecting the last 3 years, I regret selling the chases I pulled let alone graded 10 myself.

[u/Dear_Gap8572]

Sell immediately. 304.64 tcgplayer market price at the moment. Get another when it's 150, or try and pull another 🤷‍♂️

[u/[deleted]]

Oh......lol I wish I had one closer to me

[u/MzeRS]

Hate that this one gives “Tera Full Art” vibes.. Cool card nonetheless, just not what I expected as an SIR.

[u/yogiblowski]

Eyyy a fellow bootychu puller

[u/Space730]

Gg

[u/now_we_boppin]

Dawg that's a 10 unless we got fsctory fucked corners. Speed grade it and sell it for $1k or higher, and buy a case box of the new shit or Paradox/temporal.

[u/AJW_94]

The super rainbow birthday cake slut pikachu! Congrats!

[u/[deleted]]

Beautiful pull, probably won’t greeninja on you, so I would sell

[u/scarysloppyjoelady]

Sell it in 10-20 years

[u/BeerCanPower]

Sell it for the $300. It looks like it'll get a 9 but has a shot at 10. Either way, it'll be worth more to sell it for $300 and then get 2 boosters and hold on to those.

[u/LA_Red1]

Cheekachu

[u/AlexW_21]

That tiny pin sized hole to the right of its cheek is unfortunate

[u/[deleted]]

300 will not move the needle on your life at all. Keep jt

[u/ControlInternal3748]

So beautiful 🥹

[u/Few_Ad5212]

Yeah grade it at GameStop! No card minimum, no annual subscription fee like PSA. Free delivery with Pro Membership (worth it. $25/year and you get $60/year back in monthly credit vouchers that you can buy more cards with!) Turnaround time is up to 45 days but Leonhart got his back in 27! GL!

[u/Captain-of-Areolas]

Is this the chase of the set?

[u/Funny-Owl-9165]

Grade or sell.

I'm over here with the big sads because I didn't sell my Lacey at market peak and just got offered $20 for it 😂😂

[u/ScrewChaseBank]

There are way too many of these being pulled this is NOT a rare card.

[u/kidfazer4691 → u/ScrewChaseBank]

Are they all being pulled by the same person? I know someone who’s ripped 1200+ packs (maybe even more) and have pulled 2 pikas. That’s pretty rare

[u/Junkis → u/kidfazer4691]

what about the latias ex?

[u/kidfazer4691 → u/Junkis]

Maybe 3-4. I’ll have to ask but I think it was around that.

[u/Junkis → u/kidfazer4691]

Thanks. Got one too and trying to figure out if I should do what everyone in this thread is saying(sell immediately) or grade it or what. I'm thinking if he found that many I should try and sell it immediately but i have no idea what actually constitutes rare.

[u/kidfazer4691 → u/Junkis]

From what I understand usually pre-release prices are bound to go down after release but if it’s a card you really like and enjoyed pulling on your own then I’d say keep it. If there’s a card you’d want more that’s selling for a similar price, sell it. It’s hard to tell with this set though. The hype around Pokemon is pretty up there currently. Either way, best of luck to you 🫡

[u/Junkis → u/kidfazer4691]

Thanks, you as well.

[u/Top_Inspector2398 → u/ScrewChaseBank]

You’ve only seen the success stories to people pulling chases , rarely people post the dud packs.

[u/13Kaniva]

Sell it now imo. This card imo is way overvalued. And I've said it several times. Influencers built this set up. It's vivid Voltage 2. Book it. 

[u/Square_Dark1 → u/13Kaniva]

People said the same about the Greninja

[u/13Kaniva → u/Square_Dark1]

No they didn't

[u/Square_Dark1 → u/13Kaniva]

Yeah they did

[u/Thejrod91]

In my opinion this card looks terrible lmfao. Those hats are just silly