Across the 81 days we have been recording prices, vintage WOTC-era Pokemon sets have held value better than modern ones — +14.3% on average against -20.1%. The strongest set in the window was Jungle (+43.3%); the weakest was Destined Rivals (-37.0%). Based on 175 chase cards across 17 sets, priced daily.
Set by set, best to worst
| Set | Era | Cards | Set value now | Change | Since we started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jungle | Vintage | 12 | $2,530.77 | +43.3% | |
| Neo Genesis | Vintage | 10 | $3,419.38 | +26.5% | |
| Fossil | Vintage | 8 | $2,457.78 | +24.0% | |
| Base Set 2 | Vintage | 11 | $1,179.42 | +14.5% | |
| Gym Heroes | Vintage | 8 | $1,346.64 | +6.4% | |
| Team Rocket | Vintage | 12 | $2,749.24 | +5.1% | |
| Base Set | Vintage | 13 | $1,782.29 | +3.8% | |
| Champion’s Path | Modern | 7 | $29.14 | -7.2% | |
| Paldea Evolved | Modern | 13 | $120.39 | -7.7% | |
| Evolutions | Vintage | 9 | $257.26 | -9.3% | |
| Shining Fates | Modern | 7 | $28.63 | -15.3% | |
| Surging Sparks | Modern | 12 | $715.88 | -18.5% | |
| Crown Zenith | Modern | 13 | $91.19 | -18.9% | |
| 151 | Modern | 10 | $681.27 | -24.0% | |
| Mega Evolution | Modern | 11 | $1,005.61 | -25.9% | |
| Celebrations | Modern | 8 | $58.93 | -26.4% | |
| Destined Rivals | Modern | 11 | $860.64 | -37.0% |
“Set value” is the combined market price of the chase cards we track from that set, not a complete set. Comparing the same basket day to day is what makes the change column meaningful.
Vintage against modern
| Era | Sets | Cards | Average change | Best | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vintage (WOTC era) | 8 | 83 | +14.3% | Jungle +43.3% | Evolutions -9.3% |
| Modern | 9 | 92 | -20.1% | Champion’s Path -7.2% | Destined Rivals -37.0% |
Biggest individual movers
| Card | Set | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feraligatr | Neo Genesis | $503.94 | +269.2% |
| Vaporeon | Jungle | $312.49 | +196.2% |
| Mewtwo | Base Set 2 | $158.36 | +141.8% |
| Flareon | Jungle | $341.66 | +126.1% |
| Steelix | Neo Genesis | $198.50 | +72.1% |
| Raichu | Fossil | $202.80 | +71.0% |
| Snorlax | Jungle | $567.79 | +66.0% |
| Zapdos | Fossil | $229.25 | +55.4% |
| Team Rocket’s Moltres ex | Destined Rivals | $56.84 | -46.1% |
| Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex | Destined Rivals | $303.93 | -40.0% |
| Lt. Surge’s Fearow | Gym Heroes | $200.00 | +39.9% |
| Fire Energy | Crown Zenith | $2.29 | -39.3% |
How this is measured
We query the TCGplayer market price for every tracked card once a day and append it to our own price history. Market price is the level completed sales cluster around, not a seller asking price, and all figures are for raw ungraded copies. A set only appears here once we have at least 4 cards and 7 days for it, so a set can be tracked without yet being comparable. When a source is unreachable we record nothing for that day rather than carrying the previous value forward, so a flat line is a flat market and not a gap in collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are vintage Pokemon cards holding value better than modern ones?
Over the 81 days we have tracked them, yes: the WOTC-era sets in our sample averaged +14.3% against -20.1% for modern sets. That is a short window and should be read as early data rather than a market direction.
Which Pokemon set has performed best recently?
Jungle, at +43.3% across the tracked window, measured on 12 chase cards.
Where does this price data come from?
TCGplayer market prices, recorded daily by Comic Book Co and stored as our own series. We publish the full per-set breakdown free.
How often does this page update?
Daily, automatically, as part of the same job that records the prices.
Collected market data, published for research. Not an appraisal and not investment advice.
