CGC Cards Hot List: CGC Pristine 10 Pokémon Cards

5. Pokémon Playing Cards: Old Maid

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Interestingly, the fifth-highest set to include the most Pristine 10 cards isn’t a Pokémon TCG set at all. Instead, the Pokémon Old Maid cards are part of a Pokémon-themed playing card game based on the classic Old Maid card game played by children around the world. Instead of featuring humans, the cards instead feature Pokémon that can be traded among players to be matched into pairs. The “Old Maid” of the card game is Gengar, while special cards — such as Ditto and Meowth — have special instructions to make the game more unique and interesting.

4. Terastal Festival ex

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It’s no surprise that Terastal Festival ex, one of the most recent (and most popular!) sets of the Pokémon TCG, has a large number of CGC Pristine 10 cards in the CGC Cards Population Report. Submitters have been sending in their favorite cards by the hundreds, resulting in thousands of cards of various grades. Many have been graded CGC Gem Mint 10 or CGC Pristine 10, helped by the fact that the set is brand new, and that some cards (we’re looking at you, Umbreon ex) are worth their weight in gold, warranting extra protection and attention from collectors.

3. VMAX Climax

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In 2022, The Pokémon Company released VMAX Climax in Japan. The set includes several reprints of past cards released during the Sword and Shield era, including several Pokémon V and VMAX cards. Additionally, VMAX Climax is notable for introducing the Trainer Gallery subset, which includes full-art cards featuring a trainer and their Pokémon. These Trainer Gallery cards are very popular with collectors, and many strive to build a full set of CGC Pristine 10 cards.

2. VSTAR Universe

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VSTAR Universe (or Crown Zenith in English) was released in 2023 as the final expansion in the Pokémon Sword and Shield Pokémon TCG series. VSTAR Universe is notable for its full-art Secret Rare cards, which include fan-favorites such as Keldeo, Charizard, Arceus and Hisuian Samurott. The set also features several Secret Rare trainer cards, including Cynthia and Irida.

1. Pokémon 151

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Pokémon 151 is, by far, the most popular Scarlet and Violet TCG set released yet. Pokémon 151 features the original 151 Pokémon introduced in the Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Green Version games for the Nintendo Game Boy in new and vibrant illustrations, including some full-art illustrations that have fans and collectors alike scrambling to get their hands on packs. Despite having been released in 2023, Pokémon 151 is still sold out on most store shelves because of its continued popularity.

And really, how could the set not be popular? The Japanese Pokémon 151 set introduced the coveted Poké Ball and Master Ball reverse holo patterns, and many Pokémon were featured in their own Secret Rare cards, including Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur and more. Additionally, several cards within the set sell for hundreds of dollars, making the coveted CGC Pristine 10 grade even more desirable for collectors and dealers alike. It’s no wonder that Pokémon 151 is the set with the most CGC Pristine 10 cards recorded in the CGC Cards Population Report!

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