the Pokémon TCG: Celebrate Expansion was released on October 8th, 2021 with a range of festival cards that fetch a high price from dealers and collectors. To mark the 25th anniversary of the legendary card game, Celebrations is commemorating the most popular, significant and interesting cards in the Pokémon TCG from its entire history.
The celebrations gave longtime fans and newbies a chance to collect 25th anniversary cards that mark some of the franchise’s key milestones. In addition, new prints and versions have been released that have been updated to the current standards of the TCG so that they are playable as soon as the expansion is released. However, some of the cards have retained their original graphics and capabilities and cannot be played if the original card is not legal.
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The Celebrations Classic Collection comprised 25 cards from the franchise’s past, which quickly became the most valuable cards in the expansion during pre-sale and initial release. These classic cards weren’t guaranteed in the expansion’s four-card packs, making them a rare hot commodity that players were willing to spend a little more money on. However, some of the new, one-of-a-kind cards in the set also made their commemorative list as part of the Pokémon TCG’s 25th Anniversary expansion.
Pokémon TCG: Celebration – Charizard ($ 114)
Unsurprisingly, Charizard’s Classic reprint has stayed at the top of the pricing tables since Celebrations was released. In commemoration of this iconic Basic Set Pokémon, Celebrations has reissued the TCG’s most expensive card to date, making it more widely available to players who don’t have to spend thousands on an original Basic Set card. Charizard Pokémon Cards are hugely popular in any set they belong in. This classic Pokémon’s popularity as one of the franchise’s mascots has not diminished in its 25-year history, which is reflected in the cost of relaunching the celebrations.
Pokémon TCG: Celebrate – Golden Poké Ball ($ 75)
While prices for the Celebrations Golden Poké Ball have fluctuated since its release, it continues to sell for more than $ 130, although it also retails for just $ 20. This promotional card was included in the Ultra Premium Collection box, along with metal commemorative prints of the Pikachu base set and the Charizard base set and a gold Pikachu V print.
Pokémon TCG: Celebration – Gold Shiny Mew ($ 57)
This shiny gold card from Pokémon Mew is the only secret rare card from Celebrations, making it one of the most sought-after pulls in the expansion. Gold Shiny Mew is only available in the Celebrations collection and did not appear in the Japanese 25th Anniversary Collection.
While Mew is another old franchise favorite, this Gold Shiny Mew is a new card introduced in the Celebrations expansion rather than a remake. With its extreme rarity, it peaked at nearly $ 120 when the expansion was released, making it one of the most valuable cards in the expansion.
Pokémon TCG: Celebration – Gold Pikachu V ($ 54)
Along with the golden Poké Ball, which is included in the Ultra Premium Collection box, a golden print of Pikachu V came to the game as another playable promo card. These golden cards are an exclusive print for celebrations, which makes them very popular with collectors looking for unique cards from this anniversary expansion.
Pokémon TCG: Celebrate – Gold Star Umbreon ($ 45)
Another of the expansion’s most sought-after cards, Gold Star Umbreon commemorates the 2007 release of Gold Star Umbreon, which was exclusively available in special POP Series 5 packs released at certain Pokémon Organized Play events. Along with Gold Star Espeon, these two eeveelutions from Pokémon were part of the latest release of Japanese promotional cards made available in English.
The Gold Star cards were notoriously difficult to come by, which brought Gold Star Umbreon to a festive re-issue. The release of Celebrations’ Gold Star Umbreon made this famous rare card more widely available for the first time in TCG history, reaching a price of $ 200 during the game’s presale.
Pokémon TCG: Celebrate – Shiny Magikarp ($ 27)
The original Shiny Magikarp was one of the first Shiny Pokémon to be introduced to the trading card game, and it’s an exciting addition to the game that the Celebration Remake will bring to mind. Since Red Gyarados was the first shiny Pokémon introduced into the series in Pokémon: Gold & Silver, Shining Magikarp followed in 2001 as an unnumbered promotional card. Shiny Pokémon were extremely rare secret cards that were originally limited to just 1 per deck, making them very popular with players and collectors.
Pokémon TCG: Celebrate – M Rayquaza EX ($ 18)
M Rayquaza EX contains another popular Pokémon in Rayquaza, the Mega EX form of which introduced the Mega Evolution mechanics of Pokémon: X & Y. This card is playable in the expanded format, making it highly sought-after damage by players looking for the powerful statistics and ability of M Rayquaza EX.
With its deck archetype that allows players to deal up to 240 damage in the first round, it was a hugely popular card in the 2015 and 2016 competitive games.
Pokémon TCG: Celebrate – Pikachu VMAX ($ 16)
Alongside several other Pikachu VMAX cards released as part of the Pokémon TCG premium character collection Celebrations – Pikachu VMAX set. With its massive Gigantamax Pikachu figure, this set has enormous appeal for collectors. The Pikachu VMAX card is a great collector’s item as the etched foil promo card of the set.
Pokémon TCG: Celebrate – Mewtwo EX ($ 13)
Mewtwo’s Card, another popular Pokémon among fans, is included in the Classic Collection with Mewtwo EX, a reprint of the full graphics card from the Pokémon TCG expansion Next Destinies from 2012. As the original print is a Black Star promo from the expansion the Pokémon: Black & White series, this reprint has added to the series of coveted Mewtwo cards. Like M Rayquaza EX, Mewtwo EX can be played in the extended format.
Pokémon TCG: Celebration – Happy Birthday Pikachu ($ 12)
Another iconic Pikachu card, Pikachu of ______, was originally released as one of the original 53 Wizards Black Star promo cards before Wizards of the Coast stopped producing Pokémon cards in 2003. Popularly known as Happy Birthday Pikachu in the Pokémon TCG, this card had a special ability that allowed players to do 50 extra damage on their birthday, quickly banning it from competitive play.
It was printed in Japan as part of a “Create Your Own Pokémon Card” campaign run by Wizards of the Coast and was available in English from the Pikachu World Collection, available exclusively at Pokémon Park 2000 in Sydney. Australia. The rarity and history of this card make it theirs Pokémon TCG: Celebrate Reprint valuable for collectors and fans.
Source: Pricecharting.com
About the author
Damien Freidly
(38 published articles)
Damien Freidly is a game guide and features writer for Screen Rant. He completed his bachelor’s degree in English in 2020 and is a singer in his spare time.
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