Price charting for the EX Ruby & Sapphire Cascoon points to a modest but real collectible: the raw, ungraded card currently trades around $2.58 per PokemonWizard, while aggregators like CardBase list a higher reference value near $10.89 for the same 2003 #26/109 printing. The gap between those two figures is the first thing any collector should understand. Cascoon is an Uncommon from the very first set of the EX era, and its price depends almost entirely on condition, version, and whether it has been professionally graded. To put real numbers behind it: PSA’s auction records show just three total recorded sales of this card adding up to $80.50, including a PSA 9 that sold for $5.50 and PSA 10 Gem Mint copies landing in the $35 to $40 range.
So a flawless graded copy can be worth ten to fifteen times a loose, played one. That spread is the single most important fact when you try to price this card. For example, a collector who pulls a Cascoon from an old binder and sees a $35 “value” online should not assume their copy is worth that. That number reflects a PSA 10, not a raw card with edge wear. The realistic figure for most ungraded copies sits closer to $2 to $3.
Table of Contents
- What Does Price Charting for the EX Ruby & Sapphire Cascoon Actually Show?
- Why Do Raw and Graded Prices Diverge So Sharply?
- How Do Versions and Languages Affect the Price?
- How Should You Price a Cascoon You Actually Own?
- What Limitations and Risks Affect Cascoon Price Data?
- How Does Cascoon Fit Within the EX Ruby & Sapphire Set?
- What Does the Hard Cocoon Poké-BODY Mean for Playability and Demand?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Price Charting for the EX Ruby & Sapphire Cascoon Actually Show?
price charting for this card means tracking the difference between raw market value and graded sale results over time. The raw market price hovers near $2.58, which is typical for a Stage 1 Uncommon from a high-print-run early-2000s set. EX Ruby & Sapphire was the first EX-era expansion, released in 2003, and Cascoon sits at #26/109 as a Grass-type with 70 HP, the Hard Cocoon Poké-BODY, and the Poison Thread attack. The comparison that matters is between data sources.
PokemonWizard’s $2.58 reflects recent ungraded sales, while CardBase’s $10.89 is a broader catalog estimate that can lag behind the real market. When two reputable sources disagree by a factor of four, the lower, sales-based figure is usually the more honest one for a common Uncommon. Catalog “values” often blend listings, asking prices, and stale data rather than completed transactions. As an example of how this plays out, a seller listing the card at $10 based on CardBase may sit unsold for weeks, while a $3 listing that matches PokemonWizard’s data moves quickly. Price charting helps you avoid anchoring to the optimistic number.
Why Do Raw and Graded Prices Diverge So Sharply?
The divergence comes down to grading scarcity and buyer psychology. A raw Cascoon is plentiful, so it stays cheap. A PSA 10, by contrast, is a verified Gem Mint specimen, and the PSA population for this card is small enough that only three auction sales are on record. Low supply of high-grade copies pushes their prices into the $35 to $40 zone, while a PSA 9 sold for just $5.50, barely above raw value. The warning here is about grading economics.
Submitting a $2.58 card for grading typically costs more in fees and shipping than the card is worth unless it grades a perfect 10. A PSA 9 outcome on Cascoon nets roughly $5.50, which after a $15 to $25 grading fee is a net loss. Grading only makes financial sense if you are highly confident in a 10, and even then the margin is thin. This is a card where speculative grading rarely pays. Collectors who grade Cascoon usually do it to complete a graded set, not to profit.
How Do Versions and Languages Affect the Price?
The EX Ruby & Sapphire Cascoon exists in both regular and reverse-holo versions, and the reverse-holo commands a premium because fewer were printed and they show condition flaws more readily. Reverse-foil copies, especially graded ones like a PSA 10 reverse Cascoon, are tracked separately from the standard card and typically sell higher than the $2.58 raw baseline for the regular version. Language adds another layer. English printings dominate the U.S.
market, but Spanish-language copies of this card also exist, including Spanish reverse-holo versions listed on eBay. A collector building a specific regional set may pay more for a scarce Spanish reverse holo than for the common English regular. The tradeoff is liquidity: foreign-language and reverse-holo copies can be worth more but are harder to sell quickly because the buyer pool is smaller. For example, an English regular Cascoon might sell within days at $3, while a Spanish reverse holo could ask double that and take much longer to find a buyer who specifically wants it.
How Should You Price a Cascoon You Actually Own?
The practical approach is to identify your exact version first, then match it to completed sales rather than catalog estimates. Confirm it is the #26/109 from EX Ruby & Sapphire, check whether it is regular or reverse holo, and note the language. From there, lean on sales-based data: roughly $2.58 for a raw regular English copy, more for reverse holo, and $35 to $40 only if it is a genuine PSA 10. The tradeoff to weigh is grading versus selling raw.
Selling raw gets you a few dollars immediately with no fees. Grading ties up the card for weeks, costs money upfront, and only rewards you meaningfully on a perfect grade. For a card whose PSA 9 sells at $5.50, the math favors selling raw unless the surface, corners, and centering are flawless. Compared to chase cards from the same set, like the EX Ruby & Sapphire holos, Cascoon is a filler card. A collector spending grading budget would see far better returns submitting a Charizard or a popular EX over a common Stage 1.
What Limitations and Risks Affect Cascoon Price Data?
The biggest limitation is thin sales volume. With only three PSA auction sales totaling $80.50 on record, the graded “market” for Cascoon is essentially a handful of data points. A single high or low sale can swing the apparent average dramatically, so any graded price you see should be treated as approximate rather than firm. The warning for buyers and sellers is to distrust precision.
When a price tool shows a confident-looking $10.89, remember that the underlying data may be a small sample or a catalog estimate, not a liquid market. Some details about this card, such as the illustrator, were not confirmed in available sources, which is a reminder that even basic card data can have gaps. Always cross-check at least two sources before committing to a price. Condition grading on raw copies is also subjective. A card you consider near-mint may grade PSA 8, which for Cascoon would sit between the $5.50 PSA 9 and raw value, offering little upside.
How Does Cascoon Fit Within the EX Ruby & Sapphire Set?
Cascoon is one of the 109 cards in the base EX Ruby & Sapphire expansion, the set that launched the EX era in 2003 and introduced Pokémon-ex cards with their high risk-reward mechanics. As an Uncommon evolution of Wurmple, Cascoon is a connective card in the set rather than a headliner, which is exactly why its price stays low and stable.
For example, set collectors often buy Cascoon as part of a bulk lot to fill the #26 slot cheaply, then spend their real budget chasing the set’s ex cards and holos. That role as an affordable set-filler is the most accurate way to understand its place and its price.
What Does the Hard Cocoon Poké-BODY Mean for Playability and Demand?
Mechanically, Cascoon carries the Hard Cocoon Poké-BODY, which reduces incoming damage by 30 during the opponent’s turn, plus the Poison Thread attack and a two-Colorless retreat cost. In 2003-era play, that damage reduction made it a sturdier-than-average bench-sitter while evolving Wurmple toward Dustox, but it was never a competitive standout.
Today that playability has little bearing on price; demand for Cascoon is driven by collectors completing the set, not players building decks. A concrete sign of this is that the reverse-holo version, which has no gameplay advantage over the regular, consistently outsells it on value precisely because collectors, not competitors, set the market for a 20-year-old Uncommon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the EX Ruby & Sapphire Cascoon worth?
A raw, ungraded copy trades around $2.58 per PokemonWizard, while CardBase lists a higher reference value near $10.89. Graded PSA 10 copies sell in the $35 to $40 range.
What card number is Cascoon in EX Ruby & Sapphire?
It is card #26/109, a Grass-type Stage 1 Pokémon with 70 HP and Uncommon rarity, from the 2003 set.
Is it worth grading my Cascoon?
Usually not. A PSA 9 sold for just $5.50, which after grading fees is often a net loss. Grading only makes sense if you are confident in a PSA 10.
Why do price sources disagree on Cascoon’s value?
PokemonWizard’s $2.58 reflects recent completed sales, while CardBase’s $10.89 is a broader catalog estimate that can lag behind the actual market.
Does the reverse-holo version cost more?
Yes. The reverse-holo and foreign-language printings, such as Spanish reverse holos, typically sell above the $2.58 baseline for the standard English card.
