Pokémon EX Era cards from the early 2000s are suddenly valuable in 2025 because of their extreme rarity compared to other vintage sets. These cards, like Gold Star Rayquaza and Torchic, come from a time when Pokémon was less popular, so far fewer were printed than in the Neo era sets such as Neo Destiny or Neo Revelation. For example, a PSA 10 English Gold Star Rayquaza now tops $100,000, while PSA 9 versions have sold for $29,000 and Pikachu for $9,300https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL_zErg5cMg. Even PSA 9 Gyarados Gold Stars hit $20,000 in top conditionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL_zErg5cMg.
This boom ties into a larger 2025 Pokémon TCG surge, where collectors chase iconic chase cards from past eras. Gold Stars stand out over Shining Pokémon because of that low print run during the EX period, driving prices sky high as supply stays tiny. Demand spiked this year as nostalgia hits hard, with high-grade examples fetching insane sums that outpace even some modern hitshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL_zErg5cMg.
The overall market helps too. Newer sets like Scarlet & Violet Surging Sparks see top ex cards like Pikachu ex at $339, but many dipped in December 2025, shifting eyes back to vintage raritieshttps://bleedingcool.com/games/pokemon-tcg-value-watch-surging-sparks-in-december-2025/. Journey Together’s top seller, Lillie’s Clefairy ex, sits at $208, yet it pales next to EX era gemshttps://www.slab-z.com/post/top-5-selling-cards-from-scarlet-violet-journey-together. Mega Evolution era cards, with beasts like Mega Lucario ex and Mega Gardevoir ex, echo that ex hype but lack the vintage scarcityhttps://gatheringgames.co.uk/community/blog/10-most-expensive-cards-in-mega-evolution-base-set-pokemon-tcghttps://www.tcgplayer.com/content/article/The-10-Most-Expensive-Pok%C3%A9mon-Cards-of-2025/7f39e243-6210-44e0-9fe2-0e62d6ca83fb/.
Sealed booster boxes from Japanese sets are also inflating fast due to retirement from print and regulation changes that limit older cards in play, pushing collectors toward EX era singles and sealed product alikehttps://snkrdunk.com/en/magazine/2025/12/08/the-hottest-collectibles-top-30-japanese-pokemon-tcg-booster-boxes-with-skyrocketing-value/. Forums buzz with these trends, confirming the EX shift as part of broader market heathttps://www.elitefourum.com/c/price-and-market-discussion/13.
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL_zErg5cMg
https://bleedingcool.com/games/pokemon-tcg-value-watch-surging-sparks-in-december-2025/
https://www.tcgplayer.com/content/article/The-10-Most-Expensive-Pok%C3%A9mon-Cards-of-2025/7f39e243-6210-44e0-9fe2-0e62d6ca83fb/
https://www.slab-z.com/post/top-5-selling-cards-from-scarlet-violet-journey-together
https://gatheringgames.co.uk/community/blog/10-most-expensive-cards-in-mega-evolution-base-set-pokemon-tcg
https://snkrdunk.com/en/magazine/2025/12/08/the-hot