5 Pokémon Cards From Destined Rivals Every Collector Must Have
It has been around a month since Destined Rivals, the latest Pokemon card set, has been released to the market. And boy, the hype for this product has been pulling collectors towards it like a massive black hole. As such, it would be wise to chase cards that offer a lot of bang for the buck down the road. We tackle down below five cards from these set that are worth having.
Team Rocket’s Nidoking
First on the list is a Special Illustration Rare (SIR) card of Nidoking from the Destined Rivals set. Right from the get-go, the dynamic art of Uninori strikes out as the poison/ground type Pokemon shatters the ground before it. At the back is Giovanni as the Team Rocket leader glares with an unquestionable air of mischief.
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Thanks to its striking look and the fierce art that comes along with it, the Nidoking SIR is doing rather well in the TCG hobby right now. One copy in a PSA 10 slab sold for $665, which highlights the demand collectors have for the said Pokemon card.
Team Rocket’s Moltres
In Pokemon lore, Moltres is one of the three legendary birds Ash encountered during the first season way back in 1999. In this card set, though, it’s one of the chases everyone is hoping to find.
The card itself is fire translated well onto cardboard as Giovanni is seen once again with the legendary bird. The artwork by Akira Egawa successfully translates the fiery body of Moltres to capture how jaw-dropping the Pokemon is.
And the artwork is’t the only impressive thing about it. A Team Rocket's Moltres encased in a gem-mint PSA 10 slab went for $565. With that kind of value, there’s really no loss whenever a card of this magnitude is pulled from a pack.
Ethan’s Ho-Oh
Much like the Moltres SIR card, Ethan’s Ho-Oh is another offering from the Destined Rivals set that looks pretty cool when held in hand. With the Pokemon taking up much of the card’s space and Ethan himself looking in awe from below, collectors will have the same feeling whenever this is obtained from a pack.
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The Ethan’s Ho-Oh SIR Pokemon card is doing rather well in the market right now. Those fortunate to pull it and get a PSA 10 grade have a chance to cash in at its current value of $700 after one sold on eBay recently.
Cynthia’s Garshomp
The Sinnoh Pokemon League champ is here and she’s making a statement with her Garshomp card in Destined Rivals. The artwork by Hico Jim perfectly captures the duo’s fierceness in battle as it crashes down on those who would oppose them.
Along with the card’s beauty, collectors can also expect a hefty price for Cynthia’s Garshomp in the market. A PSA 10 of it is currently valued at $247 after a raw copy sold on eBay. This makes the card one of the most sought after by people buying Destined Rivals in the hobby right now.
Team Rocket’s Mewtwo
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Standing tall above every other card in the Destined Rivals set is no other than Team Rocket’s Mewtwo. Thanks to the Pokemon’s popularity, collectors have been searching far and wide to get their hands on it. It also helps that Iwamoto05’s art used for the card encapsulates Giovanni’s character as one of the franchise’s primary villains and Mewtwo’s status as one of its most powerful Pokemons out there.
Over on eBay, a PSA 10 slab is valued at $1,250. Not too shabby at all, especially for the lucky collectors who managed to pull it with just one pack.
It remains to be seen where the prices of these Pokemon cards will be in a couple of months. What’s certain, though, is that these offerings have a good chance of surviving in the market and retaining their value for the long term.
Julio Munar is a sports and culture writer. His expertise revolves around the NBA, but his passion is sports cards and collectibles. He has written for ClutchPoints and The Manila Times, among other outlets.