The Pokémon 30th Celebration Reprints vs. The OGs: Part 6
The last five cards to be featured from the 30th Celebration Classic Collection all fall under the "ultra modern" classification, so for the majority of the Pokémon TCG fans out there, these will likely be the most familiar of the bunch.
Sword & Shield Zacian V
Zacian V was a popular character in the TCG during its time in the Standard format, and that's really the main reason why said card was placed in the Classic Collection.
As the lone representative of every V card, Zacian V didn't need the flashiest design or the most colorful artwork to gain respect within the Pokémon TCG landscape. Instead, the focus was put mainly on its usefulness in competitive play.
The 30th Celebration Classic Collection reprint goes for $7, while the original is only worth $1 according to current market prices.
Vivid Voltage Amazing Raikou
Amazing Rare cards were, for the most part, just unique pulls that didn't have much competitive usage in the early 2020s. That being said, Amazing Raikou was one of the exceptions to that commonly accepted idea.
Thanks to all the energy draw support available at the time, Amazing Shot was a powerful attack that did way more damage than it had any business of dealing. On top of that, Amazing Raikou was just a one-prize attacker as well!
The 30th Celebration Classic Collection Amazing Raikou goes for around $10 today, while the original print from Vivid Voltage trends at half that price.
Fusion Strike Mew VMAX
Mew VMAX has a strong argument for being the greatest VMAX card ever printed, and honestly, it checks all the possible boxes. It was incredibly powerful during its time in the Standard format; it features an iconic Pokémon, and its art style is simple enough to stay affordable while still having strong eye appeal.
Mew VMAX is a World Championship-winning card, and everyone who has it in their binders purely for collection purposes definitely has a good perception of value for money. Overall, it's one of the best cards released in the last five years and definitely has a place in Pokémon history.
Like most cards that were at the peak of competitive viability once upon a time, Mew VMAX stays affordable for pretty much every type of collector. The 30th Celebration reprint has a $20 market price, while the Fusion Strike copy sells for $5 less on average.
Brilliant Stars Arceus VSTAR
Pretty much the VSTAR equivalent of Mew VMAX, Arceus VSTAR was not only a visually appealing card, but it also happened to be one of the strongest in the competitive TCG rotation during its years in the Standard format.
Arceus VSTAR was also a key part of a World Championship-winning deck and honestly deserves to be the lone representative of the VSTAR line more than any other card.
Both the 30th Celebration reprint and the OG are affordable and would make for great pieces in someone's binder. The Arceus VSTAR from the Classic Collection has a current market value of $10, while the Brilliant Stars version is trending at $5 as of writing.
Paldea Evolved Magikarp
The Magikarp Illustration Rare from Paldea Evolved gets all of its appeal from the amazing artwork that few cards from that era could really match. As is the case with Magikarp in the video games, this card had zero competitive viability — but that's also why its value has held up strongly even three years later.
The 30th Celebration Classic Collection Magikarp is currently the third-most valuable of the 30-card subset at $88. The OG copy from Paldea Evolved, meanwhile, takes a big leap, with a $355 market value as of the time of writing.
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Joaqin is a journalist with a strong passion for the Hobby. He has published work for HLTV.org, Rappler.com, and DLSU Sports. A decade-long Pokémon TCG collector, he recently shifted into sports cards to collect Lakers, Dodgers and Chargers players with growing PCs of Shohei Ohtani and Justin Herbert.