The card that launched a thousand collections and arguably built the modern trading card hobby as we know it
Banning and censoring tend to have the opposite effect when it comes to massively popular franchises, and Pokemon is no exception, with fans scrambling to get their hands on cards they'll never be able to use competitively
Twenty years later, I still feel that same anxiety
Starting near MSRP at 5,500, prices grew steadily as collectors realized the Mew VMAX SA and Mew V SA artworks were Japanese-exclusive and increasingly difficult to find in sealed product: Sep 2021 : 5,500 (slightly above MSRP 4,950) Jan 2022 : 8,000 early adopter demand as Mew VMAX dominated competitive play Jun 2022 : 12,000 competitive demand absorbing sealed stock Jan 2023 : 18,000 collector interest in Mew V SA artwork grows Jun 2023 : 25,000 sealed supply visibly declining in Japanese market Jan 2024 : 32,000 international collector demand accelerating Jun 2024 : 38,000 approaching current levels Apr 2026 : 45,000 card rush buy price 40,000 implies ~45,000 market The appreciation trajectory from 5,500 to 45,000 represents an 8 price increase over 4.5 years
