Pokémon TCG's most expensive cards of 2021 were Secret Rare Alternate Art VMAX cards of popular characters, from Umbreon to Gengar to Rayqyaza.

2021 was a tumultuous year for Pokémon TCG collectors. The explosion of box openings on Twitch as well as the pandemic pushed cards to heights in both popularity and price. For people who enjoy the card game for its gameplay, many of the important Pokémon cards to Standard have stayed inexpensive and unbanned, but many of the most popular Secret and Alternate Art Rares have ballooned to triple-digit prices.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, the most popular cards remain the ones that are based on the most popular Pokémon. Classic Pokémon draw a lot of collectors to box openings - there’s still a sense of nostalgia and excitement to pulling an Eeveelution or a Charizard. Obtaining these special cards can be exciting but for collectors looking for the most premium copy, these cards demand a high price on secondary markets.

The holofoil treatments are what sets the price for expensive Pokémon TCG's expansions over the top. These shiny treatments of cards mirror the rarity of Pokémon in the classic RPGs and look great in person and in pictures. For people looking to bling out decks or show off collector pieces, many of the cards they want will be expensive holofoils of Pokémon VMAX. The list coincides with some of the game’s history as well, with lots of expensive Pokémon cards from the game's history getting updates in 2021.

Umbreon VMAX Is The Most Expensive Pokémon TCG Card Of 2021

Umbreon has a history of being one of the most expensive cards in Pokémon TCG history. The star card version from the rare promotional set named POP series 5 goes for an incredible $1,800 in damaged condition on TCGPlayer, although there is no set market price and there haven’t been many sales of the card due to its rareness. Umbreon VMAX’s version from Pokémon TCG's Evolving Skies set, while not being as expensive as the promo, still has a $190 price tag on TCGPlayer mostly due to its art and it being one of the Eevees.

Its power is useful too - Dark Signal allows players to set favorable matchups against opponents who have metagamed their decks. It calls back to the Umbreon star card which also had a disruptive ability to let players choose and discard cards from their opponent's hand, which has led to some comparisons and hype regarding the card. Even if it doesn’t reach the heights of the original in terms of price, the card’s art and effect are definitely worth obtaining and make it the most expensive Pokémon card of 2021.

Charizard VMAX from Pokémon Shining Fates Commands a $130 Price Tag

At this point, Charizard is such a classic Pokémon card worth money in the game’s history that almost every card that has the Pokémon’s face on it comes with an up-front tax. Funnily enough, the classic Charizard from Celebrations’ classic collection doesn’t make the list. Despite being worth money, it’s nowhere near the Charizard VMAX released in the Shiny Vault. Sitting at $130 on TCGPlayer, the Charizard VMAX from Shining Fates’ Shiny Vault series is a collector’s piece, showing off the alternate color in a borderless treatment.

The only way to obtain these special Charizard VMAX versions was through the special promotion during Shining Fates that sometimes replaced a reverse holofoil with a shiny foil. This allowed players to more easily obtain these special versions due to the supply being relatively higher than normal. Most of the other 100 shiny Pokémon cards in Shining Fates aren’t worth as much, but the Charizard has stayed valuable many months after its release.

Rayquaza VMAX is a Legendary Pokémon Card With a High Price

Of course, a classic legendary Pokémon from a fan-favorite game is going to show up as an expensive card and this year’s example is Rayquaza VMAX. The new Rayquaza VMAX from Sword and Shield Evolving Skies carries a significant price tag of $170 on TCGPlayer. Its power is definitely interesting, as being able to refill a hand after playing trainer cards keeps options open. However, since there are many cards that completely refill hands, the price hike is most likely due to the legendary status of the cards.

Gengar VMAX From Fusion Strike Is A New But Expensive Pokémon Card

The rare cards in Pokémon TCG's Fusion Strike are still hard to obtain but another elusive card is Gengar VMAX - released less than two months ago, the alternate art holofoil still sits at $105 on TCGPlayer. Its power lies in the ability to fight other VMAX Pokémon, as there are many other strong evolutions to fight against. A mix of competitiveness and a creative take on its art makes Gengar VMAX a strong and expensive card overall.

The non-foil treatment has a price of around $15, which is still expensive compared to other non-foil cards from Fusion Strike. Many of the most expensive Gengar versions are hand-drawn just like the borderless VMAX version, all sitting at above $100 due to their personality and the monster’s popularity. Much like the creepy and cozy Gengar chair, these cards are popular and unique.

There is a bit of price memory going on with these cards, with different versions of extremely expensive classic Pokémon cards being worth the most despite them not being the exact same card. With speculation at all-time heights due to the hype regarding supply issues and box openings, it might be worth it to collectors to wait until the market settles. While these cards will likely hold value long into the future given their worth is in artistry and notoriety rather than playability, they may still fluctuate as the sets rotate out of standard and begin to go out of print.

The Pokémon TCG has had a long legacy of cards that are expensive, but players that want to play the game on a budget shouldn’t worry. Even with the powerful VSTAR cards coming soon to Pokémon's TCG, prices should stay low for the non-foil versions as The Pokémon Company is usually great at reprinting cards and making sure there are less valuable versions of sought-after Pokémon. These cards are definitely collector's pieces first and game pieces second - obtaining these cards is difficult but will be worth it to those that are fans of the Pokémon TCG.

Next: How To Build A Pokémon TCG Deck Around Your Favorite Card

Source: TCGPlayer