The Pokémon TCG released its Celebrations expansion in 2021, featuring rare reprints and unique cards that commemorated the franchise’s 25th Anniversary. As the Sword & Shield series’ 7th expansion, this set contains both the main set and a subset called the Classic Collection, which features reprints of 25 of the TCG’s most popular and famously rare cards from throughout its history. The cards in this anniversary expansion mark iconic moments and releases like the introduction of Shiny Pokémon to the TCG. While some of Celebrations’ cards are updated to fit the Sword & Shield series, others retain their original stats and abilities and are limited in competitive play accordingly.
The Pokémon Celebrations expansion has great classic cards like holo rares, ultra rares, and promotional cards, making some of the cards that were previously almost impossible to obtain widely available for the first time in the Trading Card Game’s 25-year history. This expansion is pretty generous toward players and collectors when it comes to obtaining rares, but some of its cards are much more difficult to pull than others. Not only that, but the value of these cards has not gone unnoticed by scalpers, which can make it potentially difficult for players to get their hands on a copy of their own. These are the rarest cards in Celebrations.
Celebrations' Charizard Is One Of Pokémon TCG's Rarest & Most Valuable Cards
The Classic Collection’s reprint of Base Set Charizard is the most valuable Pokémon TCG card of Celebrations, topping the set’s price lists and selling for up to $299 at the expansion’s release. This card’s Ultra Rare status was bolstered by the fact that Charizard cards are among the most popular cards in any set they’re included in. The original Base Set print of Charizard sells for thousands of dollars, making it one of the most highly valued cards in the franchise to date. While the Celebrations reprint doesn’t quite fetch the same price, it’s still one of the rarest and most exciting pulls in the expansion’s classic set.
Pokémon TCG: Shining Magikarp Is One Of Celebrations' Rarest Cards
The first appearance of Shining Magikarp marked the introduction of Shiny Pokémon to the TCG. In reference to the Red Gyarados that players’ first experience with Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon: Red & Green, finding a Shiny Magikarp made a thrilling addition to the TCG when the card was released in 2001 as part of the game’s 10th expansion. Originally limited to only 1 Shiny per deck, these cards quickly became some of the rarest and most valuable cards in the entire game. The Celebrations reprint of Shining Magikarp is one of the Ultra Rare cards included in the Classic Collection, commemorating this card’s original rarity and importance to the game.
Celebrations' Gold Star Umbreon Is A Very Rare Pokémon Card
One of the game’s rarest and hardest cards to obtain was Gold Star Umbreon, which was released exclusively as part of the POP Series 5 expansion. These cards were only available in packs handed out at the Pokémon Organized Play events that were held in 2007 from March to September.
Along with Gold Star Espeon, two of the best Eevee evolution cards championed the POP Series 5 in of both rarity and desirability, and original prints of Gold Star Espeon are still some of the franchise’s rarest cards. Gold Star Umbreon’s Celebrations reprint is the first time this Pokémon has been made widely available in the TCG, though it’s still an Ultra Rare and one of the hardest to pull in the anniversary expansion.
Pokémon TCG: Celebrations' Rarest Cards - Xerneas EX
Originally part of the XY Base Set, Xerneas EX was one of the Pokémon to first introduce Fairy-type energy to the TCG. This new energy was the first to be added since the inclusion of Dark and Metal types, marking a momentous occasion for the series. Xerneas EX was one of the XY Black Star Promo cards, making it highly sought out and earning it a commemorative reprint in Celebrations. This card is one of the expansion’s Ultra Rares that sold for about $20 at the set’s initial release.
______'s Pikachu Is A Valuable Celebrations Card
______'s Pikachu is a very unusual Pokémon TCG card, asking players to fill in their name and birthday to customize it. On the player's birthday, the card gets a potential boost to its stats determined by a coin flip. It may not be the most impressive card on this list, but the concept is undeniably cute. This unique mechanic is also easily abusable by dishonest players, leading to the Birthday Pikachu card being banned in tournaments. That hasn't killed the desirability of its Celebrations reprint, however, as the card commands more market value than most of the others in the expansion.
Mewtwo EX Is One Of The Pokémon TCG: Celebrations Expansion's Rarest
Mewtwo has played a pivotal role throughout the entirety of the Pokémon franchise, from its importance in the overall Pokémon lore to its powerful competitive potential in the TCG. As the original Mewtwo EX was released in 2012’s Next Destinies expansion, both it and the Celebrations reprint are legal to play in the current expanded format. Mewtwo's popularity in Pokémon paired with its status as one of Celebrations’ Ultra Rares places it among the rarest and most-desired cards in the anniversary expansion.
M Rayquaza EX Heralded Mega Evolution To The TCG
Another fan-favorite Pokémon TCG card, Rayquaza made its appearance in the Celebrations expansion in its Mega Evolution form as M Rayquaza EX. As one of the Pokémon who heralded the arrival of Mega Evolution mechanic in the Pokémon TCG, M Rayquaza EX was a highly sought-after card for its impressive stats and competitive capabilities. M Rayquaza EX also showcases the Ancient Traits of this era in the TCG, making it an excellent commemorative card for Celebrations.
Its reprint features the card’s striking borderless artwork and has sured the value of its original print. Like Mewtwo-EX, it can currently be played in the game’s expanded format, making this Ultra Rare card a hot commodity for competitive players and collectors alike.
Gold Shiny Mew Is An Incredibly Rare Card In Pokémon TCG: Celebrations
Celebrations’ only Secret Rare card, the gold, Shiny version of Mew is an iconic rare card that marks an exclusive print of one of the franchise’s popular mascot Pokémon. There is no Japanese equivalent of this card in the 25th Anniversary Collection, making it all the rarer for collectors worldwide. This full-art gold card is extremely eye-catching, making it a rare prize for those lucky enough to pull it. Selling for up to $150, this anniversary edition of Mew is the first of the Pokémon’s 36 appearances in the Pokémon TCG to be featured as a Secret Rare shiny card.
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