Is AV Star Card Rare? Yes, Here‘s Why VSTAR Cards Are So Valuable
The new VSTAR card type introduced in 2022‘s Pokemon TCG sets are proving to be extremely rare and valuable pulls. VSTAR cards depict powerful Pokemon species like Arceus, Charizard, and Mewtwo with high HP, strong attacks, and one-time use VSTAR Powers. These mechanics and scarcity factors make certain VSTAR cards the most sought after and expensive cards from the latest Sword & Shield sets.
VSTAR Card Rarity Overview
VSTAR cards have very low pull rates compared to other major Pokemon card types like GX, V, and VMAX. Out of the roughly 200 cards in a typical Sword & Shield expansion, there are only around 5-10 different VSTAR species featured. And those have steep rarity ratios:
- Regular VSTAR – 1:90 Booster Packs
- Rainbow Rare VSTAR – 1:120 Packs
- Gold VSTAR – 1:300 Packs
- Alternate Art VSTAR – 1:500+ Packs
So your chances of pulling one of the rainbow, gold, or alt art VSTAR cards in any given Pokemon TCG booster box or opening are extremely lucky. That scarce availability drives up secondary market prices.
Why Are The Top VSTAR Cards So Expensive?
Here are the key factors that make the rarest VSTAR cards so valuable for collectors and investors:
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Useful In Play – VSTAR Pokemon have high HP and strong attacks, making them viable in competitive tournaments and ranked play. There is gameplay value behind the rarity.
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Low Population – With only 5 to 10 different VSTAR species in a set, and ultra rare versions being 1:300+ pack pulls, these cards have very low populations.
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Iconic Pokemon – Popular mascots like Charizard, Mewtwo, Arceus have VSTAR cards, attracting investor interest.
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Amazing Art – The alternate arts and special rarities have stunning and unique illustrations.
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Early Releases – As the first set of cards for a new mechanic, early VSTARs could gain nostalgia value over time.
Let‘s look at the 20 most expensive VSTAR cards on the secondary market currently and why they command such high prices.
Top 20 Most Valuable VSTAR Cards
| Card | Price | Why So Valuable |
|---|---|---|
| Giratina VSTAR (Alt Art) | $200+ | Extremely low population as an alternate art VSTAR. Useful competitive card. Gorgeous and iconic art. |
| Arceus VSTAR (Gold) | $150+ | Premier mascot Pokemon with a gold ultra rare version. Arceus VSTAR sees meta play. Very scarce. |
| Charizard VSTAR (Rainbow) | $120+ | Rainbow rare version of the series mascot Charizard. Popular Pokemon drives demand. |
| Mewtwo VSTAR (Alt Art) | $100+ | Short printed alternate art of powerful Mewtwo VSTAR. Unique beautiful illustration. |
| Palkia VSTAR (Alt Art) | $90+ | One of the most visually stunning alternate art VSTAR cards. Very low supply. |
| Dialga VSTAR (Alt Art) | $80+ | Like Palkia, an amazing alternate art addition for this legendary. Short printed. |
| Lugia VSTAR (Gold) | $70+ | Scarce gold rare version of a fan favorite legendary bird. |
| Mewtwo VSTAR (Gold) | $60+ | Gold ultra rare print of strong M2 VSTAR card. High playability. |
| Charizard VSTAR (Alt Art) | $50+ | Any alternate art Charizard will command prices due to popularity. Short supply. |
| Arceus VSTAR (Alt Art) | $50+ | Arceus VSTAR sees tournament play. Alt arts have smallest print runs. |
| Lunala VSTAR (Alt Art) | $40+ | Beautiful cosmic looking alternate art for this psychic legendary. |
| Whimsicott VSTAR (Alt Art) | $35+ | Whimsicott VSTAR is a strong disruptive card in competitive play, adding meta value. |
| Machamp VSTAR (Rainbow) | $30+ | Rainbow rare print of a playable fighter Pokemon. |
| Charizard VSTAR (Regular) | $25+ | Chase card as the Kanto starter, even normal version holds solid value. |
| Arceus VSTAR (Rainbow) | $25+ | Another case where rainbow rare Arceus VSTAR has high demand. |
| Rayquaza VSTAR (Alt Art) | $25+ | Rayquaza remains immensely popular among fans, scarce alt art. |
| Dialga VSTAR (Rainbow) | $20+ | Nice rainbow rare of the temporal legendary. |
| Palkia VSTAR (Rainbow) | $15+ | Spatial legendary Palkia with a collector-favorite rainbow rare version. |
| Magnezone VSTAR (Rainbow) | $15+ | Rainbow print helps drive up value for this competitive VSTAR card. |
| Lunala VSTAR (Rainbow) | $10+ | Even normal rarity Lunala VSTAR has great art and collector appeal. |
*Market prices as of March 2022. Subject to change based on supply and demand.
As you can see, the alternate art and special rarity (rainbow, gold) versions of powerful meta relevant Pokemon make up the top tier of VSTAR card values. Their extremely limited supply and fantastic art gives them great appeal.
How Do VSTAR Cards Compare to Other Rare Types?
VSTAR cards stand out as being more scarce than many recent Pokemon card mechanics, including:
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VMAX – Sets have 10-15 different VMAX species usually, much more than VSTARs. Pull rates around 1:50 packs.
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GX – GX cards were also more plentiful than VSTARs, with most sets having 20+ different GX cards. Around 1:30 pack pull rates.
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EX – EX Pokemon saturated sets with 20-30+ different species on average. Were easy to acquire compared to VSTAR rarity.
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Shining Legends – The Shining subset (Shining Volcanion, Mewtwo, etc) falls around VSTAR scarcity at 1:300 pack rates.
So you can see that within the modern era, VSTAR cards stand out as being on the more limited side when it comes to number of different cards and pull rates. Especially for the ultra rare alternate arts.
This scarcity combined with the strength of VSTAR abilities for competitive play makes them a compelling investment option.
VSTAR Sealed Investment Outlook
The VSTAR mechanic kicked off in early 2022 with the Brilliant Stars set. It will continue through at least mid-2023 with regular expansions containing VSTAR cards:
| VSTAR Card Sets | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Brilliant Stars | Feb 2022 |
| Astral Radiance | May 2022 |
| Lost Origin | September 2022 |
| Silver Tempest | November 2022 |
| Crown Zenith | February 2023 |
For investors and collectors, sealed booster boxes and build & battle boxes from these sets offer chances at the valuable VSTAR pulls.
Early indications suggest that VSTAR-era boxes may appreciate faster than recent sets, due to increased interest in the new VSTAR cards. However, as with any sealed product, long term holding (5+ years) is recommended to realize big returns.
Final Thoughts
VSTAR Pokemon bring exciting new mechanics and artwork to the Pokemon TCG hobby. Their increased scarcity compared to other modern card types like VMAX make the ultra rare versions true chase cards. Iconic species, beautiful alternate arts, meta relevance, and early nostalgia potential all boost VSTAR prices. For these reasons, the rarest VSTAR cards are among the most valuable pulls in current sets. Both sealed products and singles represent an alluring opportunity for investors and collectors in 2022 and beyond.