Is Shiny Mew the Rarest Shiny?

In short – yes, Shiny Mew is definitively one of the rarest and most coveted Shiny Pokémon. As an elusive Mythical with extremely limited event distributions, getting your hands on a legitimate Shiny Mew is like finding a golden ticket. Let‘s dive into the data and factors that cement Shiny Mew‘s pole position in rarity.

The Significance of Shinies in Pokémon

Before analyzing Shiny Mew specifically, it helps to understand what makes Shinies special in the first place.

As you probably know, Shiny Pokémon are prized for their alternate color palettes. Seen in the wild, they stand out with unique sparkling animations. Now, Shinies do not hold any competitive advantage. They have the same stats and movesets as regular Pokémon of their species.

Instead, the value of Shinies comes down to scarcity. It provides bragging rights and collecting clout to have rare alternate color variants of popular Pokémon.

In core series games, the base Shiny probability is a miniscule 1 in 4096. Let‘s put that into perspective:

Odds of…	Rate
Being dealt a royal flush in poker	1 in 649,740
Being struck by lightning in your lifetime	1 in 15,300
Finding a wild Shiny Pokémon	1 in 4096

As you can see, encountering any wild Shiny feels like a lightning strike. Certain methods can boost the rates considerably, like Masuda breeding or chaining in Legends: Arceus.

But generally, Shiny Pokémon are the definition of rare finds in Pokémon games. Now let‘s see how the rarity scales up when talking about Mythical Pokémon like Mew.

The Extreme Rarity of Shiny Mythicals

Mythical Pokémon already constitute some of the rarest species in the Pokémon world. Unlike regular Pokémon, Mythicals like Mew cannot be found randomly in-game. Instead, they are typically distributed only via real-life events for a limited time.

For example, the Mythical Pokémon Marshadow was exclusively distributed at GameStop for 1 month in 2017. Jirachi was available via the Bonus Disc bundled with Pokémon Colosseum in 2003. The point is – without attending these often region-locked events, Mythicals stay elusive.

Now combine that scarcity with the 1 in 4096 Shiny odds. Getting your hands on a Shiny Mythical immediately becomes monumental.

Up until Generation VI, Mythicals were even Shiny locked with 0% Shiny chance. To this day, the only legit way to obtain most Mythical Shinies is through restricted events. That explains the unmatched prestige of finally owning that rarest of the rare – a Shiny Mythical.

Availability History of Shiny Mew

Alright, you now understand why any Shiny Mythical like Shiny Celebi or Shiny Jirachi is a big deal. But our focus is on Shiny Mew specifically – so how has its event availability stacked up over the years?

Officially, Shiny Mew has only been obtainable through the following distributions:

• 2016 – Pokémon Scrap campaign in Japan
• 2017 – Pokémon Stamp Rally in Yokohama, Japan
• 2019 – Pokémon Live Event at Makuhari Messe, Japan
• 2021 – Pokémon Tour: Kanto celebration in Pokémon GO

A couple key takeaways:

• Only 4 distributions ever, all 3+ years apart from each other
• Japan-exclusive until 2021‘s Pokémon GO Tour event
• No distributions in core RPG titles like Sword/Shield

This scan data shows Shiny Mew‘s brief windows of availability are few and far between. Before 2021, it remained locked away for anyone not attending obscure events in Japan.

Let‘s compare its distribution frequency against other Mythical Shinies:

Mythical Shiny	# of Distributions
Shiny Mew	4
Shiny Celebi	6
Shiny Jirachi	8
Shiny Victini	2

The data shows Shiny Mew has had even fewer legitimate distribution events than most other Mythical Shinies. Given its important place as the elusive Original One Pokémon, this makes Shiny Mew stand out as exceptionally rare.

Reported Price Data of Shiny Mew

Alright, we‘ve established Shiny Mew‘s rarefied air among Shinies based on limited distribution. How does that actually translate into real-world value for collectors?

For the Pokemon Trading Card Game, PSA 10 Shiny Mew cards sell for premium prices:

• Celebrations Gold Shiny Mew: $400-$750+
• Celebrations Standard Shiny Mew: $225-$400
• Japanese Poncho Pikachu Box Shiny Mew: ~$400

These price points become more impressive when you compare with non-Shiny version Mew cards that sell for under $100 normally.

As for Pokémon GO, accounts with Shiny Mew fetch astronomical amounts according to account selling sites:

• Base rate ~$500
• High-end accounts with multiple legendaries ~$5000+

Listings boast having possibly the "rarest Pokémon in PoGO.” Now obviously selling accounts breaks TOS, but the demand shows how much value people place on finally owning even one Shiny Mew.

Based on reported sale prices, Shiny Mew clearly carries elite collector value matching its dire rarity.

How Shiny Mew Compares to Other Rare Shinies

At this point, it should be clear Shiny Mew sits atop the shiny rarity food chain. But it still helps to contextualize by comparing to a few other contenders for rarest Shiny label:

Shiny Unown C

Available for only 8 hours across 3 locations in 2020. Even rarer distribution, but lacks lore/prestige of Mew.

Shiny Authentic Sinistea

Special form with 0.1% spawn rate in Sword/Shield. Extremely rare, but newer and lacks event prestige.

Shiny Arceus

Mythical with similarly few event distributions. Close contender due to its own lore importance.

While Shiny Unown C has a strong case based on sheer lack of opportunity, Mew edges it out with its mythos as the elusive Original One. Arceus gives Mew a run as fellow Mythical, but Mew‘s extra generational history helps its legend.

Verifying Legitimate vs. Hacked Shiny Mew

Of course, with sky high rarity comes the risk of illicit Shiny Mew flooding the market. While you may covet this shining gem, beware of its rather frequent hacks and impersonators.

Here are tips for spotting the real deal:

Legitimate Shiny Mew:

• In a Cherish Ball
• Classic ribbon attached
• Non-suspicious OT/ID No.
• Event distribution history
• Legal moveset

Hacked Shiny Mew:

• OT of a website/YouTube/Twitch name
• Odd moves like Splash or Celebrate
• Acquired randomly via Wonder Trade, GTS

Avoid heartbreak by thoroughly validating your Shiny Mew first. This mythical shiny deserves legitimization.

The Hunt Continues for This Most Rare Shiny

And there you have it, my friend. Given its extremely limited event distributions, unmatched mythical allure, and collector value, Shiny Mew stands tall as likely the rarest Shiny Pokémon out there.

Owning even just one remains a distant dream for most Pokémon collectors. But the thrill of the hunt keeps trainers tracking news, traveling to events, and mastering the Shiny hunt grind with eternal hope. Maybe one day we‘ll both bask in the awe-inspiring brilliance of a legitimate Shiny Mew. Until then, the hunt continues for this rarest of the rare Shinies.