What Pokémon TCG: Brilliant Stars Cards Are Worth The Most Money

The latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion set, Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars, has its fair share of chase cards that are worth a respectable amount of money. The set, which officially released on February 25, includes a whopping 172 cards plus another 30 in the special Trainer Gallery subset. Although not the largest TCG set, Brilliant Stars is still a big set, and shines the spotlight on both popular Pokémon like Charizard and more niche picks like Lumineon.

Pokémon TCG card prices tend to fluctuate over time, and it’s especially drastic when a set first releases. Cards can be obtained early through pre-release events, and the prices for single cards can be incredibly high during this time period. Brilliant Stars’ best Pokémon TCG cards both in terms of competitive use and collector demand get solidified and card prices begin to settle once the set has been released.

Using websites such as TCG Player, it’s easy to track the changing prices of Brilliant Stars’ cards. Although the costs have been on the decline overall, the highest-priced cards have remained in generally the same place. There’s a chance other secret rare cards may see their prices hike up if they turn out to have unexpected competitive use – like what happened with Sun & Moon – Cosmic Eclipse’s Arceus & Dialga & Palkia Tag Team GX card – and the rarest cards of the set will inevitably see an increase in value as other sets release, such as the upcoming Astral Radiance Pokémon TCG set, and the overall supply of Brilliant Stars decreases. Since Brilliant Stars’ five cards worth the most money currently aren’t entirely surprising, it’s highly likely they’ll remain the set’s most coveted cards even as the overall prices increase over time.

Pokémon TCG: Brilliant Stars’ Charizard Cards Are Worth The Most Money

It comes as no surprise that Brilliant Stars’ Charizard chase cards are the set’s consistently most expensive cards. Specifically, the alternate art print of Charizard V and the Rainbow Rare version of Charizard VSTAR are the two cards vying for the number one spot in Brilliant Stars’ collection. The Rainbow Rare Charizard VSTAR has been sold within the $170 to $180 range, which leaves its current market value price at around $175, but listings go above and beyond even $200 not unlike other valuable Charizard Pokémon TCG cards. When Brilliant Stars was still in its pre-release period, the Rainbow Rare Charizard VSTAR even sold for upwards of $400, and it’s not hard to imagine the price returning to that value over time.

The alternate art Charizard V card currently goes for a respectable $160 to $170, but has been as high as $200. It likely won’t surpass Charizard VSTAR in terms of monetary value, but it’s easy to see why it’s grabbed collectors’ eyes: in addition to being another Charizard card, it has gorgeous artwork by Ryota Murayama. In it, Charizard faces off against Venusaur with an imposing mountain range in the back. The artwork alone makes this version of Charizard V a worthy collector’s piece.

Pokémon TCG: Brilliant Stars’ Arceus Cards Are The Next Most Expensive

Among Brilliant Stars’ Pokémon VSTAR cards is Arceus, the set’s cover Pokémon. Like Charizard, an alternate art Arceus V and ultra-rare print of Arceus VSTAR are among the set’s highest valued cards. The gold Arceus VSTAR started with a higher price than the alternate art Arceus V, but has dropped in value much faster. Currently, the alternate art Arceus V averages for about $75, with prices ranging from $60 all the way to $80 or more. This beautiful card, illustrated by Pokémon TCG fan-favorite illustrator kawayoo, features Arceus soaring majestically above the Sinnoh region. At its highest price, this card sold for an average of around $95.

The Secret Rare golden Arceus STAR card introduces the Pokémon TCG VSTAR mechanic with its powerful VSTAR power. As a chase card both for collectors and competitors alike, Arceus VSTAR has a lot of room for monetary value increase, even if it’s currently on the decline. At its highest value before the set officially hit store shelves, it was valued at around $120. Now, it’s closer to $70, although many listings are popping up in the $50 to $70 range. If decks using Arceus VSTAR don’t take off, the price may continue to lower in the future, but as a Secret Rare card, it will definitely retain value as a collector’s item as more and more sets come into print and Brilliant Stars ages.

Pokémon TCG: Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery’s Umbreon VMAX Is Expensive

Brilliant Stars includes a Trainer Gallery subset of 30 cards featuring various Trainers with their Pokémon partners, including Pokémon series protagonists like Gloria and even Gym Leaders. Among this set of Trainer cards, regular Pokémon, and Pokémon V is Brilliant Stars’ fifth most valuable card currently: Umbreon VMAX. This card is also illustrated by kawayoo, and features a Dynamax Umbreon with Indigo Elite Four member Karen from Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver Versions.

Umbreon VMAX reached upwards of $197 during Brilliant Stars’ pre-release, rivaling even the alternate art Charizard V’s value. It has since gone down to prices closer to $42, although it can range from anywhere between $40 to $60. Its Ability, Dark Signal, allows players to switch their opponent’s Active Pokémon with another from their Bench, which can be especially powerful, although it can only be used once when Umbreon VMAX is evolved into. Even if it doesn’t find its way into one of the stronger competitive Pokémon TCG decks of the format, Umbreon is a very popular Eevee evolution, making this rare card one that will be sought after for a while yet.

After Umbreon VMAX, Brilliant Stars’ higher-end value cards tend to stay around the $20 to $40 range. Some standout cards include the Secret Rare gold Ultra Ball card. Since Ultra Ball is a staple card in many decks, the gold coloration card is one competitive players may want when trying to bling out their decks. The alternate art print of Lumineon V is another card that will likely maintain a respectable value thanks to Lumineon V’s merit as a competitive card, and if another version of Lumineon V gets reprinted for accessibility, the alternate art will still maintain its collector’s value. Other cards, like the full art Cynthia’s Ambition card featuring the powerful Champion Cynthia from Pokémon BDSP, may not be worth as much as the above-mentioned cards, but add variety to the Pokémon TCG’s Brilliant Stars’ impressive lineup, providing something worth collecting for all sorts of fans.

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