Japan's Pokémon Card Bubble Collapses 💥, Italian XY Primal Clash Booster Box Sells $3k ⚔️, PSA 10 PokePark's Pikachu Sells $11.1k 🛝, Arceus Movie Blister Sells $5k 🎥

📰 TCG News: 'Pay for your tattoo with Pokémon cards', 'Rampage' Discovers 'Inner Child' with $340k Rayquaza Gold Star Purchase, Japan's Pokémon Card Bubble Collapses, Kids Can Finally Buy Cards Again

🔢 Card Market Highlights: Japan's Pokémon Card Bubble Collapse, Italian XY Primal Clash Booster Box Sells $3k, PSA 10 PokePark's Pikachu Sells $11.1k, Arceus Movie Blister Sells $5k

😴 Sleeper Pick: PokeKyun - Jirachi 015/032

🔵 'Pay for your tattoo with Pokémon cards'

A tattoo artist named Martin Moore, co-owner of Mavericks Tattoo Studio in Totton near Southampton, is offering tattoos in exchange for Pokémon cards to grow his collection of tens of thousands. The story was published in connection with Pokémon's 30th anniversary, which fell on Friday.

Moore explains that the tattoo industry has been struggling as people have less disposable income, while many people have old Pokémon cards sitting in their lofts that may hold real value. He sees the trade as a win-win: customers can offset the cost of a tattoo, and he gets to expand his collection. Interested people can message the studio with details about their cards for a valuation, and Moore says he's happy to appraise cards even for those who don't want a tattoo. (Source: BBC)

🔵 'Rampage' Discovers 'Inner Child' with $340k Rayquaza Gold Star Purchase

Poker vlogger Ethan "Rampage" Yau spent $340,000 on a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) 2005 Rayquaza EX Deoxys Holo Gold Star, one of only 47 in that grade worldwide. The last recorded PSA 10 sale was $34,200 in October 2022, roughly 10× less than Rampage paid, reflecting the surge in high-end Pokémon card values.

Rampage described the purchase as a journey of personal growth and rediscovery of his inner child, adding the card will stay in his personal collection regardless of future price movement. For context, it still pales in comparison to the $16.49 million Logan Paul received for a Pikachu Illustrator card earlier this month. (Source: Poker News)

🔵 Japan's Pokémon Card Bubble Collapses, Kids Can Finally Buy Cards Again

The speculative bubble around Pokémon TCG cards in Japan is collapsing, and that's good news for players, especially kids. During the pandemic, scalpers and investors drove prices sky-high, but now values are rapidly dropping, with one popular card falling from a $65,000 buying price to under $15k.

The decline has been fueled by a growing counterfeit problem and a domino effect as speculators exit and sell off collections. The upside is that rare cards once costing over $300 are now around $30, release-day lines have eased, and cards are back in stock at regular toy stores. (Source: Automaton)

🔵 D&P Trainer Collection Box Sells for $9.1k

This box contains a mix of older EX booster packs like Holon Phantoms and various configurations of Cracked Ice Reverse Holofoil promos from POP Series 8.

Sealed Type - Year: Collection Box - 2009
Contents: 6 DP/EX Series booster packs, 3 Cracked Ice Holofoil promos

Sales history: Sales data for this particular box is fairly limited but for reference, Holon Phantoms packs regularly sell for around $1.3k.

🔵 Italian XY Primal Clash Booster Box Sells for $3k

This is an Italian-language ("Scontro Primordiale") XY Primal Clash booster box, factory sealed. Non-English European language booster boxes typically had much smaller print runs than their English counterparts, making sealed copies significantly harder to find.

Sealed Type - Year: Booster Box - 2015
Contents: 36 booster packs
Sales History: Sales data is limited but in the same week, a sealed box of Italian Ancient Origins sold for $3k.

🔵 PSA 10 Mario Pikachu Sells for $28k

This is the Mario Pikachu Full Art promo (294/XY-P), a Japanese-exclusive card from the 2016 Mario Pikachu Special Box. The box was a limited Pokémon Center Japan collaboration celebrating the Super Mario crossover.

Singles Type - Condition: Graded Single - PSA 10
Set Name - Year: XY Promo (294/XY-P) - 2016
Sales History: Based on most recent sales in January 2026 in the $16k - $18k range, this $28k sale is a significant outlier.

🔵 PSA 10 Umbreon Neo Discovery 1st Edition Sells for ~$35k

Umbreon #13 sometimes coined as the original Moonbreon, is a Holo Rare from Neo Discovery (2001), one of the most sought-after cards from the Neo era. With only 102 PSA 10s out of 1,728 total graded for the 1st ed. version.

Singles Type - Condition: Graded - PSA 10
Set Name - Year: Neo Discovery 1st Edition - 2001
Sales History: In June 2025, a PSA 10 copy of this card sold for $8k (up +337.5%).

🔵 PSA 10 PokePark's Pikachu Sells for $11.1k

This is a Japanese-exclusive promo Pikachu (004/009) from the PokePark Forest set, distributed at the PokéPark theme park events in Japan around 2005-2006. These cards were only available to park attendees.

Singles Type - Condition: Graded Single - PSA 10
Set Name - Year: PokePark Forest (004/009) - 2005
Sales History: In Sep. 2025 a PSA 10 copy of this card sold for $4.8k (up +131%).

🔵 Arceus Japanese Movie Blister Sells for $5k

This is a Japanese theater-exclusive blister from the 2009 "Advent of Arceus" movie. It contains an Ash's Pikachu Lv.X promo, a Michina Temple promo, two 2009 Movie Commemoration random packs, and one Advent of Arceus booster pack.

Origin Source - Year: Japanese Movie Promo Blister (Advent of Arceus) - 2009
Sales History: Sales data is limited because intact blisters in good condition are rare, but in July 2025, one sold for $1.3k (up +284%).

🔵 1998 Japanese CD Promo Set Sells for $5k

Factory sealed Japanese CD Promo set from 1998 containing 11 cards, headlined by Charizard. These promo cards were originally bundled with Pokémon soundtrack CDs in Japan and are among the earliest Japanese promos in existence.

Origin Source - Year: Japanese CD Promo Set - 1998
Sales History: Similarly these types of vintage collectibles are fairly rare but in Sep. 2025 this set sold for $2k.

While many of the PokeKyun cards were re-released in English via the XY Generations set, the holofoil of the Japanese versions are much more unique (like a heart holo for example) and vibrant.

Most PokeKyun cards are easily in $600-$3k range, some cards like this Jirachi are still hidden budget gems and make for a really unique collection addition.