Lorcana is Having a Magical Moment Thanks to Toy Story
I saw Toy Story 5 today in theaters and was stoked to come home with a Buzz Lightyear Lorcana promo card complete with gorgeous foiling.
Toy Story 5 was a very fun adventure. It wasn’t my favorite of the Toy Story films (funny enough number 4 might actually be my favorite), but it was still a solid entry to the post-Andy canon. Its strongest elements centered on developing Jessie’s character, and even diving into her past a bit. Meanwhile, the movie very effectively portrayed the terrors of unleashing technology on the young.
Getting back to the Lorcana card – Toy Story 5 hasn’t just been a big moment for the franchise: it’s been a huge driver for recent renewed interest in Lorcana. From store championships once again driving huge turnouts and valuable prizes, to insane and unprecedented chase cards catching heat on the secondary card market, Toy Story has been a shot in the arm for the game that’s been flying under the radar lately in comparison to other hot games like Riftbound or UNION ARENA.
Wilds Unknown may be Lorcana’s most successful set since Into the Inklands
As hard as it is to believe, it’s been over two years since Lorcana dropped Into the Inklands: a set that pretty much encapsulated Lorcana’s rise to stardom in the TCG world. At that time, it was so dominant that it was even threatening the big three for top TCG overall.
Since then, demand for the TCG has slipped. While many still report vibrant local scenes, card prices on the secondary card market were lackluster, and a shrinking competitive scene in North America pointed to something of a slump for the previous star TCG.
However, all of that could be over with the recent success being seen by Lorcana’s latest set release: Wilds Unknown
Lorcana’s Wilds Unknown top chase cards are seeing unprecedented demand
If you needed proof of the kind of hysteria being driven by Lorcana’s latest set – a hysteria no doubt being driven in part by the hype for Toy Story 5 – look at the set’s top chase card: Buzz Lightyear Jungle Wrangler.
This Buzz Lightyear “Iconic” card is currently fetching a price on the secondary card market that would make any current TCG absolutely blush. It currently has a proven market price of $3,529, meaning cards have been verified for being sold at that amount via TCGPlayer. That is an absolutely insane card price, one that would have been unimaginable even at the previous peak of Lorcana craze when Into the Inklands came out.
It’s not the only card dominating the secondary card market charts right now, however. Another Pixar IP is absolutely crushing it: the Merida Iconic card from the set which is going for a whopping $1,700.
Even apart from the two Iconic cards in this set (Lorcana’s highest rarity card), the next twelve most expensive Enchanted cards from the set are fetching above $100 on the secondary card market, making Wilds Unknown feel like Lorcana’s own Ascended Heroes for those familiar with the recent and legendary Pokémon TCG set.
Toy Story hype is renewing interest in local competitive play
Beyond just the collectability of these cards, Lorcana is showing signs of once again having a vibrant local scene. Indeed, store championships were once the backbone of the Lorcana scene, giving players of all levels from all backgrounds an opportunity to test their skills against other strong players from their area.
While prizes have steadily decreased in value ever since Ravensburger decided to expand their pool to a top cut rather than an exclusive top four, the prize card for Wilds Unknown tournament series is catching the eyes of many.
The Woody – Jungle Guide Store Championship Promo that you can only get from topping the event is fetching an impressive $258 on the secondary card market – the kind of value that I’ve not seen for a store championship promo since Lorcana’s earlier days.
With demand for products and singles soaring, interest in competitive play spiking, and thematically tied to what will likely be remembered as this year’s hit summer movie, Lorcana really hit it out of the park with Wilds Unknown. It’s great to see a game that I spent a good portion of my life on at one point doing so well. Clearly, the magic that once drove many to stores far and wide, and lines at Disney Parks around the globe in hopes of claiming products from the phenomenal First Chapter, never fully left. Like the princess Disneyland’s iconic castle is based on, it was simply sleeping. A Pixar-themed set…No…a Toy Story-themed set was all it needed to brush off its eyes and come alive.
