The 15 Most Expensive 30th Celebration Pokémon Cards
Wondering what the top Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration chase cards are?
Having celebrated its worldwide release on September 16, 2026, 30th Celebration is arguably the single biggest Pokémon TCG set of all time. Leading up to release day there was excitement and anticipation for this set in a way that we’ve never seen before. Given this is the Pokémon TCG we are talking about, that’s saying a lot.
One of the most exciting things about this set? The sheer number of gorgeous and potentially valuable chase cards to hunt.
30th Celebration Booster Pack
ME: 30th Celebration
Market Value
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Below, we’ll be looking at each of the most expensive cards from 30th Celebration, as well as sharing their live market prices that are updated daily!
#1 Mew RGB is the top chase card in 30th Celebration
Mew - R/RGB
ME: 30th Celebration • RBG Rare
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Mew - G/RGB
ME: 30th Celebration • RBG Rare
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Mew - B/RGB
ME: 30th Celebration • RBG Rare
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I doubt anyone who lives through Pokémon 30th will ever forget the legend that is RGB Mew. Originally leaked via shady streamers opening products early without permission, the RGB Mew was robbed of the ultimate surprise it was meant to be.
Indeed, without a doubt Pokémon intended this hidden rarity Mew card to feel just like it did for those playing the original Pokémon Video Games who found the secret code for Mew.
It was a brilliant play to include this RGB Mew (an homage to the original Red, Blue, and Green Pokémon video games). However, the way we found out about it was less than ideal.
Still, early leaks did at least spread further excitement for Pokémon 30th Celebration. And while we don’t yet know just how hard these particular cards are to pull (odds are quite difficult), confirmed sales of ungraded RGB Mew cards are fetching over $4,000.
#2 Crystal Lugia – Classic Collection
Lugia
ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection • Classic Collection
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This Crystal Lugia card (named after its Poké-BODY type ability) is a reprint of the iconic Lugia e-Reader card originally released in Pokémon TCG’s second ever e-Reader set, Aquapolis.
Not only is its original incredibly valuable – fetching thousands of dollars even just raw (or ungraded) – it’s a card that has never before been reprinted. Until now.
While most collectors simply won’t have the funds to acquire its rare and high value vintage original, for many, the 30th Celebration version is easily the next-best-thing.
Currently, Lugia is both the top selling card in the Classic Collection and (outside of the RGB Mew), it’s the top chase in the set.
#3 Charizard – Classic Collection
Charizard
ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection • Classic Collection
Market Value
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30 years later, Charizard Pokémon cards are still turning heads, no matter how they are printed. Just last year we saw Mega Charizard X ex shake things up in Phantasmal Flames, and now we have a reprint of Pokémon’s original chase card to attempt to collect.
And while many will be hoping to rip open a pack with this very card in it to recreate the feeling of opening Pokémon’s Base Set, the only thing keeping it from reaching even higher value is the sheer number of times it’s been reprinted. Indeed, just five years ago we had essentially the same card, only with a 25 Pikachu Anniversary logo instead of this year’s 30.
That doesn’t stop Charizard from being worth a lot. It just puts a ceiling firmly on this card’s potential value that a first-time reprint like Crystal Lugia simply doesn’t have.
#4 Mew ex – Special Illustration Rare
Mew ex - 152/128
ME: 30th Celebration • Special Illustration Rare
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Mew is the dominant character among this set’s top chase cards. It has three cards – each of a different rarity – that are at the top of the list in value. Forget the others, however: few Mew cards have managed to convey this level of ethereal beauty. Mew is seen here totally at one with nature. It drops delicately from the sky, submerged in light.
It’s a silent, sleepy ode not only to the power of the first Pokémon – it’s an ode to the power of Pokémon overall. The end result is 30th Celebration’s most expensive Special Illustration Rare card of them all.
#5 Magikarp – Classic Collection
Magikarp
ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection • Classic Collection
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This legendary Magikarp Illustration Rare was released in Paldea Evolved back in 2023, making it a relatively recent chase on this list. However, its impact likely warrants a higher price tag than you might think from such a card.
Designed by fan-favorite artist Shinji Kanda, this Magikarp almost singlehandedly kicked off the modern era’s obsession with sleeper Illustration Rare chase cards. Magikarp proved that a card you could currently get in booster packs didn’t have to be massively rare to be valuable: it just had to be cool enough.
With every set that comes out, collectors and investors have to analyze the pool of Illustration Rare cards to identify which new card might be a sleeper chase.
Few, however, live up to the incredible value this Magikarp’s original still enjoys.
#6 Gengar ex – Special Illustration Rare
Gengar ex - 154/128
ME: 30th Celebration • Special Illustration Rare
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Gengar is a massively popular Pokémon, and cards that feature it are hot.
Yet despite the many stunning Gengar cards we’ve had in the TCG lately, this one might be my absolute favorite. Instead of focusing on abstract backgrounds or massive Gigantamax themes, here we just have plain old Gengar, looking like it’s about to cause mischief and mayhem in this decidedly Halloween-looking town.
Given the time of year the set is releasing, the massive hype for Gengar cards in general, and the undeniably spooky theming of this card’s art, Gengar ex SIR should be an absolute home run as far as value goes for anyone lucky enough to pull it.
#7 Pikachu ex – Special Illustration Rare (Day and Night)
Pikachu ex - 150/128
ME: 30th Celebration • Special Illustration Rare
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Pikachu ex - 149/128
ME: 30th Celebration • Special Illustration Rare
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Tempting as it is to get hung up on Mew, we can’t forget Pikachu. Though Mew may dominate the high end chase cards, Pikachu is everywhere else. It has an entire rarity devoted to it, with plenty of more modestly valued cards to chase. It also gets a Futuristic style Promo Card that you can only obtain via either the day or night UPC.
Because both Pikachu ex cards are thematically tied, they share the #7 spot on this list. That being said, the nighttime parade Pikachu has my vote for top Pikachu chase card in the set. It’s edging out its daytime counterpart right now, thanks in part to the Umbreon that is clearly visible right there in the front.
#8 Mew ex – Futuristic Rare
Mew ex
ME: 30th Celebration • Futuristic Rare
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Before RGB Mew was confirmed, 30th Celebration’s definitive chase appeared to be the Mew ex Futuristic Rare. Even during presale season this card had an insane confirmed market price, making it the highest selling card of the Mega Evolution era at that time.
The Futuristic Rarity makes its debut in 30th Celebration. The whole idea of Futuristic Rare cards is to look towards the future of Pokémon. We already have an entire Classic Collection devoted to its past. The main set list introduces brand-new cards – a nod to Pokémon TCG’s present. Futuristic Rares, meanwhile, look towards its future.
All of that is a bit brand-speak, however. What collectors really care about is that this is a seemingly exclusive rarity for 30th Celebration, making these cards truly unique. That’s largely why this Mew ex card is worth as much as it is.
#9 Gengar (Prime) – Classic Collection
Gengar (Prime)
ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection • Classic Collection
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As it so happens, Gengar makes two appearances on this list.
While this Gengar card has a surprising bit of lore behind it, it mostly makes this list for the current Gengar fascination we’re seeing among collectors. As already stated above, modern Gengar cards do very well on the secondary market. Beloved partly for its memorable inclusion in the very first generation of Pokémon, Gengar has become something of a mascot for a wide group of Pokémon fans.
And while classic Gengar cards are worth a solid amount, some of the most valuable prints have been from more modern eras. Fusion Strike’s Gengar Alternate Art has become known as one of the top chase cards of its era. Meanwhile, Gengar really turned heads recently when it became the top chase card of one of 2026’s biggest sets: Ascended Heroes.
The Gengar market seems to have cooled ever-so-slightly since. However, that won’t be enough to keep any card featuring one of the original Ghost Pokémon off this list of top chase cards.
#10 Jirachi ex – Special Illustration Rare
Jirachi ex - 155/128
ME: 30th Celebration • Special Illustration Rare
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This Jirachi ex SIR is pretty magical. Judging by its early market price, fans have taken notice. Not only is this arguably the best-looking Jirachi alternate art the Pokémon TCG has ever seen, it shares a tie with several other beloved Pokémon TCG cards in its DNA.
Fans have pointed out its thematic similarity to the Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus alternate art cards from Crown Zenith. 30th Celebration’s Jirachi was even illustrated by the same artist.
If any Pokémon deserved a gorgeous massive chase card at long last, it’s Jirachi.
#11 Mewtwo ex – Special Illustration Rare
Mewtwo ex - 151/128
ME: 30th Celebration • Special Illustration Rare
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Despite Mewtwo’s undeniable popularity as a Pokémon, Mew cards tend to be more valuable.
It’s not surprising, therefore, that this Mewtwo ex Special Illustration Rare would be worth significantly less than its Mew ex SIR counterpart.
It doesn’t help that from a visual perspective, Mew ex has the superior concept. Meanwhile, Mewtwo ex’s Special Illustration Rare art is totally distinct. This background is abstract versus the serene setting we find Mew in. It’s also decidedly nighttime themed, with something of an eclipse seeming to form a halo around the legendary Pokémon’s head.
#12 Sylveon ex – Special Illustration Rare
Sylveon ex - 153/128
ME: 30th Celebration • Special Illustration Rare
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While Umbreon and Espeon are included as promo cards in the upcoming 30th Celebration UPC, Sylveon gets the distinction of being the single Eeveelution to get an SIR in this set. And believe me when I say it: that won’t go unnoticed by collectors.
Not only does being the sole Eeveelution among the top contenders for chase cards in this set grant some intrinsic value, but this version of Sylveon ex is arguably the most beautiful we have ever seen printed on a card.
#13 Mewtwo ex – Futuristic Rare
Mewtwo ex
ME: 30th Celebration • Futuristic Rare
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While the current price tag on Mewtwo ex Futuristic Rare is enough to be excited about, it’s a far cry from the demand seen for Mew ex Futuristic Rare. This Mewtwo card’s market price isn’t being determined solely by popularity, however. Turns out, 30th Celebration has incredibly generous pull rates, making Futuristic Rares easier to hunt than first imagined.
#14 Pikachu & Zekrom GX – Classic Collection
Pikachu & Zekrom GX
ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection • Classic Collection
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While this particular Tag Team card featuring Pikachu and Zekrom is part of a competitive legacy, the big selling point is more the unlikely tag team between two memorable Pokémon. Pikachu is a well-known quantity here. Zekrom is a lesser-known – but still noteworthy – Pokémon that has driven value in recent sets.
For example, the popular and pricey Black Bolt set released last year featured two highly valuable Zekrom cards. And fans haven’t forgotten.
#15 Shining Celebi – Classic Collection
Shining Celebi
ME: 30th Celebration Classic Collection • Classic Collection
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For many, the Neo era of the Pokémon TCG harbors a ton of nostalgia. As a result, many cards from sets of this era tend to be highly valuable. One such card is the Shining Celebi card originally printed in Neo Destiny. Celebi is such a cool Pokémon in general. It’s been featured in the Pokémon anime several times, and its shiny form even played a role in Pokémon’s latest anime film: Secrets of the Jungle.
General Celebi love means cards bearing this time-traveling Pokémon often perform well on the secondary market when they’re rare and beautiful enough. Case in point: the last recorded sale of the original First Edition Shining Celebi card is for over $3,000 on TCGPlayer.
While a reprint isn’t worth anywhere near that ballpark, it’s still one of the more sought-after and in-demand Classic Collection cards from the set.
Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration is the most hyped set perhaps of all time. With an incredible lineup of gorgeous cards to collect – as well as a first-of-its-kind hidden rarity Mew – it certainly delivers on its promise, and then some.
