25 Most Expensive Sword & Shield Cards
-
By: Oliver Copeland
- Published:
- Last Updated: December 3, 2023
As 2022 comes to an end, the final Pokémon Sword & Shield expansion has been released- Silver Tempest. Before we move into the next era of the TCG, I wanted to comprise a list of the most expensive SW&SH cards.
For your information, this does not include world cup finalist cards or any crazy one-of-a-kind stuff like that. I’ve also chosen not to include staff promos. While these kinds of cards are very expensive, they are often not even obtainable for your average collector. I want everything on this list to be reasonably available. You should be able to find them all on eBay.
Oh, and I should mention that these prices change all the time. Generally, they will increase, but some will decrease. The data I gathered for this ebook is as of November 2022 and sourced from recent eBay and TCGplayer sales averaged out since January 2022.
25 Most Expensive Sword & Shield Cards
Total Cost Raw: $3,950
Total Cost PSA 10: $9,145
(All prices are USD)
1. Umbreon VMAX 215/203- Evolving Skies
Raw: $550
PSA 10: $1,200
Umbreon VMAX, nicknamed “Moonbreon” by the community, is a historical card. Collectors went bonkers over this card upon release and the hype hasn’t slowed down one bit.
This card will remain a high-ticket item for years to come, thanks to its extreme demand. The good news is that so many copies have been graded that it will almost always be available on the market.
2. Rayquaza VMAX 218/203- Evolving Skies
Raw: $275
PSA 10: $550
Truly a beautiful card in both terms of artwork and design. Rayquaza VMAX has investment potential too, since it’s still in demand. This card helped carry Evolving Skies for those who aren’t Eeveelution fans and remains one of the best cards of the set to this day.
3. Special Delivery Bidoof SWSH177- Sword & Shield Promos
Raw: $245
PSA 10: $740
A promotional card exclusive to the Pokécenter, this Bidoof being carried by Charizard is a gem. Its sister cards, Special Delivery Pikachu and Special Delivery Charizard aren’t nearly as popular. Ironically, Bidoof reigns above all.
4. Giritina V 186/196- Lost Origin
Raw: $240
PSA 10: $670
One of the most unique and dazzling cards, ever, really. We hadn’t seen a Pokémon card with this level of detail before, so this card was hot of release. It still is hot, actually.
This one has investment potential too since it’s so unique. It might be worth grabbing one when (if) the prices go down.
5. Lugia V 186/195- Silver Tempest
Raw: $200
PSA 10: $380
It was about time that Lugia got its own trophy card. The artwork is predominantly greyscale with a dash of a rainbow spectrum thrown in.
The image really doesn’t do it justice, as this card is absolutely stunning in person.
6. Charizard V 154/172- Brilliant Stars
Raw: $190
PSA 10: $440
Back in Japan in 1996, Venusaur and Charizard were the mascot Pokémon for the original video games release. This card is a beautiful throwback to the old days when the rivals fought each other.
Charizards dynamic pose makes this card stand out as a unique piece in a typical Charizard collection.
7. Gengar VMAX 271/264- Fusion Strike
Raw: $180
PSA 10: $405
Gengar fans rejoiced when this card was announced. Fusion Strike was a great set that went kind of under the radar. People were still obsessing over Evolving Skies when it was released and once this Gengar emerged, prices began to rise.
Also, did you notice that there is a Dark Energy symbol in Gengars mouth? You can unsee it now!
8. Charizard VMAX 074/073- Champion’s Path
Raw: $170
PSA 10: $340
The rainbow-rare version of this Charizard is simply amazing. Whether you are a rainbow rare collector to not, this is one you’ll want to grab. There are 3 versions of this card in total, but this one is the most expensive.
9. Special Delivery Pikachu SWSH074- Sword & Shield Promos
Raw: $160
PSA 10: $550
As a promotional card for the Canadian release of the Pokémon center, this Special Delivery Pikachu was never cheap. Of course, it was free with a purchase, but people quickly scooped up all the copies.
You’ll be lucky to find one now for $150 and that’s ok because it will probably go up in price in the long run.
10. Glaceon VMAX 209/203- Evolving Skies
Raw: $160
PSA 10: $330
It’s nice to see Glaceon get some hard-earned recognition with its new alt art from Evolving Skies. Not only does this card feature a fantastic pose of Glaceon, but also includes other supporting Pokémon including the one-and-only, Pikachu.
11. Leafeon VMAX 205/203- Evolving Skies
Raw: $155
PSA 10: $350
Get ready, here come the Eeveelutions. First up, we have eLeafeon, who is playing with hay bails. Not only is this a beautiful card- hence the price tag- but if you play the TCG then you’ll have already noticed the whopping 170 damage that Max Leaf does!
12. Espeon VMAX 270/264- Fusion Strike
Raw: $150
PSA 10: $370
A card originally speculated to be in Evolving Skies, this Espeon VMAX actually got put in Fusion Strike, making it a bit of an outsider when compared to the other Eeveelutions.
Evolving Skies product prices are so high now that it’s getting out of reach for many collectors. Luckily, this Espeon can still be found in cheap Fusion Strike packs!
13. Sylveon VMAX 212/203- Evolving Skies
Raw: $130
PSA 10: $310
It’s no surprise that this is a $100+ card. Sylveon is a huge fan favorite and this card features multiple other Pokémon on it. Again, the image doesn’t do it justice, as the texture on the face of this card is amazing in every way.
14. Charizard V 079/073- Champion’s Path
Raw: $130
PSA 10: $300
Champion’s Path brought us a few shiny pokémon that we hadn’t seen in a while, but more importantly a shiny Charizard. There is no shiny Charizard card that isn’t expensive, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that this costs over $100.
15. Aerodactyl V 180/196- Lost Origin
Raw: $125
PSA 10: $480
Here is a Pokémon that doesn’t get enough love- Aerodactyl!
In an absolutely stunning piece of art, Aerodactly gets its moment in the spotlight as Lost Origin brings us one of the most beautiful cards to ever grace the fossil Pokémon.
It should be no surprise that this is one of the most expensive Sword & Shield cards!
16. Pikachu VMAX 188/185- Vivid Voltage
Raw: $125
PSA 10: $305
Nicknamed “Chonkachu” by the community, this obese rainbow Pikachu single-handedly blew up Vivid Voltage prices. This card was selling for an average of $300 before the multiple reprints of Vivid Voltage, and can now be found for as little as $125, which is still quite a lot!
17. Blaziken VMAX 201/198- Chilling Reign
Raw: $120
PSA 10: $250
Unique artwork is what drives the desire behind a lot of cards. This Blaziken VMAX is a perfect example. We’re seeing more unique art styles lately but this one already has faculty following behind it.
You can find this one for as low as $120, and you should probably grab it if you see it for any less.
18. Galarian Moltres V 117/198- Chilling Reign
Raw: $115
PSA 10: $290
My personal favorite on this list is Galarian Moltres.
A monochromatic card with a hint of red really brings out the Dark-type in Moltres. In person, this card reveals how much detail there really is in the art, especially in the background.
An extremely cool design that has yet to be replicated elsewhere in the TCG is what makes this card one-of-a-kind.
19. Machamp V 172/189- Astral Radiance
Raw: $105
PSA 10: $300
Generation I fans will love this card. We simply do not have enough sick Machamp cards, so this one is for all the Machamp fans out there.
Extra colorful, extra fun, and featuring a lovable first-gen Pokémon, what a great recipe!
20. Charizard VMAX SV107/122- Shining Fates Shiny Vault
Raw: $100
PSA 10: $240
Remember the rainbow version earlier? This is the shiny version of Charizard VMAX, and it’s badass.
This card has full texture on top of being shiny and a Charizard! Yes, it’s part of the Shining Fate subset, Shiny Vaulty and it’s very hard to pull. However, Shining Fates saw so many reprints that the price has dropped to an affordable $100, and it can sometimes be found for even less.
21. Umbreon V 189/203- Evolving Skies
Raw: $90
PSA 10: $275
If you can’t afford Moonbreon, here’s your next shot!
Many fans actually prefer this artwork to the Moonbreon one, and hey, there’s even a moon! The best part of this card is the supporting Pokémon up front. We can see Pinsir up front with others gathering around.
22. Rayquaza V 194/203- Evolving Skies
Raw: $90
PSA 10: $260
We continue our expensive V cards with Rayquaza. We’re starting to see the V versions on the VMAXs higher up on the list, but some of these V cards look even better.
Many prefer this Rayquaza due to its more original design.
23. Charizard VSTAR- 174/172- Brilliant Stars
Raw: $80
PSA 10: $250
As the only VSTAR on this list, Charizard comes flying in as rainbow rare too!
The rainbow adds a more difficult level of rarity and makes this card very tough to pull. Double that with the fact that it’s a Charizard and you have yourself a gem.
24. Dragonite V 192/203- Evolving Skies
Raw: $85
PSA 10: $220
One of the first alt art cards of the Sword & Shield era is this Dragonite.
It’s depicted as a more relaxed sleepy Pokémon in this artwork and has a calming nature to it. For Dragonite fans, this is a must. Actually, most Dragonite fans probably have this one already.
25. Tyranitar V 155/163- Battle Styles
Raw: $80
PSA 10: $220
Our final entry is the famous sleepy Tyranitar! Did he have too much to eat, too much to drink, or both?
Battle Styles was famously bad, according to many, but no one denies that this Tyranitar V is the chase card of the set.
